Egypt's defense attache in Washington, DC has denied an Amnesty International report that a ship carrying weapons from the US is bound for Egypt.
The ship mentioned in the report, which allegedly set off from a northern California port, has nothing to do with Egypt and is heading to an Asian country through the Suez Canal, Major General Mohamed al-Keshky told the Egyptian state-run news agency MENA.
The shipping company named in the report is Dutch, Keshky said, noting that Egypt deals directly with US shipping agencies for weapon transfers, not through foreign intermediaries.
He added that Egypt has begun to regain its security and people have become aware of the urgent need for security during this critical phase. He said parties are circulating rumors to drive a wedge between those seeking to reestablish security.
Keshky openly wondered about the reason behind the hype regarding this ship in particular, especially since he said Egypt regularly receives shipments of weapons and ammunition from the US according to mutual agreements.
Amnesty International may have made an inadvertent mistake and should issue a correction, he added, especially since Amnesty International is a respected organization that works to serve humanity and not agitate others.
On Thursday, Amnesty International expressed its concern that a ship carrying weapons, including explosives, apparently en route to Egypt could represent a substantial risk if Egyptian security forces used the weapons to commit human rights violations.
Egyptian security forces' use of foreign-supplied ammunition is a good example of the urgent need for the establishment and implementation of the proposed global Arms Trade Treaty, which will enter its final stage of crucial negotiations in July, the international organization said.
