You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Africa: North
Egypt Hampers Israeli Rescue Efforts
2004-10-08
Sounds more like stupidity and ineptitude than Arab perfidy...
Toss in some blame-shifting and buck-passing as well ...
Egypt delayed the arrival of Israeli rescue personnel despite the fact that they could not handle the treatment of the scores of Israeli guests wounded in the bombing of the Taba Hilton. One witness present at the bombing of the Taba Hilton who arrived at the Israeli border by foot told Israel's Channel 2: "People are lying on the ground, bleeding - the Egyptians are doing nothing - they are not offering medical treatment and I saw them with my own eyes preventing our ambulances from arriving at the scene." Channel 2 later reported that as of about 1:00 AM Friday morning Egyptian authorities continued to impede the arrival of rescuers. One eyewitness said that dozens of MDA medics on board a bus were being held up — prevented from reaching the Taba Hilton. At some point, the medic left the bus and began making their way on foot.

At 2:30 AM reports of untreated injured Israelis stranded in Egypt continued. Avi Zohar, Magen David Adom Director, told Channel 2, live from the scene, that the free flow of ambulances was still being hampered by the Egyptians. "We are sending the ambulances back and forth to evacuate the injured, but the ambulances are being held up," said Zohar. IDF helicopters, medical personnel and members of the Homefront Command's Search and Rescue Unit who arrived shortly after the initial explosion waited at the Israeli border almost an hour after the first explosion - unable to evacuate the wounded until they received authorization to enter Egypt to treat those wounded in the blast.

Israeli rescue personnel were not permitted to cross into Egypt at first to care for the dozens of wounded. Immediately following the attack, Israeli medical personnel, as well as the IDF's Search and Rescue Unit gathered on the Egyptian border, but Egypt closed its border with Israel completely, preventing Israeli rescue personnel from crossing. The border was re-opened eventually, allowing Israeli rescue workers, including firefighters from Eilat to cross into Egypt. According to Channel 1, Israeli rescue personnel was only permitted to cross the border after half and hour had past due to a call from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Egyptian Prime Minister Hosni Mubarak. Scores of injured Israelis made their way to the Israeli border by foot to be evacuated to Eilat's Yoseftal hospital. Several Israelis said Egyptian soldiers had fired in the air to attempt to stop them from crossing back in to Israel through the Taba terminal.
Posted by:Mark Espinola

#2  When they murdered Sadat that was the Arab world's last hope.
Posted by: Mark Espinola   2004-10-08 5:44:05 PM  

#1  "Sounds more like stupidity and ineptitude than Arab perfidy..."

To me it sounds like a mix of all three.

Egypt, supposedly at peace with Israel:
* Hinders assistance from Israel while at the same time providing none.
* Immediately pumps out disinformation about a 'gas leak' as the cause of the blast.
* Eventually acknowledges that there have been bomb blasts, but then makes unwarranted assumptions that they are linked to Israel's incursion into Gaza.

Anwar Sadat must be turning in his grave.
Posted by: Bryan   2004-10-08 2:44:00 PM  

00:00