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| Africa North |
| Sinai, Gulf of Aqaba now the preferred target for terrorists |
| 2006-04-25 |
| Sinai, or more precisely, the Gulf of Aqaba coastline, is becoming Egypt's weak spot, which is being hit by terrorists who adhere to the ideal of global jihad. Within some 18 months, the Sinai Peninsula has been struck by three terror attacks: The attack on the Taba Hilton was the first, in October 2004; then came the bombing in Sharm el-Sheikh, in July 2005; and Monday, it was Dahab's turn. Sinai, and the coastal area in particular, has become a preferred target for the terrorists for a number of reasons: The area is an extensive and sparsely populated one in which there are many hiding places; it is located close to countries in which al-Qaida cells operate - Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq; and its border with the Gaza Strip is relatively easy to breach. Access to Sinai is relatively easy, and the area can be reached by means of ferries that cross the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. Security checks on the ferries are not very meticulous, and infiltrations into the area can also be made using small boats that can land on the deserted beaches and escape the infrequent and sparse presence of the Egyptian Coast Guard. Terrorists and explosives can be smuggled into Sinai relatively easily - either by boat or in vehicles that cross the Suez Canal or the gulf. Sinai itself is also full of explosives. It is relatively easy to dismantle the thousands of abandoned mines laid by both Israel and Egypt during past wars. The Bedouin population of Sinai is not very sympathetic toward Egypt; and for their part, the Egyptian authorities appear to have contempt for the Bedouin. The various development programs that have been implemented in Sinai have intensified the Bedouin opposition and heightened the local population's readiness to cooperate with foreign elements. This has been very evident in the previous attacks, after which thousands of Sinai residents were arrested in violation of their human rights. This process, in the main, sows the seeds of readiness to cooperate in the next terror attack. While the Egyptian authorities have been successful over the past decade in eradicating the terror infrastructure on the continent itself, it appears that the Egyptian security forces and intelligence have been far less successful in Sinai. The terrorists' targets remain the same targets, however - Western tourists. And in doing so, the jihad-motivated terror is achieving a three-pronged goal: It kills foreigners and Westerners who Osama bin Laden has termed "crusaders;" it harms the Egyptian economy; and it destabilizes President Hosni Mubarak's regime. As far as the terrorists are concerned, if their attacks manage also to kill Israelis and Jews, all the better. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 Israel's security services routinely issue warning for Israelis not to go there. Whose who chose to disregard these warnings, how does the saying goes "Think of it as Evolution in Action." |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-04-25 08:06 |