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| Africa: North |
| 2 targets, 1 enemy |
| 2005-06-09 |
| Interesting perspective on Egyptian terrorism from the director of the al-Ahram Center for Political Studies. Relations between Egypt's two main militant Islamist organisations, Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya and Jihad, have been clear since at least 1984. Never better than lukewarm, they became bellicose following Al-Gamaa's suspension of all violent activity in 1997. In contrast, Al-Gamaa's relations with Al-Qaeda remain speculative. Understanding relations between the two necessitates an examination of the nature of Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya and its intellectual and organisational orientation. Established in the late 1970s, Al-Gamaa evolved as a local jihadist organisation operating solely within Egypt. The violent attacks between 1981-1997 focussed solely on the Egyptian regime, and the organisation refrained from targeting regimes, organisations or individuals outside Egypt. Al-Gamaa's literature never indicated it had any regional, let alone international, aspirations. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |