Editing EATSCO (section)

==Formation==
EATSCO was incorporated in Delaware in 1979 by Thomas G. Clines, a former senior CIA official, and Hussein K. Salem, a former Egyptian military intelligence officer. Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with offices in Egypt, the company was formed to capitalize on the 1978 Camp David Accords, which established peace between Israel and Egypt and led to significant U.S. military aid to Egypt.

	•	Purpose: EATSCO secured an exclusive contract with the Egyptian government to ship over $3 billion in U.S. military equipment, including electronics, artillery, tanks, and other hardware, to Egypt. The contract was negotiated with high-level Egyptian officials, including Kamal Hassan Ali (then defense minister) and Mohammad Abu Ghazala (military attaché), and approved by the Pentagon.

	•	Ownership: Clines owned 49% of EATSCO, with Salem holding the majority. Other CIA-linked figures, including [[Richard Secord]] and [[Ted Shackley]], were associated with the company, though their ownership roles are less clear.

	•	CIA Front: EATSCO was a CIA front, designed to facilitate covert arms shipments while maintaining plausible deniability. Its creation aligned with the CIA’s practice of using private companies for sensitive operations, similar to [[Air America]] and [[Nugan Hand Bank]].