(Ha'aretz) Avi Issacharoff - A high-ranking official in Jerusalem said last week that Iranian military experts have been active in Sinai and Gaza. "We can see signs that Iran is building a terror infrastructure throughout Sinai," he said. The official added that although Israel has responded to every Egyptian request to beef up its forces in Sinai, no significant Egyptian operation has taken place in Sinai since the Egyptian revolution last year. Several terror groups are now at large in Sinai: local Bedouin, who are adopting the ideology of the Global Jihad; groups supported by Iran who are trying to recruit and train militants not only in Sinai but throughout Egypt; and Palestinian organizations. Joining them are Global Jihad militants from Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the official said, adding that Israel and Egypt share a common interest in combating these terrorist elements. The official said Iranians are urging and directing Palestinians to carry out attacks, and have tried to encourage Hamas to do so as well. "A host of Palestinian organizations are using Sinai to carry out attacks," the official said, adding that since Gaddafi's fall, Libya has become a huge arms depot, with weapons transferred to Egypt and then to Gaza.
2012-03-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive