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| Africa North |
| Debka - 70 al-Qaeda Executing Attack Plan Against Israelis, US Forces In Egypt |
| 2006-09-04 |
| US units are on high alert; Israeli holidaymakers are advised to leave at once. The smaller group of three Palestinian suicide killers penetrated the Egyptian territory from Gaza on the last day of August heading for a large-scale murder-cum-kidnap operation against Israelis. The second is the largest al Qaeda terrorist team ever tasked in this part of the world for a string of major attacks on American and Egyptian military targets, tourist resorts and Israeli civilians. DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources estimate the group as 70-strong with 5 commanders. Most unusually, all its members are Egyptians hailing from the port town of Alexandria. This tip-off reached the United States and Israel from Egyptian security authorities which claimed to have captured and interrogated one of the five commanders. However, after long experience of information emanating from Egyptian sources, American and Israeli security tend to take this information with a large pinch of salt. They have reason to believe that rather than an al Qaeda commander, Egyptian searchers may have laid hands on an al Qaeda laptop computer with marked targets. According to DEBKAfile’s sources, the Egyptians were led to believe that the al Qaeda team was raised in Alexandria to fight Americans forces in Iraq. It departed on July 26 and reached Sinai two days later armed with forged Egyptian passports made out in false identities. But they were never meant to reach Iraq; their missions were in Sinai. On arrival, the al Qaeda group split up into small groups, one of which picked up weapons and explosives form a local cache. Their orders are to strike the two American brigades stationed in Sinai – one at the Multinational Force based at Gora near El Arish in the north, the other at Sharm e-Sheikh. They will also try and hit the US warships and naval units docked in the bay. All three US units are on high alert for al Qaeda attacks. Israeli tourists, although urgently warned to leave Sinai without delay are still heading for their favorite haunts at the desert resorts at the rate of 1,000 a day. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #12 However, after long experience of information emanating from Egyptian sources, American and Israeli security tend to take this information with a large pinch of salt. Sort of like what we do with reports from... DEBKA? |
| Posted by: Chinter Flarong9283 2006-09-04 20:36 |
| #11 Should have read your comments before posting, lotp. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-09-04 18:43 |
| #10 The US used to have a battalion of the 82nd Airborne as peacekeepers in the Sinai (Camp David accords, thanks again Jimmy Carter). Now it is others units, but the numbers are probably still the same, about 800 out of a total about 2000. More info at MFO Contingents |
| Posted by: ed 2006-09-04 18:41 |
| #9 They're National Guard, FWIW. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-09-04 18:28 |
| #8 This Congressional Research report says we have 700 troops as part of the Task Force Sinai. That would be one or two battalions, depending on their type. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-09-04 18:24 |
| #7 We have some observer units there as part of the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement. I didn't think it was a whole battalion, however. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2006-09-04 18:13 |
| #6 I just went to military.com and couldn't find out exactly what is deployed in the Sinai, but it appears there are US Army units deployed in the Sinai. Batten the hatches, boys! |
| Posted by: Yehud of Soddiland 2006-09-04 17:43 |
| #5 From the State Dept web site: The U.S. and Egypt also participate in combined military exercises, including deployments of U.S. troops to Egypt. Every other year, Egypt hosts Operation Bright Star, a multilateral military exercise with the U.S., and the largest military exercise in the region. Units of the U.S. 6th Fleet are regular visitors to Egyptian ports. Anyone know when the next exercise is due? |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-09-04 17:30 |
| #4 I thought there was at least one... didn't think there were two... |
| Posted by: Abdominal Snowman 2006-09-04 17:27 |
| #3 I think I've got a customer. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-09-04 17:16 |
| #2 There are 2 US brigades in the Sinai..NOW? |
| Posted by: Yehud of Soddiland 2006-09-04 17:05 |
| #1 Get your salt here! |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-09-04 15:14 |