Egyptian/US Barrier

Nodin · 10-12-2009 3:51pm #1

Egypt has begun constructing a huge metal wall along its border with the Gaza Strip as it attempts to cut smuggling tunnels, the BBC has learned.[/B] When it is finished the wall will be 10-11km (6-7 miles) long and will extend 18 metres below the surface.
The Egyptians are being helped by American army engineers, who the BBC understands have designed the wall.
The plan has been shrouded in secrecy, with no comment or confirmation from the Egyptian government

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8405020.stm

And despite the change of administration, the siege goes on.....It's depressing, in that its entirely expected.

RedPlanet · 10-12-2009 4:10pm

But couldn't they just dig under it?

Nodin · 10-12-2009 4:17pm

...yes, but with far greater problems re collapse and air circulation.

prinz · 10-12-2009 4:23pm

Here's a hint, stop smuggling in weaponry.

RedPlanet · 10-12-2009 4:27pm

prinz wrote: »

Here's a hint, stop smuggling in weaponry.

Hint: The tunnels are far more lucrative than for simple weapons. Have a look at the picture. There's an entire economy built around them.

prinz · 10-12-2009 4:28pm

RedPlanet wrote: »

Hint: The tunnels are far more lucrative than for simple weapons. Have a look at the picture. There's an entire economy built around them.

Yes, because of the blockade...and the blockade is there because..?

RedPlanet · 10-12-2009 5:14pm

prinz wrote: »

Yes, because of the blockade...and the blockade is there because..?

Because they are the indigenous people, pushed off their land by a load of religious nutjobs with help from USA and HMG?

PirateShampoo · 10-12-2009 5:35pm

RedPlanet wrote: »

Because they are the indigenous people, pushed off their land by a load of religious nutjobs with help from USA and HMG?

Is that a question or a statment?, because neither makes any sense.

aurelius79 · 10-12-2009 5:40pm

It's really quite simple. The wall is to prevent Palestinians from fleeing to Egypt when Israel carpet-bombs Gaza. It's not that hard to figure out.

prinz · 10-12-2009 5:49pm

RedPlanet wrote: »

Because they are the indigenous people, pushed off their land by a load of religious nutjobs with help from USA and HMG?

Conveniently whitewashing the responsibility of their neighbours of course, like Egypt..Jordan...

aurelius79 · 10-12-2009 5:56pm

What responsibility do they have? Because they are Muslim countries they have a responsibility to care for all other Muslim countries? If Libya invaded Great Britain tomorrow, would we have the responsibility to take in the millions of displaced refugees? No, I don't think we would.

prinz · 10-12-2009 6:12pm

aurelius79 wrote: »

What responsibility do they have? Because they are Muslim countries they have a responsibility to care for all other Muslim countries? If Libya invaded Great Britain tomorrow, would we have the responsibility to take in the millions of displaced refugees? No, I don't think we would.

Do you know when the West Bank became known as the "West Bank"? It was in 1949 when Jordan annexed the West Bank, a move recognised only by the UK and Pakistan. They didn't care to much for the rights of the indigenous peoples then did they?

Do you know for instance that Transjordan was renamed the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to legitimise the king's claims on lands they confiscated in Palestine?

Did you know in 1951 the Jordanian King was assassinated by a Palestinian because Jordan, Lebanon and Israel were conducting talks about how to carve up Palestine between them?

Did you know that fighting broke out in the 70's in Jordan between the Jordanians and Palestinians?

In 2009 Jordan revoked citizenship to thousands of Palestinians.. leaving them stateless, thus without access to Jordanian healthcare, education, jobs, travel etc etc.

Not to mention it is actually Egypt building the wall...

Nodin · 10-12-2009 8:47pm

prinz wrote: »

Here's a hint, stop smuggling in weaponry.

Theres never been proof of weapon smuggling to the extent that would justify such actions.

aurelius79 · 10-12-2009 9:07pm

No, Palestine and Jordan have been allies for hundreds of years. Jordan's claim on the West Bank was a succesful attempt at stopping Israel's land grab. None of what you say detracts from the fact that the British government handed over lands that they had no right to whatsoever. They handed over lands to a small group of religious zealots who had no justification for demanding their own state. As a result, millions of people were displaced and thousands lost their lives. Nothing you say can justify that.

wes · 10-12-2009 11:52pm

Well, hardly surprising as Mubarak is a US puppet, and the American's once again show there true colors.

wes · 11-12-2009 1:20am

From Al Jazeera.com
Egypt denies building 'Gaza wall'

Egypt has denied it is constructing an underground steel barrier along its strip with the Gaza border in an attempt to seal off smuggling tunnels built by Palestinians.

Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, reported that Egypt was installing a metal wall up to 30 metres deep along the strip used by Palestinians to break the Israeli blockade of the territory.

The paper reported that the wall would be nearly 10km long as "impossible to cut or melt".

But Egyptian sources told Al Jazeera that bulldozers and construction workers in the area are carrying out routine maintenance work, dismissing the Israeli report as "baseless."

A reporter for the AFP news agency said workers were placing 20 metre long pipes along the border, while witnesses in the town of Rafah said they could see Egyptian vehicles working across the fenced frontier.

Click here for full article

Wonder what the truth is here, perhaps Mubarak is trying to save face amongst his people, by telling a lie.

Overheal · 11-12-2009 1:25am

wes wrote: »

Wonder what the truth is here, perhaps Mubarak is trying to save face amongst his people, by telling a lie.

Or Israeli press is trying to demoralize the Palestinians.

aurelius79 · 11-12-2009 2:33am

Overheal wrote: »

Or Israeli press is trying to demoralize the Palestinians.

You can't demoralize a person whose only possession is their own life. Anything that the Zionists do now will only strengthen the resolve of the Palestinians.

prinz · 11-12-2009 10:16am

aurelius79 wrote: »

No, Palestine and Jordan have been allies for hundreds of years..

Good one, thanks for that. Such good allies that Jordan didn't even recognise 'Palestine' and were more than happy to make a grab for land themselves.

Manach · 11-12-2009 12:00pm

In the appropriateness of this barrier, I'd say it would be up to the legitimate de jure governing body, the Palestine Authority to comment/protest at an international level. Given my sparse knowledge of the situation, my guess that if this barrier adversely impacts the de facto rulers of Gaza, Hamas, the Palestine Authority would not raise to much of a fuss over this.

BlaasForRafa · 11-12-2009 1:13pm

Nodin wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8405020.stm
.

About bloody time, well done Egypt.

wes · 11-12-2009 3:22pm

Overheal wrote: »

Or Israeli press is trying to demoralize the Palestinians.

I doubt they would do that. I am sure they just had a bad source or something.

Overheal · 11-12-2009 3:50pm

wes wrote: »

I doubt they would do that. I am sure they just had a bad source or something.

Well we dont know that its wrong yet. Just unverified.

The Saint · 11-12-2009 3:56pm

prinz wrote: »

Yes, because of the blockade...and the blockade is there because..?

The blockade is criticised by most countries in the world, including the EU. There's also a good legal arguement for its illegality.

Overheal · 11-12-2009 4:50pm

And yet the EU hasnt imposed any sanctions on Israel. It doesnt need the UN to do that.

The Saint · 11-12-2009 4:54pm

Not all EU countries would support sanctions on Israel. I don't think the EU has ever unilaterally imposed sanctions on any country so such a move would be unprecidented.

I believe the EU should send ships of aid directly to Gaza and tell the Israelis that if they are interferred with there wil be serious repercussions. I can't imagine the Israelis wanting to piss off their largest trading partner.

Overheal · 11-12-2009 4:56pm

The Saint wrote: »

Not all EU countries would support sanctions on Israel. I don't think the EU has ever unilaterally imposed sanctions on any country so such a move would be unprecidented.

I believe the EU should send ships of aid directly to Gaza and tell the Israelis that if they are interferred with there wil be serious repercussions. I can't imagine the Israelis wanting to piss off their largest trading partner.

Israel's largest trading partner by a long shot is the United States. But I like this idea of gatecrashing the Gaza shoreline.

The Saint · 11-12-2009 5:17pm

Overheal wrote: »

Israel's largest trading partner by a long shot is the United States. But I like this idea of gatecrashing the Gaza shoreline.

My bad. Second largest trading partner.

EU good exports to Israel 2007: €14 billion
EU goods imports from Israel 2007: €11.3 billion

US Exports to Israel $14,486.9 (€9,915.55)
US Imports from Israel $22,335.8 (€15,295.80)

Not that much in it in fairness though.

http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5081.html
http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/bilateral-relations/countries/israel/

wes · 11-12-2009 9:33pm

Overheal wrote: »

Well we dont know that its wrong yet. Just unverified.

Well, if it turns out to be untrue, then I doubt it was something done with the intent to demoralize the Palestinians. I don't think the Israeli media is that far gone.

FlutterinBantam · 11-12-2009 11:56pm

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-117028542.html

What's this about then?

dvpower · 12-12-2009 12:05am

Wasn't the existing natural Egyptian/US Barrier good enough?:D

Egyptian/US Barrier

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