For Fair Use Discussion and Educational Purposes

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Hamas is moving its headquarters from Damascus to Egypt, and the terror group is strengthening itself in the Sinai, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee Monday.

He also noted that the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Hamas sprung, also has become a more powerful force in Egypt since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. The Prime Minister stated his concern about the inability of the provisional military regime in Egypt to exercise sovereignty in the Sinai, which borders Israel and from where Bedouin and Hamas terrorists smuggle weapons from Iran, Sudan, Syria and elsewhere into Gaza.

Al-Qaeda also has brought 400 terrorists into the area, according to an Egyptian official quoted by an Arab news agency,

The Prime Minister confirmed previous reports that Hamas supreme leader Khaled Mashaal has pulled out of Damascus, where his presence and welcome by Syrian President Bashar Assad is an additional worry for him in the face of the continuing uprising.

The vacuum of power in the Sinai has been illustrated by “the two gas explosions that occurred there” this year, Prime Minister Netanyahu told the Knesset committee. “Global terrorist organizations are interfering, there and their presence is increasing because of the geographic connection between Sinai and Gaza."

The Sharon government agreed to pull out of Gaza following the 2005 expulsion of nearly 10,000 Jews in the area. Agreements with Egypt on security in the Sinai began falling apart after Hamas ousted Fatah from Gaza four years ago.

Following the Operation Cast Lead counterterrorist campaign at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, Israel relied on American and European guarantees to monitor the transfer of goods and merchandise from the Sinai to Gaza, but these also have eroded. The opening of the Rafiah crossing this past Saturday has further harmed security.

The de facto dominance of Bedouin tribes and allied terrorists in the Sinai has set the stage for further stockpiling of advanced arms by Hamas and for plotting terrorist attacks at tourist and holy sites in Egypt.


(IsraelNationalNews.com)

For Fair Use Discussion and Educational Purposes

Al Quaeda in Egypt: Hot Pursuit of 400 Terrorists in Sinai
by David Ben Yacov


Egyptian security forces are still engaged in pursuit of over 400 Al-Qaeda terrorists in the northern Sinai desert, suspected of attacking security facilities in Rafah and El-Arish, say Egyptian newspapers Al-Aharam and Al-Yum Al-Saba.

They are also wanted for planning terrorist attacks in Egyptian territory.

Egyptian media also reports that Bedouin tribes clashed in El-Arish, each claiming the other has kidnapped tribe members.

Dozens of armed Bedouins have closed the Sinai Nueiba port, and are preventing transfer of passengers and cargo.
Local tribesmen threaten to block major highways protesting the lack of control of the security situation in the Sinai desert.

Since the ousting of Mubarak, there have been two terrorist- caused explosions at the Sinai gas works that supply 40% of Israel's gas as well as being the main gas source forJordan, which were originally attributed to Bedouin.
In addition, Egypt has opened its Rafiah crossing border to Gaza, giving rise to concern that members of Al-Quaeda, already suspected of infiltrating Gaza, will find there way there, along with arms smuggled across the opened crossing, to form terrorist cells.

Al Queda took over the Yemenite town of Zinjibar this week. It is feared that targets in Egypt or the Sinai might be its next goal.

(IsraelNationalNews.com)
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/144624