Israel allows more Egyptian troops into Sinai
Israel has authorized additional violations of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty by allowing more Egyptian troops to take up positions in the Sinai. The Egyptian army has deployed hundreds of additional soldiers to the northern Sinai Peninsula to guard a pipeline that carries natural gas to Israel, Egyptian security officials said Thursday.And if Egypt decides to abrogate the treaty, how are we going to get those troops out of there? What could go wrong?
An Israeli defense official said Jerusalem had agreed to the deployment, which followed a February 5 explosion at a gas terminal in the area that disrupted the flow of gas to Israel and Jordan. Security officials said a bomb had caused the blast at the el- Arish terminal, while Egypt’s natural gas company said it had been caused by a gas leak.
The troop deployment is in addition to the roughly 800 troops Israel agreed to let Egypt move to north Sinai in late January for the first time since the countries made peace three decades ago. Under the 1979 peace treaty, Israel returned the captured Sinai to Egypt, and in return, Egypt agreed to leave the area demilitarized.
The Egyptian security officials said the soldiers had been taking up positions along the line since Tuesday.
Labels: Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, natural gas, Sinai
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:08 AM
9 Comments:
If ever there is a "What could go wrong?" moment, this is it.
Another dangerous move by Ehud Barak.
Stupid Jews!
If they give a future Egyptian government a forward base to launch an attack on Israel, they have only themselves to blame.
What could go wrong indeed
I'm going to disagree or at least play the devil's advocate.
Sinai is huge. I believe this is a relatively insignificant number of troops spread out at numerous points throughout Sinai to reestablish order. If I understand correctly, there is no heavy armor rolling in, no heavy artillery being moved forward, no fighter jets on alert, fully fueled, pilots in cockpits, ready to scramble, etc.
If this is correct, then we in Israel have to ask what's better: absolute chaos in Sinai, with the Bedouins in charge doing the biddings of the highest payer or Egyptian soldiers replacing the police who have, for the most part, flown the coop.
What did I get wrong?
This is a ploy, and Israel should defend the oil pipes! This spells d a n g e r.
the bedouins are running wild in the sinai
let the egyptian troops kill them
while they are at it, why not bring in a few to get rid of the trouble makers involved with that fake village of al arakib
Shy Guy... well maybe - but if the treaty is abrogated, the Egyptians can bring in heavy armor and what have you. And none of those troops Israel has authorized are ever going to be pulled back west of the Suez.
And sooner than later, Egypt will abrogate the treaty with Israel.
NormanF, I understand Israel allowed this temporary measure. That does not abrogate a treaty.
Again I ask, am I mistaken?
Shy Guy, Egypt is not going to remove those troops from Sinai. It may be seen in Israel as a "temporary" concession but like I said, no Egyptian government is going to pull those new troops back west of the Suez.
Israel could only evict them through war.
And we both know Egypt will sooner or later abrogate the peace treaty.
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