Monday, August 16, 2004

Egyt's Sensible Leadership?

You have to hand it to Egypt, they are probably the closest thing Israel has in the ME as far as being an ally. That doesn't say much, but at least they are engaged and ready to try and deal with the situation at hand. Now, if they could just stop playing 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion' on the television on government tv, they'd be really progressive:


Egypt said to have reached deal with Hamas, Jihad on post-pullout Gaza

By Yoav Stern

Egypt has reached agreements with Hamas and Islamic Jihad on their activities in the Gaza Strip after Israel's disengagement, according to a report yesterday in the London-based Arabic-language daily Asharq Al-Awsat. The report stated that senior members of Islamic Jihad had met over the weekend with Egyptian diplomats at Cairo's representation in Gaza to move ahead with the Egyptian post-disengagement initiative.

Egypt's talks with Hamas and Islamic Jihad are taking place simultaneously in Cairo with the organizations' second-tier officials who are based Syria and Lebanon, and in Gaza with their local grass-roots leaders.

An agreement has apparently been reached by all the organizations to stop their attacks against Israelis in the Gaza Strip, including the firing of Qassam missiles. They have also agreed that the Palestinian Authority will conduct final status talks with Israel.

A Palestinian source was quoted by the Associated Press on Sunday saying that Hamas and Islamic Jihad had agreed to a plan formulated by Marwan Bargouti, the West Bank Fatah leader currently in an Israeli jail. According the plan, violence will cease in the Strip after disengagement, and the organizations will sell their weapons to the PA within three months of Israel's withdrawal.

"Talks are proceeding in the right direction," senior Egyptian officials told MK Ahmed Tibi, who recently returned from Cairo. "They are very committed to the move and have coordinated it with all sides, including the Palestinian Authority and the various organizations," Tibi said.


Now that's interesting. The groups realize that the land for peace deal actually works in their favour. Now, let's see if the west bank thing will work out..hahahahhahahahahhahahah...uh..uh..i'm okay now..ahhahahhahahahahhahahahh.

Funny stuff. One can dream though...this is far from a done deal however. And i don't imagine that hamas will give up its dream of a decimated Israel...this is progress however..something to watch.

No comments: