CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is feeling vindicated by the world’s alarm over Islamic extremism that is fueling wars and bloodshed across the Middle East.
The former army general has faced international criticism for his ouster last year of Egypt’s first freely elected president and his ferocious crackdown on Islamists that has killed more than 1,000 and imprisoned more than 20,000.
A year later, after el-Sissi’s election as president, his critics fear he is leading his country into autocracy, with pro-democracy dissenters jailed or silenced.
But in an interview with The Associated Press — his first with the foreign media since he took office in June — el-Sissi insists all his actions were to combat militancy and save the country from civil war. He said Egypt is a model for fighting terrorism and that the U.S.-led coalition to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria should take note.
“More than a year ago, I warned that the region was heading to great danger from extremist thought,” he said. “It didn’t receive proper attention until the events in Iraq took place and the Islamic State swept over the Iraqi-Syrian borders.”
His approach, however, has raised concerns over the potential for democracy in Egypt.
El-Sissi and his supporters group the Muslim Brotherhood — an organization that won repeated elections over the past three years — as equivalent to hard-line militant groups wreaking havoc from Libya to Iraq. They accuse the Brotherhood of being behind violence in Egypt.
The Brotherhood denies that, saying it is merely an excuse for el-Sissi to wipe out a political rival. Secular activists say the government uses the fight against terrorism as a reason to silence criticism.
The United States is looking for support by Arab nations for its strategy to strike the Islamic State group. But at the same time, it has been critical of Egypt’s crackdown on Islamists, withdrawing some military aid and straining a longtime alliance.
El-Sissi will make his first visit to the United States as president to attend the U.N. General Assembly in the coming week. So far there are no plans for talks with President Barack Obama.
El-Sissi said he is ready to help the U.S.-led coalition. Asked whether Egypt might provide airspace access or logistical support for airstrikes, he said, “We are completely committed to giving support. We will do whatever is required.” But he appeared to rule out sending troops.
Most importantly, he said, extremism across the region must be tackled. He warned that the greatest danger came from foreign fighters flooding into the region’s conflicts, saying they will eventually return to their home countries and spread extremism there.
