Well hidden For a few years, I’ve identified the
man who calls himself Payne by the black EMT pants he always wears and by his
booming voice. When he calls, I hold the receiver six inches from my ear.
Although I’d known his business was medical transport, we’d never talked about
his other highly specialized work. Until last week.
“I’m a rescue diver. Usually when we’re called, we’re
looking for bodies,” he told me. His tone was informative, not boastful. I was
impressed; having dived a number of times, I knew how treacherous that work
could be.
Because I wasn’t busy, and because he was waiting for his
patient to call, we chatted about some of his most interesting assignments. One
story concerned an unsolved mystery, a murder without a body. “We’re pretty
sure we know who did it,” he said, then named all of the lakes and rivers his
team of divers had searched. “I know the guy!” he seemed to yell.
But he wasn’t yelling; it was just his normal boom. I asked
whether his dives had happy endings, whether he found something other than dead
bodies. “Yes!” he said, emphatically, just as his phone rang. He walked outside
as he answered it.
I returned to my computer, to research a volatile topic
regarding Israel’s security, tunnels under the border between Gaza and Egypt.
Thanks to Dr. Aaron Lerner [IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis Website: www.imra.org.il], I’d garnered articles
from years of research he conducted on the topic. Especially relevant now that
the Muslim Brotherhood controls Egypt, those tunnels provide unregulated
transport of men, women, terrorists, and munitions into Gaza and from Gaza to
hideouts in the Sinai. Of late, Egypt has claimed that it is punishing those
who support that traffic (after 16 of its military were killed in the Sinai).
After reading reports provided by Dr. Lerner, I am more
than dubious. One of the first provided details about tunnel construction.
Written in 2003, it included an interview with a tunnel builder:
The Rafah Terror Tunnels:
An Underground City of Weaponry
IDF Spokesperson 11 February 2003
The IDF frequently uncovers and destroys Palestinian tunnels
constructed
underneath the "Philadelphi" route in the Rafah area
of the Gaza
Strip.
The
tunnels are used to smuggle weapons, cigarettes, drugs, and
people
(primarily prostitutes) from Egypt into Gaza.
The "Philadelphi" Route
The 1993 Oslo Accords granted significant territorial autonomy
to the
Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip. Under the Oslo Accords,
the IDF
retains control of a thin strip of land (100 meters in width),
known as the
"Philadelphi" route, which divides the southern tip of
the Gaza Strip city
of Rafah and the Egyptian Sinai peninsula.
Rafah: A Transit Point for Weapons Smuggling
In the period after the 1993 Oslo Accords, the Palestinians
constructed a
complex network of tunnels underneath the Egypt-Israel border in
the Rafah
area of the Gaza Strip. The tunnels are used to smuggle weapons,
cigarettes,
drugs, and people (primarily prostitutes) from Egypt into Gaza.
Consequently, the city of Rafah has become a focal point for
smuggling
illicit contraband throughout the Palestinian Authority.
Inside the Tunnels
The smuggling tunnels are often elaborate, and may contain
wood-paneling,
electrical infrastructure, communications equipment, and
elevators. Small
tunneling machines, imported with the full knowledge of the
Palestinian
Authority, are used to dig these subterranean passages.
Tunnels Often Concealed in Houses
The Rafah tunnels are typically dug inside residential homes,
and are
concealed under bathrooms, living rooms, and bedrooms. On
October 12, 2001,
two tunnel entrances were discovered inside a child's bedroom.
Another such
tunnel was uncovered on September 12, 2002.
Hosting and maintaining smuggling tunnels can often become a
family business
that provides a primary source of income.
The smuggling tunnels illustrate the deep involvement of some
Palestinian
civilians in aiding and abetting terrorist activity.
How the Smuggling Tunnels are Built
On August 10, 2002, the Islamic web portal, "Islam
Online," published an
interview with an individual named "Honey."
Honey identified himself as an active "expert" in the
excavation of
clandestine subterranean passages in the Rafah area, and
described how he
and his friends dug tunnels in which Palestinian terrorist
organizations
smuggled arms.
The following is a transcript of the "Islam Online"
interview:
Determining the Most Suitable Location for a Tunnel
After determining the most suitable location to begin work,
engineers survey
the ground, which must be of a firm, and not overly sandy
consistency. The
further the point of origin is from the (Israeli) border, the
less chance
there is of being caught.
How the Tunnels are Dug
A pit is dug one meter wide and between twelve to fourteen
meters deep.
Supports are placed on the sides of the pit. The pit is dug to a
depth of at
least twelve meters so that Israeli detection devices cannot
detect tunnels
at this depth. The tunnel is dug horizontally so that it has a
width of
forty centimeters by forty centimeters. Every three meters
wooden planks are
placed alongside the four sides of the tunnels so it doesn't
collapse.
Various mechanical devices are used to overcome natural
obstacles like rock,
including a machine that removes sand via suction. An electrical
cable is
hung in the tunnel to provide lighting.
…The completion of one tunnel takes three months or
more. The last tunnel we built took three months. The workers
who build a
tunnel receive a percentage of the profit generated from
smuggling weapons.
Between six to twelve meters are dug every day. The last tunnel
we dug was
two hundred and thirty meters long. At either end of the tunnel
there is a
"work manager;" the two work managers maintain contact
by code, usually via
phone. The workers on the Egyptian side direct where the tunnel
exit will
be. The exit from the Palestinian side is steep (a straight
vertical shaft),
while it is gradually inclined on the Egyptian side.
Construction of a tunnel costs a minimum of $10,000. The minimal
cost for
smuggling weapons is $300 and the money is split between the
five partners
for building and maintaining the tunnels.
Smuggling Method
If someone is interested in smuggling weapons, he makes a coded
request and
the workers schedule the date for the smuggling operation. The
codes and
passwords are transferred via [land-line] phones and cellular
phones. The
transfer from one side to the other takes between five to ten
minutes and is
carried out using an engine which pulls a rope.
Smuggling Prices
The following prices vary according to location and item.
Person: $1,000
AK-47 assault rifle from Egypt to Gaza: 2,000 Egyptian liras
AK-47 assault rifle within Gaza: $1,000
AK-47 bullet from Egypt to Gaza: 0.5 Egyptian Liras.
AK-47 bullet within Gaza: $3
Source of Weapons: Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, and the Salom area in
Libya.
Another offered this, in 2005: Cairo
won't stop arms smuggling into Gaza: Israeli officers warn against plan to give
up control at border, by Aaron Klein May 25, 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44441.
Years later, in a Jerusalem Post
article, 'Egypt not stopping Hamas smuggling', by Yaakov Katz,
Jun. 7, 2007, hard
facts are mentioned:
750 Egyptian border policemen are stationed along
the border with the sole task of stopping the smuggling.
"If the Egyptians wanted to they could already a long time
ago have stopped
the smuggling," a government official involved in the talks
with Cairo said.
"It could be that they just want to see Israeli blood
spilt."
Later
that year, Lerner issued this verbatim report: Remarks
With Egyptian Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit, Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Cairo,
Egypt,
October 16, 2007
www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2007/10/93602.htm.
His introductory
comment is and was telling:
[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: It should be kept in mind that the
area in question is a few kilometers in length and there are only a very
limited number of access routes to the area. The flood of weapons are being
brought to the smuggling area by the truckload - vehicles that have to drive on
roads and can be readily stopped and inspected. The Egyptians
also could exercise their right of eminent domain and clear out the structures
adjacent to the border to make monitoring considerably easier and more
effective… But instead of doing this the Egyptians seek to
exploit the smuggling that they are allowing in order to
push Israel to forfeit an important element of the Israel-Egypt peace treaty:
the demilitarization of the area near Israel's border. [my emphasis]
Apparently,
what our State Department expected was lip service rather than results; almost
a year later, it became evident that Egypt understood that. Our government’s
ineptness resulted in Israel being impacted by Egypt’s collaboration with the
smugglers. Unreliable reports like the following praised Egypt’s efforts:
New U.S. equipment
helps Egypt uncover Gaza-Sinai tunnels
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent Last update - 07:19
22/10/2008
Egyptian security officials this week attributed the dramatic
rise in the
discovery of tunnels along the Egypt-Gaza Strip border to
U.S.-supplied
equipment. Israeli officials also praised Egypt's heightened
efforts against
the tunnels, dug by Gaza-based militants to smuggle out weapons
and other
contraband.
"New, highly efficient equipment has begun to be used which
includes sensors
that assist in uncovering the tunnels," one official told
Haaretz.
One
month later, a truer picture was revealed by the Guardian:
Hamas exploits boom in
Gaza smuggling tunnels Toni O'Loughlin in Gaza
The Guardian, Wednesday October 22 2008
Hamas exploits boom in Gaza's 400 - 600 smuggling tunnels(run
24/7 next to Egyptian watchtowers)…
One owner, whose tunnel lies within 200 metres of an Egyptian
watchtower,
operates 24-hours a day, importing "everything you can
imagine"…
Egypt’s
complicity, though undeniable, met with impunity. In 2009, this article
underscored the mockery of Egypt’s professions of innocence:
Top Defense Ministry
official: Egypt sees Hamas as 'national enemy'
By Haaretz Service and Reuters Last update - 16:45 27/01/2009
Senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad said on Tuesday that
Egypt views
Hamas as a national enemy and a threat to its regime, and is now
more
willing than ever to fight against the ongoing smuggling of arms
into the
Gaza Strip.
What
is most troubling, especially in light of America’s concerns about our porous
border with Mexico, is that we have not forced Egypt to end its deceit. Necessary
proof for demanding such enforcement was made available by Israel long ago. And
the evidence was compelling:
Israel sends US videos
of Egypt helping Hamas
YAAKOV KATZ, HERB KEINON and HILARY LEILA KRIEGER , THE
JERUSALEM POST Dec.18, 2007, www.jpost.com
/servlet/Satellite?cid=1196847366227&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Israel is sending video tapes showing Egyptian policemen assisting
Palestinian terrorists along the Egypt-Gaza border to the United
States
Congress as part of an effort to influence the legislative body
into
clamping pressure on Cairo to stop weapons smuggling into the
Gaza Strip.
The video footage - which shows Egyptian security forces
assisting Hamas
terrorists cross illegally into Gaza - is being transferred to
Congress
through diplomatic channels and is intended for senior
congressmen and
senators who can have an effect on the House foreign aid
appropriations
process. Israel believes this can be an effective way of
pressuring Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak into clamping down on Hamas smuggling
activities.
The House and Senate agreed late Sunday on a 2008 foreign aid
bill that
would hold back $100 million in military aid for Egypt, out of a
$1.3
billion allocation, unless US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice certifies
that concerns about smuggling weapons into Gaza and human rights
abuses have
been addressed. It is the first time that Egyptian military aid,
supplied
since the Camp David Accords, would potentially be restricted.
“There’s
proof!” I exclaimed, as I walked out of my office.
There
was Payne, waiting.
“There
was a time,” he began immediately, as if he’d remembered something so
significant he couldn’t keep from telling me at once. “We were dredging a spot
in the Bannister River and we found a gun. It’d been thrown there after a crime
some years earlier. When the gun was matched to the bullets, police made an
arrest.”
Payne
smiled broadly. So did I. Both of us
knew that was the way criminals were supposed to be treated.
Payne’s
phone buzzed. “I gotta go!” he exclaimed.
I
didn’t get a chance to tell him about the new tunnels Egypt had found in Gaza.
But I’ll share its history with you. From this:
From: "imra@netvision.net.il"
<imra@netvision.net.il>
To: imra@imra.org.il
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 1969 7:00 PM
Subject: Egypt resumes demolition of Gaza
tunnels
…to this:
Egypt
resumes demolition of Gaza tunnels
Published yesterday (updated) 23/08/2012 22:51
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Egyptian troops resumed the
demolition of tunnels under
their border with the Gaza
Strip on Thursday morning, witnesses and security
officials said.
..then
this:
From: B Kop
Sent: Friday, August 24, 2012 2:20
AM
Subject: Re: Egypt resumes demolition
of Gaza tunnels
Aaron-
After reading the archived reports you posted,
I'm reluctant to put much faith in this.
Do you?
Thanks for letting me know.
Barry
…and, finally, this from Dr. Lerner:
ditto
B. Koplen 8/26/12
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