The U.S. Defense Department has withdrawn from plans to
reduce the American military presence in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
U.S. officials said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was persuaded that
the reduction of the U.S. military presence from along the
Egyptian-Israeli border could encourage escalating tensions in the Middle
East. The United States is a leading contributor to the Multi-National Force
Observers, which ensures the demilitarization of much of the Sinai.
Rumsfeld has been an ardent supporter of ending U.S. participation in
international peacekeeping missions. The secretary had often cited the U.S.
military deployment in Sinai as wasteful.
But Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the State Department as
well as Egypt and Israel have urged that the U.S. military presence in Sinai
remains unchanged. Wolfowitz said Rumsfeld agreed.
"It may not surprise you, though, given everything that's going on in
the Middle East, that not only the government of
Egypt and the government of Israel, but the U.S. State Department say this
is not a good time to be reducing that
presence," Wolfowitz said on July 12.
The result, Wolfowitz said, is that the Pentagon seeks to reduce the
U.S. military presence in Bosnia and other places. He said Washington is
also examining using police and National Guard members for international
peacekeepers.
'"We've got to look at where we can do some of the things in this big
military establishment of ours more efficiently, or contract things out,"
Wolfowitz said. "So before we start adding to end strength in a permanent
way, I think we've really got to look at those things, because end strength
is incredibly expensive. And we need those resources for a lot of other
things as well."
Egypt, Israel and the United States are scheduled to discuss the future
of the MFO this week. The United States has 865 soldiers participating in
the force and contributes a significant share of the $51 million a year in
operating costs.
