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Purveyor

(29,876 posts) Wed Jul 1, 2015, 12:34 PM Jul 2015

Islamist Blitz in Sinai Kills 50 as Egypt Sends Fighter Jets

by Tarek El-TablawyAhmed Feteha
July 1, 2015 — 2:16 AM EDT
Updated on July 1, 2015 — 11:08 AM EDT

Islamists in Sinai killed at least 50 members of Egypt’s security forces and the army deployed F16 fighters and Apache helicopters to pursue them, as authorities struggle to suppress a growing militant insurgency.

A group affiliated with Islamic State claimed responsibility for the wave of attacks with rockets and car bombs, which came a day after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi vowed to step up efforts to suppress the militants. About 50 soldiers and police and a similar number of jihadists have been killed, a security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media.

“We’re in a real state of war,” Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab said at the weekly cabinet meeting.

The strikes, mostly in or around the town of Sheikh Zuwayid, coincide with the second anniversary of mass protests against Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and his subsequent overthrow by the army. El-Sisi, the ex-general who led that intervention, has been battling to quell militant violence ever since, and the latest escalation suggests he isn’t succeeding.

“Everything that the army has been doing in Sinai, destroying tunnels and creating a buffer zone with the Gaza Strip, has been proven ineffective,” Mustafa Kamel El Sayed, a Cairo University political science professor, said by phone. “They need a change of strategy.”

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-01/gunmen-attack-5-egypt-security-checkpoints-in-sinai-sky-news

8 replies

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Islamist Blitz in Sinai Kills 50 as Egypt Sends Fighter Jets (Original Post) Purveyor Jul 2015 OP

Bullshit. El-Sisi, translated roughly as "The Sissy installed by a military coup overthrowing a democracy", Fred Sanders Jul 2015 #1

would you propose they dispense with the pretext maxsolomon Jul 2015 #3

The democratically, fairly and duly elected government of any nation has the right to govern according Fred Sanders Jul 2015 #4

An Idealist's answer maxsolomon Jul 2015 #5

The military cannot back down, if they do the entire region falls apart. Rex Jul 2015 #6

I prefer the carnage of democracy to the carnage of war, call me an idealist, I do not mind. Fred Sanders Jul 2015 #7

"Is it OK for media to headline "'Christian Blitz....'" Nuclear Unicorn Jul 2015 #8

Egypt is an unstable military dictatorship. Rex Jul 2015 #2

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)

1. Bullshit. El-Sisi, translated roughly as "The Sissy installed by a military coup overthrowing a democracy",

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 12:38 PM

Jul 2015

is using ISIS as a pretext to violently suppress the re-emerging struggle of the previously elected and now banned political party that is the true government of the Egyptian voting public.

Just like old times for the Egyptian, American-supported military.

maxsolomon

(33,400 posts)

3. would you propose they dispense with the pretext

Reply to Fred Sanders (Reply #1)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 12:57 PM

Jul 2015

or that they stop suppressing the muslim brotherhood and restore them to power?

no one was happy with the moves the MB was making except the MB.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)

4. The democratically, fairly and duly elected government of any nation has the right to govern according

Reply to maxsolomon (Reply #3)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 01:00 PM

Jul 2015

to rules enshrined in that nations' democratically, fairly and duly enshrined by democratic process Constitution.

Isn't that the definition of "democracy"?

Your are for democracy or you are against it, it is fundamental.

maxsolomon

(33,400 posts)

5. An Idealist's answer

Reply to Fred Sanders (Reply #4)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 01:08 PM

Jul 2015

I tend to agree in principle, but that ain't what's going to happen in Egypt.

The chief prosecutor was assassinated yesterday. This is going to get hotter, and the Egyptian military isn't going to back down.

Rex

(65,616 posts)

6. The military cannot back down, if they do the entire region falls apart.

Reply to maxsolomon (Reply #5)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 01:13 PM

Jul 2015

They put themselves in a real catch22 imo. They know military dictatorships end badly. My heart goes out to the people of Egypt, too many innocent die as cannon fodder. However there probably will never be another real election without horrible losses, I hate war it is a monster.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)

7. I prefer the carnage of democracy to the carnage of war, call me an idealist, I do not mind.

Reply to maxsolomon (Reply #5)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 01:17 PM

Jul 2015

As a related aside: Is it OK for media to headline "Christian Blitz...." when Christians are being attacked and killed and their places of worship being burned by other Christians, as is now happening in America?

Bloomberg News, the media of the 1%, are the same good folks that bring you Bloomberg Business, the media of the .01%; pro-Western corporate media propaganda - a mass goods production factory of propaganda, you can see the product clearly enough when you locate the factory.

Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts)

8. "Is it OK for media to headline "'Christian Blitz....'"

Reply to Fred Sanders (Reply #7)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 02:43 PM

Jul 2015

I presume it's a good thing that the FBI, etc. are arrayed against the church arsonists. If the white supremacists attacking black churches were to resort to rocket attacks and other military-level attacks I doubt anyone here would object to the US government escalating. So why not Egypt?

Bloomberg News, the media of the 1%, are the same good folks that bring you Bloomberg Business, the media of the .01%; pro-Western corporate media propaganda - a mass goods production factory of propaganda, you can see the product clearly enough when you locate the factory.

ya don't say

Rex

(65,616 posts)

2. Egypt is an unstable military dictatorship.

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Wed Jul 1, 2015, 12:40 PM

Jul 2015

I doubt things will end well, they usually never do after the military 'takes over' to rule. That is one country that could turn into a huge nightmare for the world.

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