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Israel Waits for Egypt to Deal with Terrorists in Sinai

(Al-Monitor) Ben Caspit - As long as Morsi was in power in Egypt, Hamas in Gaza was the apple of the Egyptian regime's eye. The Muslim Brotherhood saw itself as Hamas' big brother. They cooperated closely. Yet one day it was all over. From Gen. Sisi's standpoint, Hamas is the enemy - an ally of Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which claimed responsibility for the bombing of a bus of tourists from South Korea, just across from the Taba Hilton Resort in Sinai. According to several Israeli intelligence assessments, Hamas leaders in Gaza are unable to leave the Strip. Meanwhile, Israel and Egypt updated the security protocol of their long-standing peace accord. The Egyptian army consists of 11 regular battalions, a much larger order of battle than permitted in the accord. It includes a beefed-up armored battalion, a helicopter-gunship squadron, and quite a few commando forces. Provided they are used to the fullest extent, these forces should be enough to vanquish terrorism, but that has yet to happen. Sisi doesn't want to take any chances before assuming the presidency and stabilizing his regime. Egyptians make do with laying siege on areas suspected of terrorist activity, gathering intelligence and carrying out pin-point operations.
2014-02-19 00:00:00
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