Our military sources reveal the battle is raging on Jebel Magharah, 22km SW of El Arish and west of a former al Qaeda base on Jebel Hilal (alt. 654 meters). The fortified al Qaeda stronghold on Jebel Magharah is beating back an Egyptian assault on the mountain site. Signals passed among the troops describe the operation as the “Tora Bora of Sinai,” naming it after the fierce epic US-al Qaeda engagement in Afghanistan three years ago. Both sides have sustained casualties.Egypt launched a large-scale clean-up operation against al Qaeda’s Sinai bases last week after three bomb blasts killed at least 34 people at the Sinai resort of Dahab Tuesday. They are also reported to be raiding more new al Qaeda havens around St. Catherine’s monastery and Wadi Paran in the south.
| No doubt the battles are fearsome. Another proud entry in the annals of what I've been thinking of for some time as Short Attention Span Warfare — I may trademark the term, in fact. Short Attention Span Warfare™ is when you go all out, great guns, throttling and bashing and booming the enemy, then decide you haven't had lunch and leave. Examples are previous Egyptian experiences in the wake of gruesome bombings at Sharm el-Sheikh and most things in Pakistan involving tribal lashkars. |