Posted on 06/30/2006 12:04:09 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak demanded from his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad to deport the Syrian-based Hamas leadership unless it agrees to release kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, Palestinian sources said on Friday.
The demand was made in the context of a compromise that Egypt was attempting to draft between the Israel and Hamas, whose Damascus leader, Khaled Mashaal was demanding that thousands of Palestinian detainees, held in Israeli prisons, be released. Mubarak warned Mashaal that his position was leading the Palestinians to disaster, Israel Radio reported.
According to the Palestinians, the Egyptian compromise calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, as well as the release of prisoners who were already scheduled to be released within the next year. The sources claimed that the initiative was not rejected by Israel.
Meanwhile, Mubarak stated in an interview to Egypt's leading pro-government newspaper, Al-Ahram that Shalit's kidnappers have agreed to his conditional release, but Israel has not yet accepted their terms.
Mubarak said, "Egyptian contacts with several Hamas leaders resulted in preliminary, positive results in the form of a conditional agreement to hand over the Israeli soldier as soon as possible to avoid an escalation.
"But agreement on this has not yet been reached with the Israeli side," he said.
The president said he had asked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "not to hurry" the military offensive in Gaza, but to "give additional time to find a peaceful solution to the problem of the kidnapped soldier."
Israel suspended on Thursday a planned ground invasion of northern Gaza, giving diplomacy another chance to free Shalit, whom terrorists linked to Hamas kidnapped Sunday from an Israeli camp near Gaza.
Mubarak's remark implied he was claiming a role in Israel's decision.
In Jerusalem, a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, Gideon Meir, said Israel did not know of such an offer.
Reached just after midnight on Friday morning, Meir told The Associated Press that Israel would have no comment until daybreak.
"In general Israel's stance is, as the prime minister said earlier, that the soldier will only be released unconditionally and there will be no negotiations with a gang of terrorists and criminals who abducted a soldier from Israeli territory," Meir said.
Hamas leaders in Gaza were not answering their phones early Friday.
"Hamas leaders in Gaza were not answering their phones early Friday"
Gee, could that be because they're hiding in the nearest spider hole???
*********************************AN EXCERPT ****************************
The kidnapping earlier this week of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit has revealed the nature of the secret power struggle that has been raging among the top brass of Hamas political leadership ever since the Islamic movement won the parliamentary election last January.
Today it is evident that there are two major forces in Hamas - one headed by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and the second by Damascus-based Khaled Mashaal. Haniyeh represents the relatively moderate and pragmatic camp in Hamas, whereas Mashaal is viewed as a hardliner who is taking Hamas toward further extremism.
The are looking for another hole in the wall that would allow them to get into Egypt.
I prefer, "We begin carpet-bombing in five minutes."
As Rush has indicated, there can only be peace when one side is defeated in war.
This Bush Road Map to Peace is a continuation of the Wye and Oslo obscenities, the demand that our democratic ally surrender to the terrorist hyenas who refuse to recognize her right to exist.
Carpet-bombing begins in four minutes thirty seconds.
Good to see Syria getting some heat from Egypt, ...
Egypt doesn't want their trash either!
I didn't know Egypt had a concrete wall keeping the palirats out...
I guess the AljazeraPress didn't want anyone knowing about that!
> Palestinian security personnel guard a hole in the border wall between Gaza Strip and Egypt June 29, 2006. Masked Palestinian gunmen blew a 13 foot wide hole on Thursday in the border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt after Israel launched a military campaign to free a kidnapped soldier, witnesses said. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)
Of course, it all depends on whether Syria actually HAS any influence over Hamas et at. These organisations are more than a little wayward...
Let me guess.
There were cockroaches scurrying for the hole.
To me, it may also be an indication that Hamas is now receiving direct "aid' from al queda (personnel and tactics).
I like Egypt's stance with all of this. It sounds like they have no use for Hamas, either, and would to see them dismantled.
Egypt has plenty of first hand experience with Islamofascist terror groups and can hardly want another radical terror group operating on its border, blowing the peace agreement to hell and driving more Palis to seek refuge in Egypt....its basic self-preservation....the regime in Syria has got to go....
Does the article's author realize the ring tone is generated irrespective of the telephone's ringer is actually ringing, or even irrespective of whether the phone might have been blown to bits or melted in 1000 degree heat?
HF
Now if Egypt would only condemn Syria and ask the people to push out Assad. What a change in the ME would occur.
So how is this going to play out.?
If the soldier is released does that mean the IDF pulls back and all is well despite the fact that this was a government sanctioned act and two soldiers WERE killed?
I need some help here. Could this end up being a victory for the sandDevils?
Well, the UN today, of course, asked Israel to retreat......again for the 100th time. Never, of course, asking the Muslims to retreat from their terrorism. The US and Israel told the UN , only if Iran , Syria would stop supporting the jihadists. Who knows? If I were Israel, I would take out Assad and then turn my forces on Gaza. Admit that Olmert and Sharon were wrong, and reoccupy the territory. An example of playing PC wussiness occured when the USA had a chance 2-3 yrs. ago to bomb out the Sunni triangle in Iraq. We put up some silly rules of engagement and now that triangle is filled with outsiders, including Iranians and other jihadists and it is too late to do it now that Iraq has a constitution. Only us good guys play by the rules. Time to carry the horror of war to these Islamofascists and kill their families, their infrastructures and not be ashamed of it. Hopefully, Israel will do just that.
"Hamas leaders in Gaza were not answering their phones early Friday"
They still have phones that work?
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