CAIRO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) recently announced that it will provide Egypt with technical assistance in patroling its porous borders. On Oct. 9, Egypt became the second country in the Middle East, after Israel, to sign the Individual Cooperation Program (ICP) agreement, which focuses on security and anti-terrorism measures. The move to enhance relations with Nato was viewed by some as a way to combat accusations that security on the Egypt-Gaza border was not sufficient. Emad Gad, international relations analyst at Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said that there may be an element of truth to these assumptions. Egypt will get what it can from the US and perhaps get assistance in terms of the war against terrorism. It is true that Israel has been complaining of arms smuggling, he said. Rumors have abounded surrounding the possibility of Nato troops being sent to man the Egypt-Gaza border. However, several analysts and journalists have dismissed these claims as mere speculation. They point to the lack of readily deployable Nato troops - most are serving in Afghanistan and Bosnia - as well as the precise conditions Israel has stipulated regarding the deployment of Nato troops on the border. Although specific details of the agreement are yet to be made public, the Egyptian government has come under fire for cooperating with what many believe to be a military instrument with a neo-colonialist policy; the organization having originally been set up as a front against communism in the post Cold War era. Gad said this cooperation could minimize the criticism Egypt is getting from international media for border smuggling. At the same time, Egypt and Israel mirroring agreements with Nato may be a step towards better bilateral relations between the two countries. A statement from the Israeli embassy in Cairo emphasized the nature of the cooperation on a regional level. "The ICP was signed to strengthen relations with Israel and with other Mediterranean states. However, the statement mentioned that "the cooperation plan was prepared under the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Defense Ministry and the Israeli Defense Force implying that Nato's influence in the region will be kept in check by indigenous forces. When asked about the likelihood of improved bilateral ties, Gad said, This could be a step towards a regional cooperation, however, Egypt will not be in a position to sign anything with Israel until there are formal relations between Israel and hostile states such as Lebanon and Syria. "In terms of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Egypt has accepted the opinion that Sadat expressed in the late 70s: It is America that is the superpower in the region, and it is only America that can dictate a peace. Gad, though, alluded to the main motivation for Egypt securing the ICP. "Egypt has secured the agreement with Nato to minimize the impact of an individual agreement between Nato and Israel. He stressed that Egypt s cooperation is essential for the country s self assertion, saying that it is important for Egypt to be the second country to sign the agreement because Egypt views its role as a regional power. "It is true that Nato is in reality the US. Egypt is therefore trying to stand in the same line as Israel in its position with the US, he added.
