Posted on 12/01/2004 5:37:23 AM PST by SJackson
Egypt will deploy additional, heavily-armed troops along the Philadelphi Route.
Israel and Egypt are close to wrapping up an agreement on security arrangements along the Philadelphi Route to restrict arms-smuggling into the Gaza Strip, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told reporters at a press conference following a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit in Jerusalem Wednesday.
The agreement will allow Egypt to deploy additional, heavily-armed troops along its border with the Gaza Strip.
"We reached an agreement that allows for the deployment of additional Egyptian forces on the Egyptian side of the border, despite the fact that the peace agreements don't allow this," Shalom said.
The Philadelphi Route is a narrow trail, 25-meter wide, that lies between Israel-Egypt border. The Israel Defense Forces have lead a fierce and costly battle against arms-smugglers and arms-smuggling tunnels over the last four years of violence.
Asked if Egypt can guarantee a halt to arms-smuggling from its territory to Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip, Gheit replied that the Palestinians must share the responsibility of securing the border.
Gheit reiterated his country's willingness to train Palestinian Authority security forces and assist the PA in assuming a significant security role in Gaza.
Shalom and Gheit also discussed the latest offer made to Israel by Syrian President Bashar Assad to renew peace talks. Gheit advised that Israel should take Syria's readiness for peace seriously.
The United Nations envoy to the Middle East Terje Roed-Larsen communicated Syria's readiness to talk peace with Israel following a meeting with Assad and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa in Damascus last week.
Foreign Minister Shalom was asked if he could confirm a report in today's Ma'ariv newspaper that nearly two years ago Israel started contacts with Syria.
Ma'ariv reported that during the last US-led war on Iraq Assad had requested to visit Jerusalem yet he was turned down.
Shalom said that Israeli officials held a meeting with a Syrian source close to Assad, yet the contacts were halted following leaks to the media.
The foreign minister reiterated Israel's consistent willingness to negotiate peace with all its neighbors, adding that if Syria is serious about peace it should take steps to prove its seriousness.
"Syria cannot be serious about peace when it carries on harboring terrorist organizations," Shalom said.
I would offer a very simple one "Don't directly or indirectly attack us or the Pyramids won't need a nightlight for about a 1000 years"
Yeah, I'm sure that the Egyptians are deploying heavy infantry along one of the invasion routes just to address the smuggling problem.
That must be it.
Wouldn't make sense to just search cars, or to create a no-go zone miles deep along the border, with one auto route in and out to the Gaza strip.
Egypt is planning to attack Israel.
This is the culmination of years of policy, which involves (wittingly or unwittingly) the decades of terrorism (which includes the Intifadas), Oslo, joint development of at least one gas field with Gaza, and of course, the outrageous birth rate in Egypt.
Gotta do somethin' with all that cannon fodder.
They are letting the cat guard the cream.
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