(Los Angeles Times) Edmund Sanders - Under Mubarak, Egypt sealed its border with Gaza for prolonged periods, constructing an underground barrier to block smuggling tunnels and arresting numerous Hamas leaders. Mubarak said he feared that Hamas, an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, would spread Islamist extremism into his nation. With the Brotherhood, which had been officially outlawed in Egypt for decades, now a strong force in the nation's politics, Hamas is hoping for warmer ties with Cairo, including an open border and free trade.
2011-02-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive