generalspeaking

War With israel

Since Egypt's military assumed responsibility for its (emergency) 'temporary' governing of the largest Arab country in the Middle East formerly cool-but-cordial relations with Israel in an alliance that served both well, to defend themselves against terrorist attacks, have cooled without cordiality. When Egyptian protesters were gathered in Tahrir Square demanding the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak, many of those present vocally abhorred his peace agreement with Israel.

Since President Mubarak's imprisonment and the consolidation of power among the Armed Forces Supreme Council, despite the initial declaration that Egypt would continue to honour its peace agreement with Israel, there have clearly been second thoughts and tertiary actions. The ongoing demands of the protest movement, seeing its revolution in jeopardy as the Muslim Brotherhood gains in authority with future prospects in the potential, continues to agitate.

There are certain things that the Armed Forces Supreme Council may be prepared to cede, to the demands of the street; its full governing authority is not one, but an abrogation of its peace treaty with Israel may represent one that could be seen as handily expendable. Under President Mubarak's rule, the agreement with Israel when the Sinai was released back to Egypt was that Egypt would be vigilant against terrorist activities launched from its border against Israel.

Police manned the border checkpoints, not the military, to avoid potential prospects for misunderstandings. But during the uprising the hated police were targets of the protesters who resented being shot dead, and the police began to abandon their posts, leaving a temporary vacuum where anarchy began to assert itself, prison breaks occurred, and violent criminal acts took place in the streets of Cairo. Subsequently, the police presence on the border was thin, and Israel agreed to a military presence.

Obviously that presence was insufficient to deter Bedouin and terrorists who resented Egyptian gas being sold to Israel, from blowing up the pipelines that delivered gas to Israel and Jordan from Egypt. Another bone of contention for the angry Egyptian street taking issue with peace with Israel. That paucity of Egyptian military presence at the border brought an attack by al-Qaeda forces staged in Gaza, against an Egyptian military post.

And encouraged further freedom of movement from Gaza through Sinai into Israel, where terrorists aligned with al-Qaeda, the Popular Resistance Committees, staged a series of suicide attacks against civilian targets, private cars and buses carrying would-be vacationers to Eilat. One of the buses fired upon was full of IDF soldiers on leave, who responded to the attack. In the ensuing melee, five Egyptian security personnel were killed in cross-fire.

Egypt's ruling military government has seized this opportunity to express its anger at Israel for killing five of its citizens. Rather reminiscent of Turkey expressing rage that Israel killed seven militant Turks involved in a Gaza-blockade-busting flotilla which had attacked IDF naval personnel boarding the Marmora to apprehend it before it reached its Gaza destination, insisting on an apology, and bitterly castigating Israel for defending itself.

Egypt has chosen to recall its ambassador to Israel as a demonstration of just how furious it is over Israel's defense of its citizens and its territory. Rocket-propelled grenades, and mortars and suicide vests were all involved in the attempt by the Palestinian militias to destroy as many Israeli lives as possible. Israel's instant response, bombing targets in Gaza to destroy the lives of the commander and his henchmen who had planned and executed the attack demonstrated its firm intention to persevere.

Israel has Hezbollah in Lebanon, well stocked with military provisions to launch what it feels will be a successful attack on Israel. And it has Bashar al-Assad in Syria, anxious to divert his peoples' attention from his attacks on his own citizens, who will champion a mass incursion into the Golan Heights by troops, not refugees. And there is Egypt, standing by as Hamas and its allies prepare to make use of all the weapons of war it has amassed in preparation for a(nother) final war with Israel.

Labels: Israel, Middle East, Terrorism, Traditions

posted by Pieface @ Saturday, August 20, 2011