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| Israel-Palestine |
| Israel sees weapons flow from Egypt reaching crisis proportions |
| 2004-09-24 |
| Israel's military has been pitted against the government in the debate over a response to Egypt's failure to halt the flow of weapons and operatives to the Palestinian insurgency. Officials said the dispute between the military and the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon erupted as Palestinian insurgency groups have tried to smuggle rockets and heavy weapons from the Sinai Peninsula to the Gaza Strip. They said that despite repeated Israeli and U.S. appeals, Egypt has failed to crack down on the weapons smuggling rings that operate in Cairo, El Arish and the divided city of Rafah. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon has advocated a tough approach to the Egyptian government, Middle East Newsline reported. Officials said Ya'alon and other generals want Sharon to warn the United States that Egypt's refusal to secure its eastern border could threaten regional stability and torpedo Israel's plan to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank. "The General Staff sees the flow of weapons from Egypt as a strategic danger that will eventually provide the Palestinians with everything they need to attack Israeli cities," a senior military source said. "If something is not done now, then it will get much worse and our relations with Egypt will become endangered." On Wednesday, Israeli National Security Council director Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland was expected to discuss Egypt during a meeting with Bush administration officials in Washington. Officials said Eiland's talks were meant to focus on the government's withdrawal plan, including U.S. help to finance the resettlement of about 10,000 Israelis in the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank. |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #4 Some of the smuggling tunnels were discovered to come up within Egyptian Army bases. trailing wife, do you have a link for this? I've seen you post this before and I'd like to read up on the topic. If indeed this is true, Israel should just begin a bombing campaign against Egypt's bases in the Sinai. The Palestinians wouldn't even blink at handing over some of those SA-7s to al Qaeda so they could blow passenger jetliners out of the air elsewhere. Egypt desperately needs some political (or military) "parking lot therapy." |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-09-24 6:24:00 PM |
| #3 Some of the smuggling tunnels were discovered to come up within Egyptian Army bases. Israel blew smoke through some tunnels at one point, and watched to see where it came out. America sure is getting a lot for that US$2 bil/year we pay Egypt for having signed that peace treaty with the Zionist Entity. /sarcasm |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2004-09-24 4:49:29 PM |
| #2 That is an interesting way to view it and a correct one. |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-09-24 12:40:45 PM |
| #1 Sounds like Egypt is the Middle Eastern equivalent of Mexico, without the illegal alien problem. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-09-24 12:36:23 PM |