Shuttle Diplomacy Over ‘Sharon’s Plan’
In Cairo, , state media reported Friday that talks between U.S. officials and Omar Suleiman, at the forefront of efforts to persuade Palestinian factions to agree to a ceasefire, were "part of Egypt’s intense efforts to relaunch the Israeli-Palestinian peace process".
Suleiman left for Washington just hours after Cairo promised visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Sylvan Shalom that it would guarantee security on its border with the Gaza Strip if Israel pulls out of the Palestinian territory, according to government-owned daily Al-Ahram.
On Wednesday, Suleiman met Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Egyptian sources has told IslamOnline.net Thursday, March 11 that “Suleiman told Arafat Egypt was ready to deploy some of its security and intelligence units in the Strip to help the embattled Palestinian security forces so that they can better police the Gaza Strip in the event of an Israeli withdrawal”.
The same sources added that the Egyptian spy chief would seek – during his Washington visit – “clear American guarantees for an Egyptian-Palestinian plan to control security in the Gaza Strip”.
The Egyptian plan, according to the sources, envisages training courses in Cairo for the Palestinian security units or sending in Egyptian experts for the same purpose. The aim is preventing a security vacuum that may be used by “any party” to dominate the Strip.
On Monday night, Suleiman met Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to discuss his plan of unilateral disengagement from the Palestinians, which includes a possible evacuation of 17 out of the 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza.
