Posted on 06/21/2007 10:41:50 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
The crisis in the Palestinian territories threatened to spill across the Middle East last night after Egypt accused Iran of sponsoring Hamas in its takeover of Gaza and said that Teheran now posed a threat to its own national security.
The Egyptian government, which reinforced its military presence on its border with the Gaza Strip last week, said that it would do everything possible to prevent an Islamist regime from cementing control of the territory.
The warning came as it was announced that President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt will host a summit on Monday attended by Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, and King Abdullah of Jordan.
Egypt's control of its border with Gaza is likely to be a major subject for discussion, as well as the need to prop up the beleaguered administration led by Mr Abbas and his Fatah faction from its West Bank headquarters in Ramallah.
Egyptian media reported that additional Egyptian troops were moved to the border to deal with the refugee crisis. But according to Egyptian diplomatic sources, the government has rejected any suggestion of entering Gaza or accepting an international force on that border.
However. a senior official in Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party said it would try to prevent Islamist rule.
"It is not in Egypt's interests [to permit] presence of a religious state on its borders, and it will do its best to end such a presence," said Ali Eldin Helal.
Ahmed Abul Gheit, the Egyptian foreign minister, said: "Iran's policies encouraged Hamas to do what it has done in Gaza and this represents a threat for Egypt's national security, because Gaza is a stone's throw from Egypt."
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
So why doesn’t frickin’ Mubarak simply muster the forces necessary to seal off Gaza permanently?
Perhaps because he’s wearing a Yanqui gold ring (U.S. aid money) thru his nose just like the Iraelis?
Mubarak is a dictator, and like all dictators, their #1 priority is self-preservation of their rule.
*****************************EXCERPT************************
One Arab journalist had this to say in a recent article "The Arab media is bewildered now as it's been shocked by multiple incidents and fires that are all important and deserve the front page or the main headline in broadcast; from the bombing in Samarra to the fire in Gaza to the assassination of a Lebanese member of parliament all are news worth covering but where shall we start from!?"
To me I didn't have to jump from one flash spot to another to determine which bit of news is more important or worth becoming a priority in commenting on. The region is connected and no part of it is isolated from the other parts that I think a commentator should look at the Middle Eastern map as a whole instead of one point at a time.
Perhaps what first comes to mind upon looking at the broader image would be the common factor among all these escalations from Afghanistan through Iraq, Gaza, and Lebanon to the war with the Hoothi followers in Yemen and it would be clear beyond confusion that Iran is behind all of these crises.
Perhaps Mubarak should either take responsibility for Gaza, land lost and origionaly annexed by Israel, repatriate his “palistinian” citizens and go about the business of eradicating Hamas, or sign it off to Israel once and for all.
Put an end to the “palestinian lie” his country helped create.
something is seriously wrong with the muslim religion and it’s founder. Japan became much more christian after wwII and I think our problems with terrorism won’t be over until their false religion is ruined and replaced with the true judeo-christian religion.
This is good news that Egypt is poking Iran in the eye over its colonialist ways in Gaza. Egypt would no doubt rather have control itself but by controlling its own border, shows they are no ally of Hamas. Hamas is now more isolated and concentrated than before and this makes them easier to deal with. No doubt, many Palestinians would rather live in the West Bank than where Hamas gunmen rule. If Abbas is successful then all Palestinians will be faced with the possibility that what Hamas has been brainwashing them with is not real.
Evidently Iran feels they are powerful enough to be stepping on Saudi Arabia’s and Egypt’s peepee. So this is good that Egypt will come in to be a counter weight to Iran. They are big enough. Question is whether out right war will commence or will it boil down to small proxy wars.
I wonder if Egypt might move back into Gaza?
/question from the top of my so-call mind
The warning came as it was announced that President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt will host a summit on Monday attended by Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, and King Abdullah of Jordan. Egypt's control of its border with Gaza is likely to be a major subject for discussion, as well as the need to prop up the beleaguered administration led by Mr Abbas and his Fatah faction from its West Bank headquarters in Ramallah... the government has rejected any suggestion of entering Gaza or accepting an international force on that border. However. a senior official in Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party said it would try to prevent Islamist rule. "It is not in Egypt's interests [to permit] presence of a religious state on its borders, and it will do its best to end such a presence," said Ali Eldin Helal.Is it too early to thank Iran for this one? ;')
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