Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., January 07, 2008 Tevet 29, 5768 | | Israel Time: 19:17 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File Magazine

Palestinian security forces loyal to Hamas taking part in a training exercise near the border between Egypt and Gaza earlier this month. (Reuters) Last update - 19:14 07/01/2008 U.S. weighs plan to help Egypt block arms smuggling to Gaza By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Gaza, U.S., Egypt, smuggling The United States is examining the possibility of helping Egypt build a physical barrier to foil the weapons-smuggling tunnels that run from Sinai to Gaza. The Americans plan to send a delegation of officers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and engineers from the Department of Defense to Sinai in the near future to conduct an initial feasibility study and discuss the issue with the Egyptians. The recommendation to send the delegation came from two senior administration officials who visited Israel and Egypt a few weeks ago to investigate Israel's claim that the Egyptians were not doing enough to stop weapons-smuggling into Gaza. The two, Robert Danin of the State Department and Mark Kimmitt of the Defense Department, went to Sinai to examine Egypt's handling of the problem first-hand. Advertisement In their report, the two proposed several possible solutions to the problem. The first was to give the Egyptians sophisticated tunnel-detection and demolition equipment that would aid them in locating and destroying the smuggling channels. The second was to dig a deep canal the entire length of the Gaza-Egypt border, filled with water, thereby making it much harder to tunnel under the line. The third was to create an obstacle along the border comprised of piles driven deep into the earth. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni had also proposed the canal idea to the Egyptians about six months ago. Her idea was for a joint venture between Israel, Egypt, the U.S. and the Palestinian Authority. Prior to Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in August 2005, when Israel controlled the Gaza-Egypt border, the Israel Defense Forces also used various methods to try and shut down the tunnels. One involved building a 10-meter-deep wall along part of the border. The army also deployed engineering units with specialized equipment along the border to detect and destroy the tunnels; five soldiers from this unit were killed in May 2004 when an antitank missile hit their armored jeep. The IDF also considered destroying hundreds of houses in the border town of Rafah in order to make room for a canal on the Gazan side of the border, but Israeli legal officials concluded that such widespread house demolitions would be a violation of international law. The army also considered installing special sensors - "geophones" - that could detect movement in the earth and thereby identify tunnel digging. Danin and Kimmitt also recommended setting up a trilateral security commission, composed of Israeli, Egyptian and American representatives, that would deal with all the issues related to the Gaza-Egypt border - weapons smuggling, border crossings by terrorists, border control and so forth. Israel, however, opposes such a commission. "The Egyptians aren't doing enough against the tunnels, and the responsibility is theirs," explained a government source. "A trilateral commission would create a situation in which Israel was also responsible." Israeli officials believe that while understanding of the problem caused by weapons smuggling is growing inside the U.S. administration, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her aides support the Egyptian position - which is that Israel must agree to amend the 1978 peace treaty, so as to allow more Egyptian soldiers to be stationed along the border. Egypt wants to double its current force of 750 soldiers, to 1,500, but Israel opposes this. Egyptian defense sources told Agence France-Presse on Sunday that they had uncovered two weapons-smuggling tunnels that had apparently been used in the past, but did not find any weapons in them. The report said that Egyptian forces are destroying the tunnels, but did not mention any arrests having been made. On a related issue, Israel lodged a protest with the U.S. last week, over what it termed Egyptian and Saudi aid to Hamas in allowing Palestinian pilgrims to leave Gaza to participate in the hajj to Mecca. Senior Foreign Ministry officials met with one of Rice's deputies, David Welch, and told him that Israel does not understand why the Egyptians enabled the pilgrims to leave, which helped Hamas and weakened PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Livni, who is currently in Paris to attend a conference of donor nations to the PA, is expected to raise this issue in her meeting Monday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Related articles: Egypt: IDF soldiers are aiding arms smuggling to Gaza Strip Rice: U.S. to check Israeli claims Egypt-Gaza smuggling persists IDF: 7 arms smuggling tunnels found under Gaza-Egypt border Dichter: Egypt capable of halting Gaza arms smuggling within day Bookmark to del.icio.us   Virtual victory TV series offers detailed reenactments of IAF's battles. Surviving the race Neither Clinton nor Romney can afford to lose in N.H.   1.   First end the vile siege,you rotters! 03:42  |  lakshmi 17/12/07   2.   SOLUTION 2: Move Hamas To Egypt/S.A. & BLOCKADE/BOYCOTT/SANCTION! 04:27  |  Proud Pal Defender 17/12/07   3.   SOLUTION 1: Hamas, Etc. In Gaza And Fatah In The West Bank. 04:31  |  Proud Pal Defender 17/12/07   4.   NO UNDERMINING Abbas/Moderates! Hamas Is NOT On Their Level. 04:34  |  Proud Pal Defender 17/12/07   5.   Which siege? The 200,000 terrorist supporters? 04:36  |  Steve 17/12/07   6.   Israeli complaints are laughable 04:47  |  Johnboy 17/12/07   7.   Egypt Does Not Want to End the Smuggling 05:08  |  Straight Talk 17/12/07   8.   vile siege 05:16  |  Michael 17/12/07   9.   To Lakshmoe #1 05:17  |  Jabotinsky 17/12/07   10.   7.Straight Talk,they dare not do it now,the Mubarak govt. is on 05:24  |  lakshmi 17/12/07   11.   8 Michael & 9 Jabotinsky ,why ? Because israel can be brought to 06:11  |  lakshmi 17/12/07   12.   No to wall between Gaza/Egypt 07:13  |  Shoshanna 17/12/07   13.   Israel is allowing any religion 07:15  |  Kris 17/12/07   14.   Lakshmi 11 07:45  |  michael 17/12/07   15.   Security can`t be delegated 09:02  |  Moshe 17/12/07   16.   Why ? 09:29  |  Vital 17/12/07   17.   Solution to 1 and 3. 09:37  |  Vital 17/12/07   18.   US NOW HELPS KILL PALESTINAINS AFTER STARVING THEM 09:52  |  Supersad 17/12/07   19.   Fat cats worried Gazans not starved yet 10:12  |  Chanalau, Tova 17/12/07   20.   Don`t politicise the Hajj! 10:29  |  Hajji 17/12/07   21.   Interesting photo of gaza/Egypt border... 10:50  |  Stan 17/12/07   22.   Brillant Ide- What is most needed and most helpful 10:54  |  De 17/12/07   23.   Same old, same old. 10:57  |  Maureen Ann 17/12/07   24.   first we give you masive welfare, figh your wars and now this? 11:04  |  Yank 17/12/07   25.   too litle and too late as usual ! 11:08  |  victor hardman 17/12/07   26.   Will American stupidity ever end? 11:18  |  Joe Sittizen 17/12/07   27.   Hindu pauper lakshmi,if something`s rotten it`s your society 12:23  |  Absolute Sweden 17/12/07   28.   smuggling arms to Gaza 12:28  |  ivan israel 17/12/07   29.   arms smuggling to Gaza 12:32  |  ivan israel 17/12/07   30.   It didn`t take long for the trolls to respond! 12:38  |  Stan 17/12/07   31.   Israel should allow Egypt 13:32  |  Paul Wood 17/12/07   32.   Canals/Walls/etc... 13:36  |  Joe 17/12/07   33.   Another Police Warden... 13:52  |  Ali 17/12/07   34.   Nr 13 Kris 14:05  |  Serge 17/12/07   35.   1: Laskhmi, first end the jihad, you lying antisemite 14:28  |  David Teich 17/12/07   36.   day one the srtupidity of dr rice comes home to roost 15:17  |  victor hardman 17/12/07   37.   Any help would be good - but 15:32  |  Mark Lincoln 17/12/07   38.   Palestinian state = Uganda 15:44  |  Lakshmi 17/12/07   39.   #38lockschen scores a bombay duck 15:55  |  victor hardman 17/12/07   40.   #1 13:18  |  Moshe 18/12/07   41.   #32 13:31  |  Moshe 18/12/07   42.   US Army loses another 12,000 guns and trucks 18:41  |  umm? 18/12/07   43.   Inheritor first born son jewish law 13:16  |  brenda 19/12/07

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