Egypt and weapons smuggling / Empty promises to prevent 'Hamastan'

What is the best proof that Egypt is taking action against smugglers of weapons and explosives from the Sinai into the Gaza Strip to militant organizations? Security experts in Israel say it is the number of smugglers arrested, and the number of those charged with smuggling arms. However, Egypt has not arrested a single arms smuggler and no one has been brought to trial, even though Israel's security and intelligence services have given the Egyptians a list of the names of those involved in the gun running.

Security sources say this is a very frustrating reality and are hard pressed to explain why it is so. There are many Egyptian promises. Talks are being held in diplomatic and polite conversation with Israeli officials, but in practice nearly nothing is being done to prevent large-scale smuggling through the Philadelphi Route, and elsewhere, including the sea. Israel has agreed to the increase of Egypt's border police force on the Sinai-Gaza border, but in practice nothing has changed.

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The rules of engagement for the Egyptian forces guarding the border are also strange. The Egyptian guards are not allowed to shoot Palestinian smugglers. They are also not allowed to return fire unless they are endangered. Clearly the Egyptians are making great efforts not to hit Palestinians, even law breakers.

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Israel finds it hard to explain what the reasons behind the Egyptian behavior are. Lack of efficiency was considered, or corruption perhaps, but these are insufficient reasons. There are others who argue there is a deliberate Egyptian policy to allow conditions that cause Israel difficulties and perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This view contradicts Israel's assessment that Egypt is concerned the Gaza Strip may be transformed into "Hamastan," a bastion of Islamic radicalism capable of flowing over into Egypt.

I would like to suggest that Mubarak has his own political problems, which would be aggravated by an aggressive public attack on the smuggling, and that that is why he is being passive.

Haaretz

I question the values and humanity of the people who would advocate the murder of people who have not been tried and convicted of a capital crime. Have we gone so far down that failure to shoot "suspects" on sight is seen as a moral failing?

I can think of several reasons why they might hesitate to shoot or arrest other Arabs in their fight against Israel.

Mubarak doesnt need additional security problems...which is why he limited the rafah opening and resisted any ideas to use it as an import/export terminal for the palestenians. He doesnt want the security problems with Palestenians traveling in the sinai would bring with them.

If he were to crack down on the smugglers no doubt they and their 'friends" would step up attacks on the egyptian tourist industry.....He figures in the short term its israels problem, though it will turn and bite him in the ass at a later date-terrorism is like that.

a footnote: when Egypt did find tunnels in homes, they killed the whole family (read this 6 months ago in haaretz in an article about the tunnlers), since then the tunnlers have their tunnels open up in fields. (Egyptian side)

But most anything he chooses to do is going to bite him in the ass.