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Sinai Terrorism May also Reflect the Interests of Bedouin Smuggling Cartels

(Ynet News)- Ron Ben-Yishai - There is apparently no connection between the terror attack on the Israel-Egypt border Monday morning and the Islamic Brotherhood's claim of victory in Egypt's elections. According to assessments, the border clash was initiated by Bedouin smugglers in the northern Sinai who are interested in slowing down the pace of Israel's fence construction. The rapid pace of the work at this time is eliminating the breaches in the old fence used to easily bring into Israel African migrants, as well as drugs and weapons for terrorists. As result of this, the huge sums earned by the northern Sinai Bedouins (possibly millions of dollars) have plummeted as of late. The Bedouins are getting training from Palestinian terrorists from Gaza as well as from Global Jihad members. Israel had a tragic opportunity to witness these capabilities first-hand in the attack on Highway 12 last August that claimed the lives of eight Israelis. The Bedouins are not short on weapons; they possess huge depots of Libyan heavy machineguns, RPG rockets and launchers of all types, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, as well as advanced Grad rockets and worse. The Bedouins' cheekiness is reinforced by the realization that the IDF will avoid as much as is possible operating in the Sinai, as not to hurt Egypt's honor and sovereignty at this sensitive period. As long as the fence is not completed, the latest attack, as well as the rockets fired into the Negev over the weekend, will serve as a harbinger of a restive summer in the south.
2012-06-20 00:00:00
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