The Foreign Service Journal, May 2006

operations, liaison, engineering, sup- port, personnel and information sys- tems. Operational elements consist of Colombian, Fijian and American infantry battalions based in Egypt along the border and Gulf of Aqaba, and an Italian coastal patrol unit with three patrol boats based at Sharm al Sheikh. This unit ensures freedom of navigation through the Strait of Tiran. A 15-member Civilian Observer Unit performs intrusive verification inspections in the Sinai and in Israel along the border. The COU is not a part of the force commander’s “staff,” but is directly under his authority. All 15 observers are Americans, about half seconded from the Foreign Service and the other half direct hire former military personnel. They conduct highly detailed and intrusive reconnais- sance and on-site verification of the forces and military activities of the parties in the treaty limitation zones in the Sinai and in Israel along the border. The COU possesses a wealth of military and political expertise and has been critical in building confi- dence and providing assurance to each party. The key to its success has been a relationship of trust that flows from the interactions of COU members with Egyptian and Israeli officers who accompany the mis- sions in their own countries. The MFO’s liaison system consti- tutes a structured military link to the Egyptian and Israeli counterpart organizations established under the protocol. Although in military terms the Liaison Branch is a staff and sup- port element, in practice it is highly operational, representing the focal point of the MFO’s mandate “to employ its best efforts” to sustain the treaty. Specifically, it assesses progress in treaty implementation, prevents situations that could result from errors or misinterpretations by either party and works to resolve any problems that might arise. The force’s military elements include a U.S. support battalion (with medical, helicopter, explosive ordnance disposal, and headquarters and services units), Uruguayan engi- neers, French fixed-wing aviation, Hungarian military police, New Zea- land training team, New Zealand/ Uruguayan transportation, Canadian 52 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A Y 2 0 0 6 Nearly 1,700 soldiers from 11 countries serve in the force. consumer auto