Please don't go to Sinai
A lot of Israelis like to visit Sinai (I did too in 1980 before I became an Israeli) and a lot of Israelis believe that warnings don't apply to them. I'd like to urge all my Israelis not to visit Sinai. It's become a no-man's land with no one in charge. Armed beduin in Sinai kidnapped two police officers and 17 soldiers, Egypt's Al Ahram reported, in the latest in a series of kidnappings by beduin in the Sinai peninsula.Yet another reason why the West had to back ousting Hosni Mubarak. /sigh.
The kidnapping took place in northern Sinai in reaction to the killing of a man that was attempting to smuggle tobacco into bordering Israel, "official sources" told the Egyptian newspaper.
Security in the Sinai peninsula has deteriorated since the overthrow of former president Hosni Mubarak, as beduin long-complaining of neglect from Cairo have kidnapped tourists, foreign workers and taken over a seaside resort, holding the employees hostage.
The natural gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan has also been bombed at least 12 times in the past year, though in that development the Egyptian authorities have hired beduin tribesman to provide security.
Last week, beduin kidnapped two American women in an apparent attempt to hold them for ransom, only to release them to army authorities a few hours later.
While the Egyptian army did not comment on the conditions of the women's release, a beduin source said the authorities had agreed to a demand to free four fellow tribesmen from police custody in exchange for the two tourists.
But seriously, recall that Israel agreed after Mubarak was deposed that Egypt could station troops in Sinai for the first time since the Camp David accords were implemented. And we see how little good stationing those troops there has done.
I don't see a war on the immediate horizon - the Egyptian army has too many other concerns. But I do see terrorist actions coming from Bedouin in the Sinai - possibly in cooperation with 'Palestinians' in Gaza.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Bedouin, Egyptian-Israeli border, Sinai
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:51 AM
3 Comments:
Are there UN/US troops in Sinai? If yes, how long have they been there? Anybody know?
Hmmm.... and do these people do anything to stop the tunnels or the attacks on the roads inside Israel down near Eilat? What on earth is the point of them even being there? Are they even safe there anymore?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_Force_and_Observers
The next time Israelis should visit the Sinai is inside a Merkava tank, taking back the land for Israel.
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