The more we see of Obama, the more we realize that he’s exactly the same breed as the previous past Presidents as he flexes his muscle once again in Afghanistan and now on Gaza, We have known for some time that Egypt had succumbed to US bribery in receiving generous aid in return for supporting US foreign policy and becoming a friend of Israel.

Who would ever have imagined that such a member of the Arab League and of Islamic faith could turn its back on the brother over the border? Who would ever have imagined that Egypt would sell it soul knowing the suffering on the other side of the fence? How many times do we see other members of the League become “Westernized” and loose their direction spiritually? How can they profess to be good Muslims and allow this genocide to continue?

We have all seen the progression of the “Berlin Wall” in Palestine and now we see the final death knoll of an underground wall between Egypt and Gaza in an attempt to cut of their supply lifeline – the tunnels in Rafah. How can the US and Egypt live with their conscience and how did they manage to achieve this “Humanitarian Project” of giant proportions? What pressure was applied and who’s involved?

Egypt doesn’t want to take on full responsibility for Gaza and has always been under pressure from the US and Israel to stop weapons smuggling. Shortly after Barack Obama was inaugurated in January, just after the Gaza war, he promised help to Egypt to stop smuggling. Prior to Obama taking office the US Government gave $23m in military aid to the Egyptians, and also sent in a team from the US Engineering Corps to train the Egyptians on the border with Gaza. Many concepts were dreamt up, one being a deep canal along the border to stop tunnelling.

The idea of a canal or wall emerged some time ago when those evasive notorious war criminals Tzipi Livni (who favoured a canal), and the other war criminal Condoleezza Rice, discussed the issue of border control. In actual fact, Rice took it a stage further when she said that Israel must agree to amend the 1978 peace treaty so as to allow more Egyptian soldiers to be stationed along the border. Egypt wanted to double its force of 750 soldiers, to 1,500, but Israel opposed the plan. So much for Egypt being a sovereign state; it is totally controlled by the US and Israel. Oh well that’s what financial bribery can do!  

That same year the US sent two senior figures over (Robert Danin of the State Department and Mark Kimmitt of the Defense Department) to Sinai, to examine Egypt’s handling of the problem first-hand. The US Engineering Corps also visited and they came up with the existing design.

Egypt’s new wall will be about six miles long and “impossible to cut or melt.” Construction has already begun; large sheets of steel would eventually be buried into the ground to an estimated depth of around 55 feet. The package comes with sophisticated surveillance equipment, including infra-red and heat-seeking camera etc. It is expected that yet again we will see the US take up a base near the border to carry out Joint Egyptian-American patrols on the Egyptian side of the border. There will be a perimeter road and I am sure the US will control this border in much the same manner as the border with Mexico.

One should ask - is Egypt a sovereign state? Are we again seeing another US base appearing on Islamic soil? Whatever the final outcome, Egypt has truly lost its ethics and direction. We again see the failings of the United Nations as it turns its back on the Palestinian problem and allows the US to take over its responsibility. I dare imagine the consequences that could emerge in this distinct act of aggression by President Obama and the US Government.

We all know these tunnels are lifelines for Gaza and the only means of getting supply into Gaza due to the Israeli Blockade. The US, Israel and no doubt Egypt would hope that as a result of this new stranglehold, the citizens of Gaza may turn against Hamas. Obviously the US and Israel do not understand the spirit and strength of the people of Gaza. They will find a way to overcome the measures imposed by Obama and in their own way become stronger. Maybe I should use Gordon Brown’s favourite saying that this will strengthen their resolve!

The underground steel wall is intended to strengthen international governmental efforts to imprison and starve the people of Gaza into submission so they throw out the Hamas government. Pity the UN doesn’t apply the same pressure on US arms manufacturers and the US Department of Defense for allowing illegal shipment of WMDs to Israel.

There is a striking similarity between the old South African apartheid system and the Israel continued occupation and control of Gaza and West Bank. We are seeing these huge “Berlin Walls” emerge and even segregation between Palestinian villages along with all the hatred that goes with such an apartheid way of life. It has been repeated so many times that elements of the occupation, the wall, apartheid and collective punishment are contrary to international law. But who cares? We are talking here about the Israeli Government who do not follow any international law.

When this wall is in place and should the US continue to build up its presence on the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza, we are likely to see even more attacks carried out at Egyptian targets for their collaboration with the US and Israel. If this should ever happen, one has to point a finger at the United Nations and its timid leader Ban Ki-moon for allowing the people of Gaza to be further punished so cruelly. I expect reasonable compassionate Egyptian citizens to hang their heads in shame over this entire episode.

Peter Eyre, a former British Naval officer, worked at NATO headquarters, and spent a lot of time in the Middle East and South East Asia as a petroleum consultant; he lives in the UK and writes regularly for the Palestine Telegraph