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Al-Qaeda in Egypt? Suggestions that the Arab Spring has helped Al-Qaeda are dubious, but Egypt's new president has to tackle the growing strength of militant Islam, particularly in Sinai
In his first public speech in almost two years, the head of the British Mi5, Jonathan Evans, claimed that Arab Spring countriespresent a new safe haven for Al-Qaeda. "Today, parts of the Arab world have once more become a permissive environment for Al-Qaeda." He warned that “a small number of British would-be jihadis are also making their way to Arab countries to seek training and opportunities for militant activity, as they do in Somalia and Yemen. Some will return to the UK and pose a threat here.” It was also mentioned that British jihadis who have been training for years in Yemen and Somalia, are known to be trained in Libya and Egypt. With the Olympics being held in London on the 26th of this month, fears of a potential terrorist attack are growing and security is on high alert. In addition to the British concerns, there are Israeli fears, especially after the killings of eight Israelis by what is thought to be Al-Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula. It is unclear if Ansar Al-Jihad in the Sinai Peninsula is the same as Al-Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula that announced its existence in summer 2011. While Ansar Al-Jihad vowed to fulfill Bin Laden's goals, Al-Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula carried out 14 attacks against the gas pipeline that runs from Egypt to Israel and Jordan. Ayman Al-Zawahiri praised those acts. Netanyahu said in August 2011: "Sinai is turning into a kind of Wild West which … terror groups from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al-Qaeda, with the aid of Iran, are using to smuggle arms, to mount attacks against Israel." However, there are arguments that challenge and mitigate those British and Israeli fears. First, it will be hard for Al-Qaeda to flourish while democracy prevails. Egypt might be at the first stage of democracy, but it is on the democratisation path. Al-Qaeda and its affiliates consolidate their positions when authoritarianism and instability exist. However, security in Sinai has deteriorated since the fall of Mubarak and the police have been attacked about 50 times. The Egyptian military sent a couple of thousand more troops and police into Sinai to restore order there. The new president has a big challenge in clamping down on those militant groups. Second, it should be noted that hundreds of Islamists have been freed from prisons and some are thought to have returned to support Al-Qaeda. Those Islamists need to be integrated into society quickly. The slow reaction to their militant philosophy will exacerbate it and this in turn will have negative repercussions on the democratic process and stability in Egypt. Third, weapons from Libya and Yemen are another element in the security equation and the strong presence of Al-Qaeda in Sinai. Police and army must step up their pressure on those militants and stop transferring weapons into the area. In this context, Alistair Millar, director of the Centre on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation in Washington, said: "Israel may have a case in arguing Al-Qaeda is stronger in Sinai, but to suggest the Arab Spring would create any uptake in popular support for Al-Qaeda is a step too far.' I agree to a large extent with this conclusion. But the Egyptian government must carefully monitor its borders with Gaza since there are jihadist groups there and some of them already moved to Sinai during the few months after the Egyptian revolution in 2011. The Islamist president should take a strong stance on those groups, even if they use the name of Islam and God. It is a huge challenge to turn against Islamist groups, but the national interest of Egypt requires swift and strong action to stop militants using Egypt as a safe haven for their mission. Said Shehata is an Egyptian scholar and journalist living in London. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/47143.aspx
