U.S., allies set military exercise near Egypt
WASHINGTON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Troops from the United States and a
dozen Middle Eastern and other countries will take part in a joint
military exercise in and near Egypt beginning on Saturday, the U.S.
Central Command said.
Operation "Bright Star", which runs through Oct. 3, is the 12th in the
series of such joint training sessions over the years. It was last
scheduled for 2003, but was canceled that year because of U.S. military
operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S.-declared global war on
terror.
Central Command officials said on Tuesday about 8,600 U.S. troops would
be involved in the exercise, but did not name the participating
countries other than Egypt, or say how many other troops would take
part.
Bright Star is the largest regional exercise conducted by the Central
Command, which is based in Tampa, Florida, and oversees U.S. military
operations in the Middle East and Gulf.
It is designed to improve readiness and interoperability and strengthen
ties among U.S., Egyptian and other participating forces.
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