Word: mitla
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...week assume the task of securing the fragile peace between Egypt and Israel. Dressed in bright orange uniforms-so that they can be easily seen against the sun-baked sand-the members of the State Department's Sinai Field Mission are operating monitoring stations in the Giddi and Mitla passes, scene of three wars in the past 20 years. The puny American presence could scarcely halt an armored column intent on starting a fourth war. Rather, since Egypt and Israel trust Washington more than they trust each other, the Americans are in the passes as hostages for peace...
...Geneva's Palais des Nations put their pens to the interim Sinai accord. Also as expected, the Israelis only initialed the documents, withholding full signatures-and full binding agreement to the Sinai package-until an Administration proposal to station up to 200 technicians at monitoring posts around the Mitla and Giddi passes is approved by Congress. Nevertheless, some uneasiness continued to surface on Capitol Hill about parts of the Administration's Sinai deal. The main focus is the private Kissinger assurance to the Israelis that they will get a "positive" hearing on their request for some sophisticated weapons...
...Siilasvuo's supervision during the next two weeks, there were no real surprises in the final accord. The general principles had been more or less accepted by both sides before Kissinger undertook his shuttle (TIME cover, Aug. 25). The Israelis agreed to move their troops out of the Mitla and Giddi passes in Sinai and also turn back to Egypt the Abu Rudeis oilfields captured during the Six-Day War. Egypt agreed in writing to let Israeli nonmilitary cargoes pass through the Suez Canal. Both sides agreed that the Middle East conflict should not be resolved by force...
TROOP SHIFTS. Israel will give up the strategic Giddi and Mitla passes, which will become part of a demilitarized buffer zone patrolled by the U.N. Emergency Force. Israeli troops will move from twelve to 30 miles eastward; the Egyptians will advance two to nine miles eastward. The buffer zone between them will thus be greatly widened, reducing the chances of an accidental clash. Israel, however, will retain mountains overlooking the eastern part of the two passes, the large Bir Gifgafa airbase just northeast of the Giddi Pass, and the Umm Khisheib electronic monitoring station northwest of the Giddi Pass...
Listening Posts. The major compromises and concessions had been worked out before Kissinger left Washington: Israel is to give up the Abu Rudeis oilfield and the Giddi and Mitla passes in the Sinai; American technicians are to man listening posts between the two armies; the agreement is to run for three years and, while it will not include an Egyptian statement of nonbelligerency, it will amount to about that...