Posted on 11/18/2004 10:25:00 AM PST by SmithL
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned what it called irresponsible Israeli conduct and demanded an immediate investigation into the accidental shooting of three Egyptian security officers on the Israeli-Egyptian border by an Israeli tank late Wednesday evening.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry called for the probe to be comprehensive. "While condemning and protesting strongly at this regrettable incident, Egypt demands the Israeli authorities hold an immediate, full and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances" of the shooting, a Foreign Ministry statement said.
"The Egyptian Foreign Minister has directed the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv to inform the Israeli Foreign Minister of the Egyptian protest at this irresponsible conduct and to press the demand for an explanation," it added.
Egyptian Police identified the three Egyptian troops as Ali Soubhi Al-Najjar, 21, Muhammad Abdel Fattah, 22, and Amer Abu Amer, 22.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, currently visiting Rome, Italy, telephoned his Egyptian counterpart Hussein Tantawi Thursday and expressed regrets over the incident and promised that a quick and in-depth investigation will be carried out. He also told Tantawi that he will personally inform him of the outcome of the investigation.
Earlier Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon phoned Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and apologized for the accident.
According to a statement put out by Sharon's office, Sharon told Mubarak the incident was an "accident" and he promised that the army will investigate into how it occurred, and pass the findings on to Egypt. Sharon said that Israel is willing to assist Egypt in any way possible concerning this matter.
According to Sharon's office, Mubarak thanked Sharon for the call and replied that Egypt accepts the apology and realizes that the incident was an accident.
Sharon told Mubarak that he is looking forward to meeting Egyptian Foreign Minster Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, who are slated to visit Jerusalem on Wednesday. Mubarak said he hopes that the cooperation between Israel and Egypt will continue and be strengthened.
Sharon also sent his condolences to Mubarak on the death this week of his brother, Ahmed Sami Mubarak.
Late Wednesday night, three Egyptian soldiers were mistakenly killed by IDF tank fire on the Egyptian Israeli border near Rafah when soldiers mistook the three for terrorists.
According to officials, soldiers spotted three terrorists approaching the Israeli Egyptian border near Rafah, close to midnight, apparently attempting to place a bomb next to IDF soldiers operating near the border. Soldiers opened fire but did not identify hitting anyone. Later, the army received a complaint from Egyptian officials that three of their policemen were killed by IDF tank fire.
The incident is an operational and professional foul-up that stemmed from an apparent mistake in the identity of the three Egyptian Policemen patrolling on their side of the border, a statement issued by the IDF Spokesman reported.
The army expressed its regrets to Egyptian officials and offered to assist if the need arises. An in depth investigation is already underway but a study of the site is being delayed until sappers defuse bombs placed on the Philadelphi Route at the entrance to an IDF post, the IDF Spokesman said.
Egypt said the men were members of the Central Security Forces, a paramilitary unit run by the Interior Ministry. Cabinet spokesman Magdy Rady said Egypt was waiting for more information from Israel, but "until now, we see it as a mistake."
Speaking to reporters at a briefing on Thursday evening OC Southern Commander Maj.-Gen. Dan Harel said that prior to the shooting a company commander in a nearby observation post directed the tank crew to the site where the three terrorists were spotted on the Israeli side of the border. According to Harel, discussions between the commander and tank crew continued for forty minutes until a clear sighting of the terrorists was made "in order to prevent the harming of Egyptians on the other side."
Harel said that once the tank crew had clarified the position of the three terrorists, permission was given to fire one shell. After the incident, when it became apparent that the three terrorists were not hit, and with weather conditions deteriorating with heavy fog setting in, soldiers began checking why the shell had failed to hit its target. It was then, said Harel, that the District Coordinating Office received a report from the Egyptians that three Egyptian security personnel had been hit. Intense discussions continued throughout the night between DCO officials and their Egyptian counterparts, and the IDF immediately conveyed its regret. Harel noted that the area where the incident occurred is still closed because of a number of bombs that the terrorists managed to place in the area before fleeing back to Rafah.
Harel described the coordination with the Egyptians as good, but stressed that the area of the Philadelphi Route has been "a constant battle zone for the past four years." Dialogue with the Egyptians is carried out through the DCO. "Up until Wednesday night, we have been successful [in the dialogue] and the standard of coordination is good," Harel said. He stressed that one of the things that must be investigated are the open fire regulations due to the fact that, even after going through all the open fire regulations, the tank crew still missed the intended target.
Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon is involved in the investigation.
Since the beginning of October, 10 bombs have been placed by Palestinians in the area near IDF troops. On October 18, in the same area, two terrorists were shot and killed while attempting to place a bomb near soldiers deployed on the Philadephi Route.
Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim said that while he was not familiar with all the details, it is "a regrettable incident with a grave outcome." Speaking on Israel Radio, Boim said that at Israel's request, the Egyptian army had beefed up their presence in the Egyptian area bordering Rafah to prevent weapons from being smuggled into Israel. According to the initial investigation, it appears that there was a lack of coordination between the IDF and the Egyptians; something that must be amended in the future, said Boim.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said, "It's in a very delicate part of the border where we've had problems with terrorist infiltrations in the past, so according to their instructions they opened fire. Later we heard from the Egyptians that some of their people were hit,"
"If Egyptians were hit then we regret it. This was not our intention. We want good cooperative relations with Egypt ... and if Egyptians were hurt then our thoughts go out to them and their families and the Egyptian people," Regev told The Associated Press.
The incident may delay the expected visit of Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman next week.
In return, Israel should demand full Egyptian investigations of the various gunrunning tunnels excavated from the Egyptian side of the border.
"According to Sharon's office, Mubarak thanked Sharon for the call and replied that Egypt accepts the apology and realizes that the incident was an accident."
...and later, condemned Israel, mobilized its troops, repudiated its peace treaty, attacked Israel's southern border with 150,000 troops, and Israel inflicted 50,000 casualties in 16 hours, then seized the Sinai as the rest of Egypt's army threw down its weapons and surrendered. [sample headline for future use]
Israel should demand an investigation into why these soldiers didn't stop the terrorists.
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