Egypt Military Steps Up Suez Patrols to Secure Global Trade Link

Egypt’s military increased patrols of the Suez Canal, securing the waterway handling about 8 percent of global maritime commerce, as protests escalate against President Mohamed Mursi’s regime.

Mohab Mohamed Hussien Mameesh, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, is coordinating a “high-alert” military response, Tarek Hassanein, a spokesman for the organization, said by phone yesterday. The army and navy stepped up patrols of the 190-kilometer (118-mile) canal linking the Red and Mediterranean seas about a week ago, he said.