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Report: CIA, Egypt discuss counterterrorism, security cooperation
CIA Director David Petraeus is meeting with Egyptian military and intelligence officials in Cairo to discuss U.S. support for the newly democratic Arab state and how to combat Islamic extremist groups from gaining a foothold in the country.
Petraeus was part of an American delegation that arrived in Egypt on Wednesday for a two-day security and counterterrorism summit between the two countries, according to The Associated Press.
The fledgling democracy in Egypt, led by president Mohamed Morsi, is facing a rising threat from Islamic radical groups in the country and elsewhere in the region, like many of those spawned in the wake of the Arab Spring movement.
On Sept. 11, a mob of protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, breaching the building's outer walls and burning the American flag before being repelled by U.S. and local security forces.
The protest coincided with a suspected terrorist attack against the U.S. Consulate in Libya, which resulted in the deaths of four Americans including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
In addition to efforts by U.S. intelligence to forge stronger ties with Egypt, the Pentagon is also making inroads with the North African nation.
Talks are under way between senior Navy officials and their counterparts in Cairo to begin conducting joint war games for the first time since Morsi took power earlier this year.
While bilateral discussions on the naval drills are still being discussed, the exercises would focus on improving Egypt's ability to deal with small-boat attacks and general patrol operations of its coastal waters, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert told reporters in September.
That said, Petraeus' trip to Egypt is only the latest in a string of visits by top military, intelligence and counterterrorism officials to the region in recent months.
In March, Petraeus held a closed-door meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss the escalating civil war in Syria between anti-government rebels and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta met Morsi during a goodwill trip through the region in July shortly after the former Muslim Brotherhood member officially took power in the country.
Most recently, John Brennan, the White House chief counterterrorism adviser, met with Libyan counterparts in Tripoli as part of the administration's effort to find out what happened during consulate strike in Benghazi.
