<font size="6"><center>Egyptian Red Sea Bombings</font size></center>
STRAFOR
Breaking Intelligence Report
July 22, 2005
Egypt: Red Sea Resort Bombings
At least two car bombs exploded in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and nearby Naama Bay hotels resort area at around 1 a.m. local time July 23. Initial reports indicate at least 20 dead and more than 100 wounded.
The bombings come close on the heels of the July 7 and 21 London bombings and the July 22 Beirut bombing. Taken individually, each operation has local characteristics that appear separate from one another. Stepping back, however, it becomes clear that there is a global offensive under way by militant forces -- whether specifically arranged by a single core leadership or not.
We can no longer ignore a global upsurge of operations by al Qaeda and like-minded militants. The U.S. and international offensive against al Qaeda and other Islamist militants <u>is now facing a widespread counterattack; further attacks will follow</u>.
Egypt: Al Qaeda Prime Red Sea Bombing Suspect
Five -- perhaps as many as seven -- explosions rocked the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on July 22. So far, reports indicate that at least 30 people have died and more than 110 have been wounded.
The large-scale coordination of the attacks and the targeting of resorts where a large number of Westerners -- particularly Israelis, Europeans and Arabs -- vacation signals the work of al Qaeda prime supported by a local jihadist group in Egypt. Local affiliated groups have not struck in such a significant attack since the Luxor attacks of 1997. Sunny weather, clear blue water and coral reefs draw European and Israeli tourists to resorts in the Sharm el-Sheikh area. The area, on the tip of the Sinai Peninsula, is one of the few parts of the Egyptian tourist industry that did not suffer from the effects of the November 1997 Luxor attack, which killed 34 people and injured more than 100. Although it was not hit hard by the Luxor attacks, it certainly will suffer a good degree of economic backlash following the bombings. The most likely suspect is a revived Egyptian Islamic Jihad, which has been affiliated with al Qaeda since 1998 and has been headed by al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The bombings are the bloodiest such incident since 34 people, including several Israeli tourists, were killed in triple bombings against Taba and two other Sinai resorts last October. Although al Qaeda has succeeded in inciting a decent degree of backlash from Islamist circles for the recent crackdowns in Europe since the July 7 London bombings, the level of coordination required for this attack indicates this was planned far in advance.
Sharm al-Sheikh is seen as the place where the Arab leaders are viewed by radical Islamists as conspiring against the Arab/Muslim countries with the West and Israel, as it is a location of many high-level summits, some of which have focused primarily on counter-terrorism efforts.
Send questions or comments on this article to analysis@stratfor.com
STRAFOR
Breaking Intelligence Report
July 22, 2005
Egypt: Red Sea Resort Bombings
At least two car bombs exploded in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and nearby Naama Bay hotels resort area at around 1 a.m. local time July 23. Initial reports indicate at least 20 dead and more than 100 wounded.
The bombings come close on the heels of the July 7 and 21 London bombings and the July 22 Beirut bombing. Taken individually, each operation has local characteristics that appear separate from one another. Stepping back, however, it becomes clear that there is a global offensive under way by militant forces -- whether specifically arranged by a single core leadership or not.
We can no longer ignore a global upsurge of operations by al Qaeda and like-minded militants. The U.S. and international offensive against al Qaeda and other Islamist militants <u>is now facing a widespread counterattack; further attacks will follow</u>.
Egypt: Al Qaeda Prime Red Sea Bombing Suspect
Five -- perhaps as many as seven -- explosions rocked the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on July 22. So far, reports indicate that at least 30 people have died and more than 110 have been wounded.
The large-scale coordination of the attacks and the targeting of resorts where a large number of Westerners -- particularly Israelis, Europeans and Arabs -- vacation signals the work of al Qaeda prime supported by a local jihadist group in Egypt. Local affiliated groups have not struck in such a significant attack since the Luxor attacks of 1997. Sunny weather, clear blue water and coral reefs draw European and Israeli tourists to resorts in the Sharm el-Sheikh area. The area, on the tip of the Sinai Peninsula, is one of the few parts of the Egyptian tourist industry that did not suffer from the effects of the November 1997 Luxor attack, which killed 34 people and injured more than 100. Although it was not hit hard by the Luxor attacks, it certainly will suffer a good degree of economic backlash following the bombings. The most likely suspect is a revived Egyptian Islamic Jihad, which has been affiliated with al Qaeda since 1998 and has been headed by al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The bombings are the bloodiest such incident since 34 people, including several Israeli tourists, were killed in triple bombings against Taba and two other Sinai resorts last October. Although al Qaeda has succeeded in inciting a decent degree of backlash from Islamist circles for the recent crackdowns in Europe since the July 7 London bombings, the level of coordination required for this attack indicates this was planned far in advance.
Sharm al-Sheikh is seen as the place where the Arab leaders are viewed by radical Islamists as conspiring against the Arab/Muslim countries with the West and Israel, as it is a location of many high-level summits, some of which have focused primarily on counter-terrorism efforts.
Send questions or comments on this article to analysis@stratfor.com