The NEC-SE was the first to indicate that Egypt might move to seize key territories in Libya to include the Libyan oil fields. ISIS currently controls those fields and is selling oil to Italy. Recently the Vatican placed pressure on France to stop buying oil from ISIS but did not have any direct discussions with the Italian government to stop purchasing oil from Libya.

While the Middle East Sunni states scramble to to keep their territories under control now that Iran has been given given the keys to the Middle East by the I-5 plus One, European nations are trying to reengage with their old partners in the region. It seems the same loyalties and partnerships that were formed during World War I and World War II are once again emerging both in the Middle East and in Europe.

“Egypt on Monday took delivery of three Rafale fighter jets from France, the first of 24 warplanes sold in a €5.2 billion (us $5.6 billion) deal earlier this year.”

“Egyptian authorities took charge of the planes at an air base in southern France, and they will be flown to Cairo by specially trained pilots on Tuesday.”

“Cairo is hoping to boost its military presence as it faces an unstable Libya to the west and threats from militants linked to the Islamic State group in its Sinai Peninsula to the east. For Egypt, the agreement is also a show of support for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew his Islamist predecessor in 2013 and wants to break a US monopoly over arms sales to Cairo.”

“The overall French deal with Egypt also includes contracts for missiles and for a FREMM multimission frigate from naval group DCNS.”

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/air-force/2015/07/20/france-delivers-first-rafales-egypt/30419843/