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Egyptian minister OKs European presence
The Egyptian foreign minister on Thursday said Cairo and the Palestinians would accept a European presence to secure the border crossings, sea port and airport in the Gaza Strip. Philippe Douste-Blazy also saw Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and said their talks focused on counterterrorism and measures to preserve the unity of Iraq. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit emerged from his meeting with Douste-blazy to affirm Egyptian and Palestinian willingness to see European monitors at the Gaza access points. "We talked today with our French counterpart about the idea of getting help to secure (international access)...through a European presence on the ground," Aboul Gheit said. He said the only stumbling block would be Israel and that Douste-Blazy gave assurances that the European Union was pressing for an Israelis agreement. Aboul Gheit said there was no decision on whether the EU would send civilians or troops to monitor the crossings and ports. Douste-Blazy said he and Mubarak also discussed calling an international conference to reaffirm Iraq's unity given the sharp divisions that have arisen among ethnic and religious groups during the debate on a new constitution. Douste-Blazy also hailed the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and described it as "a very positive and courageous action." At the same time, he urged Israeli authorities not to turn Gaza into "a prison." The Palestinians, he said, must take control of the Gaza security situation, using "a well-trained police force with all the tools necessary — a force that follows orders from the head of the Palestinian authority," he said.
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