A leading Salafist member from the border town of Rafah announced that the group had established an independent ‘information centre' in the area. In an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper on Friday last week, Marai Aarar, the Salafists spokesman in Rafah, invited local and international news agencies to visit the newly-opened centre, which was intended mainly to provide “correct and accurate" information about what was happening in Rafah and on the peninsula. Aarar questioned the credibility and integrity of Egypt's official media and claimed that they were circulating “incorrect and miscalculated information" about the current situation, developments and incidents in the Sinai. Surprisingly the Cairo-based Ministry of Information welcomed the controversial step of launching this independent information centre. The Salafist spokesman said that Ministry of Information officials in Cairo had offered their support to the centre. (Journalist Salah Abdel-Maksoud, a Muslim Brotherhood member, is the Minister of Information). In the meantime, Aarar declared proudly that he was a close friend of the MB's wealthy businessman Khairat el-Shater, a major player in the Brotherhood. The two men were cellmates during their imprisonment under Hosni Mubarak. They spent 13 months together, which strengthened their friendship. They had ample time and opportunity to discuss ideas and concoct plans for the future. However, Aarar categorically denied that he had discussed his independent information centre with his mentor el-Shater when they were released. He equally denied that his previous cellmate, a multimillionaire, had financed the centre. But Aarar refused to disclose the identity of those behind this expensively equipped centre. It appears that the official media in Cairo will contact the new outlet before broadcasting any reports and statements on events and developments in the Sinai. There is hardly any doubt that there is a connection between establishing this independent centre and the killing of 16 Egyptian soldiers at the Rafah border checkpoint on August 6. Official reports indicated that masked gunmen had committed the crime. Cairo suspected that four of the attackers belonged to the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in Gaza. The attackers were also said to belong to different militant groups, including Al-Jihad (the Holy War), Geish-e-Islam (the Army of Islam) and Ansar Mohamed (the Supporters of Prophet Mohamed). Hamas denied that it had any knowledge of who attacked and killed the Egyptian soldiers, but the Egyptian population was not convinced. Then the attack was followed by a series of assaults on several Sinai checkpoints. The worrying developments prompted the army to launch military operations to ‘eliminate terrorists and armed gangs' on the peninsula. The official spokesman of the Egyptian armed forces updated the local and international media on the developments and army operations. The launch of the independent information centre in Rafah coincided with worrying reports that militant groups were establishing a stronghold in the Sinai. This led an Egyptian security official in el-Arish to suggest that tribal militias should be formed; they could assist the regular security forces and protect border areas. There was no official confirmation or acknowledgement of this suggestion. The strange proposal led to new worries; the formation of such militias could ignite tribal wars. Taking into account that the threat of militants is increasing day by day, the public should expect to be fed two different stories, particularly if further tragic events took place in this volatile area. According to the Salafist spokesman, the first story will be the official media's incorrect and inaccurate assessment, while the second, his own accurate and correct report, will give a truthful picture of the same event. Also taking into account that the Egyptian army is, for the first time in 39 years, involved in military operations on the peninsula (albeit not against the Israelis), it is entirely appropriate to worry. Would the Salafist version of events contradict the army's report? What would the population have to make of such discrepancies? Should the nation come to the conclusion that the Salafists and the army were not fighting against the same enemy? In other words, conflicting reports from these two sources would definitely lead us to assume that the army and the Salafists were fighting in different camps or even aim their guns at each other. It would be no surprise if the Salafists and militant groups were planning something. What can only add to the previously mentioned worries is Aarar's unsolicited answer that the Salafists and other (armed) groups would absolutely not allow Palestinians from Gaza to be moved to the Sinai Peninsula. A denial can act as a strong emphasis. Whose interests will the independent information centre in Rafah serve? If these interests were sincere, why did Aarar deliberately refuse to synchronise his steps with Cairo-based media officials-and the official spokesman of the Egyptian armed forces?
