Sinai Slaughterhouse

Cairo we have a problem. As of the writing of this piece 27 Egyptian soldiers have been confirmed killed acording to Sky News Arabia Breaking and at least 30 injured (UPDATED 740p CLT). This attack is the largest terror attack during the Sisi era. Ongoing is an urgent National Security Council meeting called for by Sisi in response to the massive terrorist attack. Apatches are, said to be, blasting militant hideouts in Arish, in Northern Sinai amidst uncofirmed reports of continuing clashes with terrorists.

But Egypt’s problems are far larger than one massive car bomb, the terror attack is merely a symptom of what ails the Egyptian body politique. Fundementally, the issue continues to be a security solution to a structral problem in Sinai specifically. Talk to any serious news reporter based in Sinai and they will repeat in a factual monotone: Sinai is forgotten land. Ansar Beit El Maqdis, and other Jihadi outfits, encounter no difficulty in recruitment because the governement simplfies the task by employing an erroneous policy of Security solution only. In Sinai, there is only stick with an abscence of the carrot. Naturally, there are innocents who are decimated in the cross fire; as a direct result family, friends and aquaintances become fresh fodder for recruitment. Government, in turn, as policy, does not spell out details of security operations and admits no fault which further radicalizes the local Sinai population-,a largely tribal one.

No less importantly, the Sisi regime continues to ignore unemployement as a massive issue which only heightens isolation of Northern Sinai, where tourism does not play as large a role as it does in Southern Sinai. Some may argue that the Sisi tenure has been brief and as such accountability is not complete. This rhetoric denies the undeniable: Sisi previously headed military intelligence and was defense minister and is, accordingly, aware of the polemics that continue to plague the region.

Sinai is not a problem whose solution lies in the gun terrets of Apaches. Sinai is an oprganized insurgency that if not handeled properly will only continue to spread to other Egyptian governates.

For Sisi the time of reckoning is now and lead he must or more innocents will perish.

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