Sinai Instability Threatens Egypt-Israel Peace

(Council on Foreign Relations) Steven A. Cook - The Sinai is a haven for drug smuggling, human trafficking, gun running, and extremists of all types, ranging from Egyptian takfiris and Palestinian jihadists to al-Qaeda sympathizers. On Wednesday, the IDF mobilized six reserve battalions as a precautionary measure given the potential for instability in Syria and Egypt. The reason for Israel's mobilization is not only because the IDF does not believe that the Egyptian armed forces are up to the task of cleaning up the mess in Sinai, but that the Egyptian military happens to share that view. The Egyptians have no capacity to execute a sustained military effort in Sinai that would improve the security environment there.


2012-05-04 00:00:00

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