| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine |
| Israel, Egypt discussing Gaza deployment |
| 2004-05-17 |
| EFL. Registration required. Israel and Egypt are discussing altering several security clauses in the Camp David accords that would allow Egypt to introduce additional forces close to the Gaza border to fight arms smuggling into Rafah. Clashes between IDF forces trying to plug up smugglers’ tunnels that honeycomb the Egypt-Gaza border and Palestinians endeavoring to keep them open have led to 13 Israeli deaths and dozens of Palestinian fatalities in the past week. "There is no doubt that the Egyptians can do more," Chief of General Staff Moshe Ya’alon told the cabinet Sunday. Under the terms of the Camp David Accords, the Egyptians can only introduce a limited number of lightly armed forces near the border. "They want to introduce better trained forces, but that entails changes in the agreement," Sharon said. Sharon said he is in contact with the Egyptians about the issue, and expects to see an emissary of President Hosni Mubarak – likely Egyptian Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman – about the issue this week. Ya’alon said the arms being smuggled through tunnels in the Rafah area originate in Iran, and – with Hizbullah’s help – are brought to the region through Africa. One wonders if Ya’alon’s remarks are diplomatic or true. Surely the Egyptians wouldn’t risk allowing arms shipments into their country that could be diverted to their own Islamists? The Egyptians have know what’s passing through the tunnels because otherwise they’d risk losing control. |
| Posted by:11A5S |
| #4 This is going to be a boon for the pali crews. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-05-17 11:48:22 AM |
| #3 It was in yesterday's RB. It was a canal to be about 20m deep and runs to Rafah. |
| Posted by: Mahmoud, the Weasel 2004-05-17 2:02:43 AM |
| #2 "Seawater canal"? Um, can you explain that one? Are they going to make the Sinai an island? |
| Posted by: Steve White 2004-05-17 12:33:54 AM |
| #1 The local initiatives seem to be multiplying in a very constructive way. The Egypt-Jordan tunnel, along with the Egypt-Israel land swap enlarging Gaza (I suspect for relocating Palestinian refugees living in Jordan to Gaza, permanently, and cutting them off from reliance on the West Bank, creating TWO de facto Palestinian states, along with creating a VERY profitable Iraq-Jordan-Egypt trade route.) Then the possible seawater canal to stop smuggling tunnels, with a redevelopment and security plan for Gaza. But the Egyptians are front and center for bringing it all about, or pieces thereof. This is all very interesting and novel. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2004-05-17 12:30:09 AM |