Israel okays more Egyptian forces in Sinai

[King_David]

JERUSALEM — Israel has accepted the deployment of additional Egyptian military forces to boost security in the Sinai peninsula, a senior Israeli official told AFP on Friday.

The official, on condition of anonymity, confirmed an article in Britain's Economist magazine in which Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel had agreed to the increase.

The magazine said Egypt planned to deploy helicopters, armoured vehicles and thousands of extra forces in the Sinai, but Israel opposed additional tanks in the region.

The decision follows August 18 attacks by gunmen who infiltrated southern Israel from the Sinai for a series of shootings on buses and cars on a road running along the Egyptian border.

Eight Israelis were killed and at least 26 wounded in the attacks.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hV3W3vJ3ZnXcY7FvUDM2qCzCxqtA?docId=CNG.c12c140bd2e4fc0a6a87ad853c05ac1c.421

[bemildred]

1. Barak: Israel won’t let Egypt deploy more troops in Sinai right now

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Saturday that Israel has no intention at this time of approving additional Egyptian troops in the eastern Sinai Peninsula.

Barak's statement comes despite a report Friday in Haaretz and the British weekly The Economist that the defense minister said it was in Israel's interest to allow Egypt to bring in larger forces to overcome the ongoing anarchy along the border with Israel.

Such additional troops would not be in accordance with the Israel-Egypt peace treaty, and following Friday's reports, Knesset Speaker MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud ) said he would be looking into whether any alteration of the peace agreement would require Knesset approval.

Following the reports, Barak sought through associates to correct the impression that had been given. An official in his bureau said Saturday: "No request has been submitted by Egypt to augment troops and if such a request is made, it will be examined in the appropriate forums. There is no automatic approval and the forces that have already been approved will depart on the agreed-on date."

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/barak-israel-won-t-let-egypt-deploy-more-troops-in-sinai-right-now-1.381064