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| Africa North |
| Sinai attacks may coincide with Coptic Easter celebration |
| 2006-04-25 |
| Just one day after Osama bin Laden issued another chilling message, last night's bombings in Egypt will inevitably revive the suspicions voiced by Washington that al-Qaida tapes sometimes contain coded instructions for terrorists. However, it is easy to see why local militants, of their own accord, might have decided to strike in Egypt last night. It was holiday time - the Coptic Christian Easter - when many enjoy a seaside break in Sinai. It was also the eve of Sinai Liberation Day, which marks the return of lands captured by Israel: returned under the peace treaty for which former president Anwar Sadat paid with his life. If the timing was obvious, so was the target. For years, terrorists in Egypt have sought to attack the tourism industry on which the country depends for much of its foreign earnings. In the latest wave of bombings the Egyptian authorities have tended to make reassuring noises, though their general approach suggests a lack of precise intelligence. In the wake of the Taba incident they rounded up thousands of people for questioning. Four months later, according to Human Rights Watch, as many as 2,400 detainees were still being held. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |