Egypt, US special forces hold maneuvers on combating terrorism ahead of ‘Bright Star’ drills

Egypt’s military said on Thursday its special forces have held drills with the US military to exchange expertise on combating terrorism. The counter-terrorism drills come ahead of the Bright Star exercise September 8-20, which will involve additional countries including Greece, Jordan, Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, and France, AP reported. The first Bright Star exercise took place in 1980, but the Obama administration postponed them in 2011 following the uprising that toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak. Last September, Egypt held the war games with US troops for the first time in eight years.