CAIRO: According to reports, Egyptian security sources say they arrested a group of 14 men who were planning to launch a series of attacks against Israel using an unmanned plane and homemade rockets.
The group is said to be made up of 12 engineers and two Egyptian army officers with alleged links to Al-Qaeda.
Contacts with Al-Qaeda were reported to have been established when one of the group’s members, an engineer at Alexandria University, visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE and met with Afghan nationals who were working with the organization.
According to the report the group was planning to both assemble the plane in Egypt, and fire the rockets from Egyptian territory into Israel.
The security sources said that the group had planned to overthrow the Egyptian government.
A lawyer representing the group said that the arrests were made in November in both Cairo and Alexandria, and that evidence that Egyptian security had produced was insubstantial.
Professor of Political Science at the American University in Cairo (AUC) Walid Kazziha pointed to the fact that the men were qualified professionals, suggesting that they were not “terrorists but despondent members of the middle classes left behind by Egypt’s economic growth.
“The danger comes from a different quarter now, Kazziha told Daily News Egypt. “Social and economic impoverishment of the middle classes – unemployment and low pay – this is real problem now.
“Just the other day a young man with a BA in Commerce committed suicide. Graduates can’t find jobs.
“The time when Islamic underground cells were a serious threat has now passed. But this is a more general problem that will stay with us for some time
Diaa Rashwan of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies was doubtful of the group’s alleged links to Al-Qaeda.
Rashwan pointed out that there have been no court cases in Egypt in the last six years trying anyone with confirmed affiliations with Al-Qaeda, adding that the group has no real presence in Egypt.
“Just look at Al-Zawihiri (Al-Qaeda’s second in command), said Rashwan, speaking to Daily News Egypt. “He always talks of the strength of Al-Qaeda in Morocco, Algeria, Sudan . but never Egypt.
Media reports surrounding the Egyptian group made mention of the bombings in Sinai over recent years, believed to have been carried out by Bedouins with possible links with Al-Qaeda.
Rashwan, however, does not believe this to be the case.
“I have my own view, and that is that the attacks in Sinai do not fit either the Al-Qaeda model, or the typical Al-Qaeda people.
Expert on Political Islam and journalist Khalil Al-Anani dismissed the report entirely, asserting that Egyptian security forces are merely trying to drum up support for further security measures, including new terror legislation.
“They just want to convince the public there is a terrorist threat, he told Daily News Egypt. “But it is completely fabricated.
The development comes on the back of Israeli accusations that Egyptian soldiers monitoring the border had turned a blind eye to arms smuggling between Egypt and the Gaza strip.
Walid Kazziha denied that these are signs that the Egyptian army is collaborating with Palestinian fighters in their efforts against Israel.
Discipline within the army is good, he says, arguing that smuggling occurs due to a Camp David provision that only 750 men may guard the border between Gaza and Egypt at any one time.
“Gaza has the highest population concentration in the world, so this number [of guards] is too little, he said.
Al-Anani believes, however, that the story about the group was fabricated in order to win favor with American Congress and secure the annual aid package from the US, following the recent fallout over border smuggling and Congress’ threat to cut it off.
He also noted that despite making the arrests two months ago, Egyptian security released details of the arrest just three days ahead of President George W. Bush s scheduled visit to Cairo.
