Its human rights record has long been been criticised by campaigners and is a thorny issue in relations with its ally the United States, for whom it hosts a major military base.

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Since the revolution, the military has allowed Sinai to become a major base not only for Hamas but for the global jihad.

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The military vote might even make a difference in Ohio (18 votes), not usually considered to be a state with major defense presence, because the thousands of military and civilian personnel who work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton could decide the outcome of a tight statewide race.

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