Posted on 10/09/2004 12:12:10 PM PDT by Lori675
CAIRO, October 9 (IslamOnline.net) – A cohort of Egyptian security, political and diplomatic experts have concluded that Israel is the only party to benefit from the blasts that rocked tourist resorts in the Egyptian Sinai peninsula on Thursday, October7 , ruling out any possible Egyptian involvement.
Former Egyptian Assistant Interior Minister Mohammad Omar Abdel-Fattah said that while analyzing any such operation security experts should always seek an answer to the basic question of who stands to benefit.
At least 38 people, mostly Israeli tourists, were confirmed dead after a series of bomb attacks rocked the Hilton hotel in the Red Sea resort of Taba and another attack at a backpacker resort in Nuweiba, further south.
"Israel is the only party to gain from this operation," the international security expert told IslamOnline.net.
He pointed out that the Israelis and their agents are the only people who have free access to the targeted area.
Abdel-Fattah said the booby-trapped vehicles used in the bombings do not carry the trademark of terrorist groups who usually resort to suicide bombers instead.
He stressed that the Israeli right has been cornered due to mounting pressures from the US on Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon after Washington had to wield its veto power to kill a resolution condemning Israel for the onslaught on the Gaza Strip.
Israel needed something to dodge such American pressures and throw the ball at the American court till the end of the elections, said the expert.
Targeting Egypt
Former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Ashaal also agreed that several indications suggest an Israeli foul play.
"Israel’s ultimate goal is to undermine Egypt’s regional role and force it on its knees," he told IOL.
"All indicators suggest an Israeli involvement, especially that the area is very close to the Israeli borders."
He also recalled the recent Israeli travel warning against visiting the Sinai peninsula.
Al-Ashaal said that by jumping to heap the blame on Al-Qeada, Israel wanted to embroil Egypt in Washington’s so-called war on terror.
The Egyptian tourism sector, a main foreign currency earner, would bear the brunt of the bombings, he added.
Israeli tourists rush back home across the border checkpoint after the bomb explosions (AFP)
Diaa Rashwan, an expert in the Islamic movements affairs in Al-Ahram Center for Strategic Studies, an Egyptian think-tank, also agreed that Al-Qaeda was not a likely culprit.
According to American intelligence 70 percent of Al-Qeada leaders have been either killed or napped while the rest are taking shelter on Afghanistan’s borders with Pakistan, he said.
"Sinai bombings carry the trademark of careful planning which means those involved had a hand-on experience on the area, which is already under tight security."
The expert suggested that "foreign intelligence" are directly or indirectly involved in such "dirty attacks."
Rashwan agreed with the other experts that Israel would be the only party to make gains from the attacks, especially that Israel would exploit them to associate itself with Washington in its so-called war on terror.
He also expected the Sharon’s Likud party to use the blasts to undermine the Egyptian role in the Palestinian cause.
Palestinians Suspected
Another group of experts did not rule out the involvement of Palestinian factions in the bombings and that they refrained from claiming responsibility to avoid a face-off with Egypt.
Political analyst Al-Sayed Yassin said the operation came in retaliation for the unparalleled state terrorism practiced by Israel against unarmed citizens in Gaza Strip.
He ruled out the involvement of Al-Qaeda in such bombings, as the network has no experience in working in the region.
The expert also undermined suggestions that the operation would be exploited to attack Egypt over security lax.
"Egypt can not be accused of security lax because those groups penetrate Israeli security on daily basis through operations committed not far from Sharon's residence," he said.
He also recalled that similar attacks have been mounted against targets inside New York and Washington.
Gamal Zahran, professor of political science in Suez Canal University, said the bombings were most likely carried out by Palestinian resistance factions.
The Palestinians are unable to retaliate the Gaza onslaught by hitting targets inside Israel because of watertight security measures and that is why they targeted Israeli tourists in Sinai, he suggested.
The expert said no Palestinian organization would declare responsibility for this operation in order not to undermine its relationship with Egypt.
Palestinian groups said Friday that Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza had motivated those behind the deadly Sinai attacks, while insisting they personally were not involved.
"Sharon and his government are responsible for murders, destruction and the occupation of our people, all of which anger Arab and Muslim youths," Islamic Jihad spokesman Khaled Al-Batsh told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"I believe that Palestinians have nothing to do with this operation," he said, adding that Palestinian factions are "committed to fighting in the occupied Palestinian territories and not outside."
Mushir Al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman, stressed the group was not involved in the bombings.
"Our struggle against the Zionist enemy is limited to the occupied Palestinian territories."
Arabs CANNOT make peace with Israel. Without Israel to blame for all the death, poverty, destruction, misery, and oppression across Islam, who will the Islamic people blame?
Its Arab governments who perpetuate the incitement of Muslims against Jews, with conspiracy theories that Jews are secretly behind every incident that negatively affects them. This is a pitiful self-serving attempt to deflect blame from their pathetic society.
"I never met a Jew I didn't hate!"
The Egyptians should hire clinton's pathologist to give them expert advice. He's the rellow who said declared, after clinton ordered somebody's head to be cut off, that it must have been suicide.
Al Zawahari is a Egyptian and founded the Egyptian islamic jihad group, which merged with Bin Laden to form Al Qaeda.
Egyptian islamic jihad murdered Anwar Sadat for making peace with Israel, Al Zawahari has been involved in terrorist operations in Egypt for 30+ years. Al Qaeda's roots are from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, planted and nurtured in Afganistan.
Sorry Egypt but the world is better aware of your terror ties now and your lies will no longer work.
Except of course on the people of Egypt which only receives it's information from it's corrupt dictatorship. This is why only regime change is a viable alternative in the middle east.
SPEECHLESS!
Interesting..
If you are interested, Capt. Dye can be heard over the web at
http://www.kfi640.com
Sundays at 5-7PM PACIFIC Time.
He does a pretty good job of covering defense affairs, including passing off
info. he gets from old colleagues in Iraq via satellite phone.
Another fiendish plot by the Jews. They blew themselves up in order to blame it on the poor, peace-loving Arabs. Yep.
The Dream Palace of the Arabs...
Denial is a river in Egypt
Then Egypt will gain if we blow up Egypt.
Arabs are the most conspiracy oriented people on the planet. IMO they suffer from an inculcated cultural paranioa that probably took at least a millenia to develop.
Well, would be interesting to see the Israeli response. It could take time, though, as they might have to do some serious tracking.
Typical Arab "logic". The "who benefits" question is always used by Arabs to explain any situation.
Maybe they're right.
I have strep throat.
I went to the doctor, who diagnosed my strep throat and gave me a prescription.
The doctor and pharmacist were both paid.
The doctor and pharmacist benefit when I'm sick.
Ergo, my doctor and pharmacist conspired to infect me with strep throat.
I thought HAMAS already claimed credit for this bombing?
I am beginning to seriously dislike Muslims in general and Arabs in particular.
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