Closing ranks

Terror will never dent the unity of Egyptians, writes Ali Hefzi*

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The hand of terror rocked the City of Peace on the very anniversary of the 1952 Revolution. The cowardly attack on Sharm El-Sheikh is particularly painful, for the peninsula has a history that borders on the divine, a history that is part of our very consciousness. It is in Sinai that Egyptians have defended themselves against invaders since Pharaonic times, and up to the war of 1973.

Let's take a minute to think of Sinai and the 400,000 people, 40 per cent of them Bedouins, who inhabit it. The Sinawis come from more than 20 tribes, all with blood links to other Arab tribes across the region, and impeccable patriotism.

We have every right to take pride in the progress the peninsula has witnessed since the signing of the peace agreement with Israel in 1979. Those who visited Sinai many years ago, including myself, are amazed by the scale of progress, the roads that have been built, the land that has been reclaimed and tourism. The attacks on Taba (October 2004) and Sharm El-Sheikh (July 2005) came as a shock to all Egyptians, and to Sinawis most of all. The dark cloud of terror seemed finally to have caught up with us. But where did it originate?

Terror was first introduced into the region by the Zionist groups Stern and Ergun, which used violence to expel the original inhabitants of Palestine prior to 1948. As for the recent wave of violence, Western countries offering refuge to fundamentalist militants over the past two decades or so must also shoulder part of the blame.

The repercussions of terror attacks exceed the magnitude of the initial mayhem. Intelligence experts vouch that most terror attacks involve prolonged planning, surveillance and coordination. Major terror operations often involve financing and guidance from abroad. Those who carry out the attacks are selected with care and in most cases the perpetrators have no police record or known inclination to violence. The individuals used in the attack are mere tools and their death during the operation is obviously convenient for the invisible masterminds who plan the atrocities.

No security regime, however sophisticated, is foolproof. There is always a chink in the armour that can be exploited to devastating effect. Let's not forget that countries far more advanced than Egypt have been frequent targets of terror.

Investigations into the Sharm El-Sheikh bombings are still underway and should not be prejudged. But it is plain to all that the bombers, whoever they are, were seeking to undermine not only security but our national unity. We cannot let them win. We must continue to fight terror in all its forms, for this is the only way to keep the country safe. We must make every effort to apprehend the perpetrators. But in doing so we must avoid doing anything that our enemies may use to harm this country or divide our ranks. We need, too, more international and regional cooperation to prevent a repetition of such attacks. Any loopholes in our security must be closed.

But it is the love Egyptians have for their country that is our greatest strength. We have values and principles, and we know how to respect treaties and protect peace. Criminals will not dent our resolve.

* The writer is former governor of North Sinai.