Egypt: Gaza Blockade A Failure, Border Stays Open

[Purveyor]

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) -- An Egyptian security official declared the blockade of Gaza a failure Monday and said his country will keep its border with the Palestinian territory open indefinitely.

Keeping that crossing point open long term would ease the blockade imposed by Israel three years ago to isolate and punish Gaza's Hamas rulers. It also restores a link to the outside the world for some of Gaza's 1.5 million Palestinians.

Egypt opened its border with Gaza soon after Israel's deadly raid on an international flotilla of activists trying to break the blockade a week ago. Israel has not publicly protested the Egyptian move, but officials declined to comment Monday.

In another escalation of the tension off Gaza's shores, Israeli naval forces shot and killed four men wearing wet suits off the coast on Monday, and the militant group Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades said they were members of its marine unit training for a mission.

Vice President Joe Biden said Monday the U.S. is closely consulting with Egypt and other allies to find new ways to "address the humanitarian, economic, security, and political aspects of the situation in Gaza." He issued the statement after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GAZA_BLOCKADE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-06-07-11-45-42

[Wizard777]

1. God Bless Them Greatly!

[Catherina]

2. I hope my eyes aren't lying to me.

" said his country will keep its border with the Palestinian territory open indefinitely"

Let it be.

[lumpy]

5. Egypt is sending a message to Israel like ,we are more

interested in keeping friends and allies than putting up with your tactics.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. The Law of Unintended Consequences just rose and bit Israel in the ass.

Not only did they wrongly punish a million innocents for 3 long, horrible years, not only did they screw up relations with Turkey, a key ally of theirs, not only did they empower Iran, not only did they kill an unarmed American, not only did rumors surface that they had an assassination list pop out, not only did countries willing to give Israel the benefit of the doubt suddenly realize that there is no more doubt to be of benefit, and not only did they piss off America, they put their own people at much higher risk.

That's not winning the Trifecta, that something far more impacting.

[MindandSoul]

4. Well, I'm not going to cry for Israel this time! They brought it on themselves!

And I'm glad that Egypt finally "saw the light!"

[activa8tr]

6. What you said, quite true, but the voters of Israel haven't realized yet

what a mess their government just made, and how their government screwed Israel for years to come.

The majority of voters in Israel are right wing supporters, and, well, we know how stupid right wingers can be in Israel or here in the USA...

[ConsAreLiars]

7. The mass murders of aid workers has pushed the dictatorship ruling Egypt

past a tipping point. They have their Brotherhood fundie crazies, and this was just pragmatic politics and some outflanking 0f that tendency. They did the right thing, but for less than honorable reasons. On the other hand, the steel barriers they pushed down below the border walls were easily breached and their design may have intended this outcome.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

8. Best piece of news from the ME I've heard for a long time.

Of course, that border shouldn't have been closed in the first place, so credit for this goes the flotilla rather than to Egypt - this is by far the most important consequence of the massacre, I think.

[shira]

9. But reliable sources said evil Israel controlled Egyptian policy WRT the blockade, so WTF?

[Tripmann]

10. Lovely

Theres moves underway for a land convoy of aid for Gaza from vivapalestina. The egyptian border being open will make delivery much easier.