Sinai Field Mission
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Preliminary Introduction to a new article on the Sinai Field Mission (SFM).
From an abstract by Michael G. Vannoni
Nonproliferation & Arms Control Analysis Dept.
The Cooperative Monitoring Center
Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque, New Mexico
Without the stability provided by two superpowers, regional conflicts are more likely to escalate, motivating regional parties to seek weapons of mass destruction. Cooperative monitoring, when incorporated into a regional security agreement, can help counter these pressures. Egypt and Israel set a precedent for successful cooperative monitoring when they progressed from a state of war to peace within six years. The process occurred in several steps, and monitoring played a significant supporting role. In 1975, Israel made a key compromise to withdraw from the strategic Giddi and Mitla passes in the Sinai peninsula in exchange for monitoring by third parties. The United States established the Sinai Field Mission to monitor access to the passes with sensors and also performed over flights. U.S. monitoring was coordinated with the activities of UN peacekeepers. After an initial period of suspicion, the parties came to accept monitoring as routine. The system successfully distinguished between significant and inconsequential sensor activations. All violations were relatively minor and resolved by a Joint Commission. Political leaders in both countries eventually praised the system. The increased confidence resulting from cooperative monitoring was a major contributor to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Accord. The monitoring system became unnecessary and was closed on January 25, 1980.
