Fox News El-Sisi urges ‘Arab ready force' to confront ISIS, questions if US ‘standing by' Egypt Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in an exclusive interview with Fox News, appealed to the U.S. to play a greater role in helping his country fight terrorism -- as he urged the creation of an "Arab ready force" to confront the Islamic State and similar groups. The Egyptian leader spoke with Fox News' Bret Baier in an extensive interview conducted in Cairo. He addressed the need for what he called a religious "revolution," urging moderate Muslims around the world to "stand up" against terrorists twisting their religion. But in the short term, he said more military might and funding will be needed to confront the extremist threat and questioned whether the U.S. was doing enough for Egypt. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/09/exclusive-el-sisi-urges-arab-ready-force-to-confront-isis-questions-if-us/ BBC News Suicide bomber targets Egypt security base in Sinai A suicide bomber has targeted a security compound in Egypt's restive Sinai peninsula, injuring at least 24 people, officials there say. The attack happened early on Tuesday morning near the city of al-Arish, the sources said. It comes ahead of a major investment conference being held in the region. Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31811235 RT Kuwaiti preacher, ISIS call for demolition of Egypt's Sphinx, pyramids An Islamist preacher from Kuwait has called to destroy Egypt's Sphinx and pyramids, stating it is time for Muslims to erase the pharaohs' heritage. The alleged call comes as Islamic State jihadists ramp up their attacks against historic sites. Although the ancient monuments are not religious – but rather cultural and historic sites – they should still be "destroyed" by Muslims, putting an end to the worship of images, preacher Ibrahim Al Kandari said, according to Al-Watan daily. Read more: http://rt.com/news/239093-islamist-calls-destroy-pyramids/ Financial Times Rise in bombings ahead of conference alarms officials in Egypt A spate of bombings targeting the Egyptian offices of international mobile phone companies and other symbols of western commerce, including Kentucky Fried Chicken and Carrefour, are alarming security officials and diplomats ahead of a two-day investment conference this week in Sharm el-Sheikh. Most worrying, security experts and western diplomats say, is that the attacks do not appear to be the work of established jihadi groups, but instead are likely to have been carried out by cells of "lone wolves". Inspired by social media, they are experimenting with different ways to oppose the government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former army officer turned president who toppled Egypt's first elected president, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi, in 2013. Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2f5ff3d8-c64d-11e4-add0-00144feab7de.html#axzz3TxxnouWq
