Egyptian FM: Cairo not bound by US-Israel agreement on arms smuggling

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Saturday his country was not bound by a US-Israel agreement against Hamas arms smuggling. The US and Israel can "do what they wish with regard to the sea or any other country in Africa, but when it comes to Egyptian land, we are not bound by anything except the safety and national security of the Egyptian people and Egypt's ability to protect its borders," Aboul Gheit told reporters. He also denied any weapons were smuggled into Gaza from Egypt, saying they are all transported to the territory by sea. The document, signed in Washington on Friday, outlines a framework under which the US will provide military and intelligence assets, including detection and surveillance equipment, as well as logistical help and training to Israel, Egypt and other nations in the region. The equipment and training would be used for monitoring Gaza's land and sea borders.