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Last update - 00:00 08/01/2008
Rice: U.S ready to help Egypt combat Gaza arms smuggling
By Reuters
Tags: Egypt, Condoleezza Rice 

The United States is ready to give technical aid to help Egypt stop arms smuggling into Hamas-run Gaza, but Cairo must improve border patrol efforts, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday.

Israeli officials have complained that Egypt is doing a "terrible" job on the Gaza border, failing to stop smuggling of weapons and ammunition into Gaza through tunnels under the border that separates Egypt and Gaza.

"We think that Egypt has to do more. Those tunnels need to be dealt with," Rice said in an interview with Middle East journalists in Washington before traveling to the region with President George W. Bush.
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A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team had studied the problem and talked to Egyptian security personnel about it, Rice said.

"The Egyptians have said that they want some, perhaps, technical help. We're prepared obviously, to give that, but it's also - you know, the will to do it is very important here," Rice said.

Hamas took control of Gaza in June, prompting Israel to tighten its military and economic cordon around the coastal territory.

But last month, Israeli officials said they had sent a videotape to Washington showing Egyptian security forces helping Hamas militants smuggle arms across the border into Gaza.

The Egyptian government says it is doing its best with the personnel it is allowed to deploy at the border under the 1979 peace treaty and a subsequent agreement with Israel.

"The Egyptians need to deal with it. We're going to try to help them deal with it," Rice said in a transcript of the interview released by the State Department.

Sen. George Voinovich, an Ohio Republican who just returned from a Middle East trip, told U.S. reporters "one of the reasons the Egyptians have a problem with the border is, they want to make sure that humanitarian aid gets into Gaza."

Bush and Rice were leaving later on Tuesday for a weeklong tour of Israel and Arab countries, including Egypt, aiming to nurture fragile Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.


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      1.   Yes, we will secure it like we secure our national border! :) 23:22  |  Illegal Amigo 08/01/08
      2.   The Talkative Senator visiting Giza/Nile 23:50  |  Stephen. 08/01/08
      3.   So you want the Arabs to strangle Gazans, too 23:53  |  Egyptian 08/01/08
      4.   US TO KILL PALESTINIANS DIRECTLY! DAMN! 00:02  |  Jeur 09/01/08
      5.   well lets see does egypt want to stop the smuggling? 00:02  |  hmm? 09/01/08
      6.   Right discription, wrong country 00:10  |  Natallie Durson 09/01/08
      7.   U.S. ready? 00:29  |  Dudka 09/01/08
      8.   Say what? 02:41  |  MaryRose 09/01/08
      9.   Naive US politician. Egypt could do it if it wanted. 03:42  |  Fortuna Benmayor 09/01/08
      10.   If they don`t want to, help is worthless 04:38  |  Straight Talk 09/01/08
      11.   US MUST LEAD & COOPERATE, NOT CRACK THE WHIP 05:37  |  Arik Silverman 09/01/08
      12.   US MUST LEAD & COOPERATE, NOT CRACK THE WHIP 05:38  |  Arik Silverman 09/01/08
      13.   US MUST LEAD & COOPERATE, NOT CRACK THE WHIP 06:46  |  Arik Silverman 09/01/08
      14.   First, Egypt has to want to stop the smuggling but the corrupt 07:08  |  Marwan مروان خوري 09/01/08
      15.   Hamas is not alone, Israel is 07:47  |  6 million 09/01/08
      16.   Rice Egypt 07:55  |  Babs 09/01/08
      17.   Videotape, Lies & Hez 08:05  |  6 million 09/01/08
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