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Africa: North
Israel accused of masterminding attacks
2004-10-10
I think we all knew this was coming...
The suicide bombings in Sinai have triggered a wave of conspiracy theories in Egypt, where many believe Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the Jews were behind the attacks. Several Egyptians interviewed over the past few days on Arab satellite stations said they did not believe Muslim terrorists were capable of launching such massive attacks. Most interviewees agreed Israel was the only beneficiary of the bombings and claimed once again that the Jews were behind the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington. Egyptian journalist Nabil Sharif Eddin said numerous conspiracy theories about Israel's alleged role have flourished. "Analyses based on conspiracy theories are spreading not only on the level of the man on the street, but also among political and intellectual circles," he said.

General (Ret.) Muhammad Abdel Fattah Omar, a former senior official with the Egyptian Ministry of Interior, which is responsible for the country's security services, was one of the first Egyptians to accuse Israel of masterminding the attacks. "In each operation, we should first try to find out who benefits from it," he said. "Israel is the only party that benefits from the Sinai attacks. The Israelis and their agents are the only ones who are able to enter this area without difficulty."

University professor Salwa Hussein vehemently defended the conspiracy theories as a "historic fact." She explained: "The Arab world lies in the heart of the globe and if its power continues to grow, the Arabs will control the other countries as was the case with the Islamic state... Today the conspiracy against Islam is continuing and even spreading."

Abdullah al-Ashal, a former top official with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, said he had no doubts that Israeli hands were involved in the bombings. "Israel's ultimate plan is to bring Egypt to its knees and eliminate its regional role," he told the IslamOnline Web site. Ashal, who served as assistant foreign minister, went on to claim that by pointing a finger at al-Qaida, Israel was seeking to include Egypt in the US-led war on terror.

The Muslim Brotherhood organization issued a statement in Cairo in which it accused the Mossad and Jews of planning and carrying out the attacks. The group said the attacks were designed to divert attention from Israel's "brutal massacres" against the Palestinians and the "barbaric attacks by the American occupation forces in Iraq."
Posted by:Fred

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