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Sinai Militancy and the Threat to International Forces

(Institute for National Security Studies) Zack Gold - The Sinai-based jihadi group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in November 2014. A serious concern for the international community is that the IS Sinai affiliate may attack the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), the 12-nation international force that oversees the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. On June 9, 2015, IS fired mortars at al-Gura Airport, adjacent to the MFO's North Camp base. IS has labeled the MFO as "crusader forces" protecting Israel. Perhaps the main reason IS has not targeted the MFO in a major attack is the importance of the force to the local Bedouin economy. The MFO's payroll for Bedouin and other local staff amounts to roughly $1 million, while it makes an additional contribution of almost $2 million to the local economy through its relationships with local contractors.
2015-07-30 00:00:00
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