October 14, 2006: For decades, Egypt has generally tolerated the smuggling of weapons into Gaza. But now the Egyptians are cracking down. Not because of a sudden improvement in relations with Israel, but because the arms smugglers have been caught providing weapons and explosives to Islamic terrorists operating inside Egypt. While most Islamic terrorists were caught, killed or driven out of the country in the 1990s, another batch has developed among religious Bedouins in the Sinai. The Egyptians would also like to see the Palestinians settle down and make peace with Israel. To that end, interfering with arms smuggling into Gaza is seen as useful.
