In Egypt’s Sinai, rising militancy threatens peacekeeping force An American paratroop battalion being led by its commander Lt. Col. Garrison (with a cane) through the desert to take up peacekeeping duties between Israel and Egypt in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on March 17, 1982. (Max Nash/AP) Ernesto Londoño August 27, 6:17 PM A dramatic rise in militancy and violence in the vast Sinai desert is increasingly threatening a peacekeeping force there that includes nearly 700 U.S. troops acting as guarantors of a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, according to Western military officials. Heavily armed locals have blockaded bases and convoys, and, in a few instances, launched attacks against the peacekeepers, raising concerns not only about their safety, but also the long-term stability of their mission. That mission had become more challenging even before the most recent phase of Egypt’s post-revolution crisis, with regional volatility forcing members of the Multinational Force and Observers, many of whom operate out of remote bases, to bolster security and limit their movements. “Right now, the situation is very volatile up here,” Col. Thomas O’Steen, the chief of staff of the peacekeeping force, said in a phone interview this week. “As you can imagine, the Egyptian security forces are struggling to maintain security. We are being very cautious and prudent in the routes we allow for our patrols and resupply convoys to minimize our exposure.” “Right now, the situation is very volatile up here,” Col. Thomas O’Steen, the chief of staff of the peacekeeping force, said in a phone interview this week. “As you can imagine, the Egyptian security forces are struggling to maintain security. We are being very cautious and prudent in the routes we allow for our patrols and resupply convoys to minimize our exposure.”
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 14:10:19 +0000
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