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Gaza Functions as Logistic Hub for Sinai Jihadis

(Jerusalem Post) Zvi Mazel - Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis is at the forefront of jihadi groups determined to throw Egypt into chaos. The army is making an all-out effort to eliminate all Islamist terrorist movements, but the terrorists are securely entrenched among the population in northern Sinai and they can depend on the extensive networks of Bedouin in the area. Furthermore, they are being reinforced by a steady stream of men and material coming through all of Egypt's borders. To a certain extent, Egypt is under siege, with Gaza functioning as the logistic hub. Gaza has the capacity to develop and produce weapons, to package explosives, and to train terrorists before infiltrating them into Sinai. At the same time, an ever-growing number of fighters and ammunition are coming in through the borders with Libya and Sudan. During the Mubarak era, extensive smuggling networks were left to grow in Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula, in the mistaken belief that it was a problem for Israel alone. It was a costly mistake, for which Egypt is paying dearly. The writer is a former Israeli ambassador to Romania, Egypt and Sweden.
2014-10-27 00:00:00
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