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Lax Control of Egypt-Gaza Border Raises Risks

(Boston Globe) Thanassis Cambanis and Anne Barnard - Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority are trying to forge a new on-the-ground reality, with Arab police replacing Israeli soldiers in the hunt for terrorists and weapons smugglers working on the border. If border control remains lax, infiltrators could move freely in and out of Gaza, raising the risk of terrorist attacks not only in Israel but also in Egypt, which has suffered major strikes on tourist resorts in the Sinai. Israelis are skeptical of Egypt's commitment after it didn't deliver on its promise to take over Israel's police role at the border. ''The Egyptians, if they want to, can stop terrorists from crossing," said Col. Pinky Zoaretz of the Israel Defense Forces, who spent two years patrolling the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt and lost a leg in July 2004 when his jeep struck a land mine. ''Imagine the scenario where a terrorist crosses into Egypt from Gaza, and then comes into Israel and strikes one of our cities," said Zoaretz. ''If this continues, it will create a situation where we have no other choice but to attack."
2005-09-19 00:00:00
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