“He was erratic, conspiratorial in nature and harbored a lot of anti-American suspicions. He believes that the 2011 uprising was the result of an external conspiracy rather than internal upheaval.”

“The public remarks in which the US government expresses concern are a necessary precondition. It serves as a signal of how much we care about the status of those individuals. It also helps to create a sense within Egypt that this is a real problem.”

“Egypt and its lobbyists go to huge lengths to put forth the narrative that the country deserves special treatment because of its terrorism threat and its alleged irreplaceable regional role. But no amount of PR can change the reality inside Egypt.”

“There is a long history of Russian preliminary agreements that take forever or never occur.”

“The Egyptians have failed to acknowledge that ISIS is not just a terrorism threat. Killing terrorists is not sufficient. They need to deprive ISIS of local support, which is rooted in Cairo’s historical neglect of the Sinai.”

“Getting rid of the mayors might bring fresh blood, but it is more likely to be Erdogan loyalists, which doesn’t solve the basic problem of demonstrating to wavering supporters that the AKP can still connect with their needs and concerns.”

“The U.S. administration deserves credit for acknowledging in this report the brutal reality of escalating human rights abuses by the Egyptian state.”

“The charges are themselves are absurd. Targeting foreigners has become part of Turkey’s strategy for pressuring Western powers. Although the Trump administration has prioritized the Brunson case, there are many Americans detained.”