Dahab, Egypt
Most readers have probably heard about the big terrorist attack in Dahab, Egypt. Al Qaeda is claiming responsibility. There's a big roundup at Pajamas Media on the blog feedback now available and it's been updating regularly. One of the best blog sources on Egypt, The Big Pharaoh, said he was off to the general area for a vacation.
Today is Easter for eastern Christians, tomorrow is a national holiday to welcome the spring, and Tuesday is Sinai liberation day when we celebrate the Israeli withdrawal from Sinai. So I have 3 days off and will be going to the Red Sea to work on getting a tan. Will be back on Wednesday.
And now the Jordanian blogger Rants and Rambles, who knows the Big, is worried.
This is horrific, this is a BIG DEAL people, HUGE. This is NOT the first time Egypt's tourism industry gets such a horrific hit so soon after it tries and picks itself up from the one that came before. ... There seems to be a strong opinion that the reason behind these explosions is because many Israelis were vacationing in the area and celebrating the Jewish holiday. If that's the case, God help us. More hell is on the way. ...
And also, BIG PROBLEM!!! Egypt's Big Pharoah, who is a BIG blogger, went to the Red Sea for vacation this past weekend, and he didn't tell anyone WHERE in the Red Sea. Ba3dein the idiot that I am, I told him I was jealous of him going, I said:
"Niyalak! Am so jealous, but will try my best ma a7sedak. OK forget it, I’m too jealous to be nice. ggggrrrrrrr…I WANNA GO. "
Now, the guy is no where to be found, we're all worried that he might be in Dahab, we're all worried he might be hurt, and ME, i'm REALLY worried it might all be my fault, as I frankly told him I'm jealous and I will jinx his trip probably coz I'm so jealous.
One Arab Blogger, who is alternately based in Cairo and Boston, has a picture of pre-attack Dahab. He shares his memory of the place.
A small town made up primarily of huts and famous for its diving and cannabis, Dahab is a town frequented by both Israeli and Egyptian tourists alike. With Sham El Naseem (Easter) holiday in effect, however, it would typically be filled to the brim with young Egyptian kids looking for a good time.
Also tomorrow is Sinai Liberation Day. Doubtfully a coincidence.
There could be only one mark. These terrorists have once again purposely targeted the youth of Egypt. Are we going to need yet another one of these to realize our real enemies? This time I don’t think so. This time the downfall will be great. We are going to eat these terrorist sons of bitches for breakfast.
Katyoska, at LiveJournal remembers a vacaton at Dahab.
A little over 2 years ago I spent half a week in Dahab. It was the most wonderful, relaxing time. I lay on the beach every single day, reading a book and enjoying the view of the Red Sea. The restaurants there had good food, and weren't too expensive. They had a used book store with fairly inexpensive internet and lots of books in English. I rode a camel into the desert one afternoon. Of all the places I visited on that trip (and it was a 3 month trip around the world, so there were many places to choose from), Dahab was easily in the top 3. I can't help but think of the people I met there, and wonder if they're okay. The sweet man who ran the hostel I stayed at - who invited my friend and I to have tea with him, and who occasionally acted the protective uncle towards us. Or the businessman who spent quite a bit of time showing my friend and I around a couple of his shops - not so much to entice us to buy something, but because he was happy to meet a couple Americans and he wanted to teach us a bit about what Egypt has to offer. He explained a bit about hieroglyphics, and explained what the ancient Egyptians would believe would happen after you die. As I type this, I am wearing a really nice ankh necklace that I bought in one of his stores. When I purchased it I didn't have enough Egyptian Pounds, but instead of having to run down to a money exchanger he just let me pay in Euros - and gave me a fantastic exchange rate as compared to all the exchange places about town.
I am so saddened to read about this. I just hope the people I met during my time there are okay.
Not everyone in Dahab, apparently, is OK. But that was the point of the explosions, wasn't it? To turn a little resort town into a charnel house. To let people know that et in Arcadia ego sum; that nowhere is safe. That no sound of happy children, no youthful laughter, no maternal concern will shield against the will of the new Minutemen, the resistants, the freedom fighters, the people who are only pushing back. Were the people of Dahab only Little Eichmanns too?
Update: The Big Pharaoh is OK
The Big Pharaoh says:
I am alive. I'm far away from Dahab but the security situation is very tight where I am. I had plans to go to Dahab though. I called a friend who went back to Cairo from Dahab yesterday and he told me that two of his friends, who remained in Dahab, were injured in the attack.
This is very very shocking. The third terrorist attack in Sinai after Taba and Sharm el Sheikh. I called a friend who works in the tourism industry in Sinai and she told me that the occupancy rate in Dahab is over 100% especially since Egyptians flocked to the city during the holidays. She is so concerned about tourism this time, she's not sure things will get back to normal as quickly as they did after the Sharm attacks.
It is still too early to make judgments but everyone here is talking about the role that the Sinai Bedouins might have had in facilitating the attack. The police were so brutal in cracking down on people in Sinai after the Taba and Sharm bombing, people think the attack might have been a retaliation. I believe the government should really reach out to the Bedouins and try to ease things up with them.
I'm going back to Cairo tomorrow. Stay tuned.
More ...
Apparently the idea that the Mossad, via the Bedouins are behind this attack, is being circulated by Egyptian analysts.
Retired General Salah al-Din Salim, an Egyptian researcher at the Strategic Studies Institute in Cairo, said that it could not be ruled out that the Israeli Mossad was involved in the terror attack in Dahab.
"The Mossad's ability to penetrate the Bedouins in Sinai is known," Salim said in an interview with al-Jazeera.
posted by wretchardthecat at 4/24/2006 02:45:00 PM
22 Comments:
Wretchard, the "counter-attack" against the PR fallout from this has already begun. Rather than call them "Eichmans", it appears they are going for the "Sharon route."
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=20242_Egyptian_Analyst-_Its_the_Mossad&only
You are either with us, or against us.
When the Mohammed al-Jihadi says it,
he gives cause to believe him.
But there are none so blind
as those that will not see.
How goes the Battle of Darfur?
the Battle of Baghdad?
the Batle of Warizistan?
Where are the Mohammedans falling back?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
There has to be an Atat�rk or a Tito in the Islamic world who while not committed to democracy would be committed to security and modernisim. Each of these nihilistic acts weakens the Islamists and make it easier for the entrance and acceptance of a man on a white arabian horse. Whatever cavalry he leads is fine with me as long as they are not marching to the "Gary Owen".
truth be known, 2164, there isnno other Cavalry to ride to the rescue.
The Mohammedan have chosen their path of Modernization and Revival, it just does not jibe with ours.
Osama is the Mohammedan on a White Horse.
President Mubareck(sp) and his son, represent the Realist Way.
Four Billion per annum USD worth of US realism.
That is why there is a War, there is no other Course, except retreat and then defeat.
But it is a War the US refuses to engage, dispite troops garrisoned abroad.
It is a War in which we will not name the foe, and so can never win.
To turn the tide, the man on the horse, he'll be European. Most likely an Orthidox Christian we have not heard of, yet.
Maybe from Kiev or there abouts.
His name shall be Rash Putin, according to Nostradanus.
Al Qaeda really are now degenerating into what the anarchists were, 100 years on. Just explosions and blood, and less and less point, year after year, until they are no longer fashionable even among teenage idiots. A generational curse with no issue and, in the end, zero influence.
Putin? seriously?
When did he develop a rash?
Does Vald have kids?
time for the arab world to understand, they created this frankenstein...
its time for them to grow up and fight the terror or be killed by it...
so sorry, blowback/karma is a kick in the shorts...
I guess the Oslo and whatnot peace deals were modeled on wily old saladin's deal with Richard the Lion-Hearted, that if RLH would forgo the Showdown, and thus leave Jerusalem in Saladin's hands, then the city would be forever open to all faiths.
"Forever" turned out to be more or less a hundred years, in the event, and then somebody or other went off and touted up another jihad. Probably got insulted or something, maybe a danish rune or something struck somebody as resembling Allah's third cousin's barber's ex-wife's personal trainer's gardner's turban.
But Saladin was a Kurd--came up thru Egypt, on his own merit. And in the end made a hundred year peace--that ain't chopped liver.
Shoot--I wonder if OBL--Saladin2 in his own mind--had the RLH deal in mind when he offered that truce, the non-taking of which was one of his recent talking points.
It is perplexing that there is such little Muslim outrage over those being slaughtered. When it did not come with western dead, I thought they just hate us and do not care. Are they so in fear of the Islamists? Are there that many of them? Do they think they will win? I wish we would get an explanation.
I think if we could just talk to them, and explain things better, they'd all be good citizens.
To many "bad guys"
So many "allies"
More than a few are on both lists.
expanded definition of Bad Guy,
been needing a chuckle.
buddy larsen said,
"Probably got insulted or something"
Outraged, buddy, always outraged are they. The religion of Outrage, RoO.
Rue, Mr. President.
Dem Joos done it!
Anticipating the ever cogent comments of our little "There's a Jew under the bed" friends, remember, “Top White House posts go to Jews”.
Those cunning Zionist/Jew/Elders/Mossad quadrangulators are at it again. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1143498911316&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
They are probably helping out China with that little problem at the Straight of Hormuz, also. Strategic reserves, what strategic reserves. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/04/24/060424184139.e1iolabv.html
“He who hesitates is lost.” I sure hope the administration is thinking about China and the Straight, today. Probably not, there are so many undocumented proletariat votes to court – busy, busy.
At what point do we attempt to corrall this internicene violence and just let the muslims whack each other?
This has drifted into pointlessness. People are being killed simply because they can be killed. I can see no tactical or strategic objective that will be accomplished by these attacks.
the other issue here is the "inshallah" attitude of these fine folks. "If God wills it, this ferry with 400 passengers will make it to the other side." "If God wills it I will make it around this hairpin turn in the road at 150KPH" "If God wills it I will survive the all the terror bombings"
this fatalism, it seems to me is part of what must be overcome if these folks are ever going to contend with the forces of evil among them.
We believe that God helps those who help themselves. I wonder what the concomittant statement from Islam would be.
skipsailing--I think you've come to a foundation stone.
skipsailing,
"I can see no tactical or strategic objective that will be accomplished by these attacks."
By Jove, that's it!
Now, consider what would have happened on 9-11 if these same maniacs had had real weapons grade firepower. That's one of the reasons we are at war. That's why Iran must be taken down. There is no there, there.
Excellent post!
excellent, excellent Speer point.
"We believe that God helps those who help themselves. I wonder what the concomittant statement from Islam would be."
"There Is No God But God" is the essential tautology of the closed circle, the "Zero" (Araby's gift to science). Humanity is excluded, there is zero relationship.
"God helps those who help themselves" frames a relationship. The circle is never closed, but always open.
Righto, villains indeed prosper, villains of every race and religion. It's "the problem of evil".
Stoicism (and Ralph Waldo Emerson) addresses the problem with "virtue is its own reward". I love that, wish it was explainable to the kids, and also wish I could live it better.
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