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| Egypt’s Inquiry Into Russian Jet Crash Finds No Proof of Terrorism | Egypt’s Inquiry Into Russian Jet Crash Finds No Proof of Terrorism |
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| CAIRO — Egypt’s government placed itself directly at odds with Russian and Western allies on Monday, announcing that Egyptian investigators had found no evidence that the Russian airliner crash in Sinai on Oct. 31 was caused by terrorism. | CAIRO — Egypt’s government placed itself directly at odds with Russian and Western allies on Monday, announcing that Egyptian investigators had found no evidence that the Russian airliner crash in Sinai on Oct. 31 was caused by terrorism. |
| The government’s chief investigator, Ayman al-Muqaddam, said he had not received “any evidence of unlawful interference or terrorist activity” in connection with the crash, which occurred when a jetliner packed with Russian vacationers broke up in midair 23 minutes after takeoff from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board. | The government’s chief investigator, Ayman al-Muqaddam, said he had not received “any evidence of unlawful interference or terrorist activity” in connection with the crash, which occurred when a jetliner packed with Russian vacationers broke up in midair 23 minutes after takeoff from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board. |
| Although the statement offered ample detail about the investigation, such as the number of hours that investigators spent photographing the wreckage, and the number of helicopter trips they took to the remote site, it offered little explanation about the actual cause of the crash. | Although the statement offered ample detail about the investigation, such as the number of hours that investigators spent photographing the wreckage, and the number of helicopter trips they took to the remote site, it offered little explanation about the actual cause of the crash. |
| Russian and Western officials have been far less hesitant, pointing to a bomb as the most likely explanation. The Islamic State, which has an affiliate in Sinai, has claimed responsibility and published a photograph of an improvised explosive device it says was used. | Russian and Western officials have been far less hesitant, pointing to a bomb as the most likely explanation. The Islamic State, which has an affiliate in Sinai, has claimed responsibility and published a photograph of an improvised explosive device it says was used. |
| Egypt is leading the multinational investigation into the crash, and its publication of the preliminary report on Monday met with a curt response from Russia, which along with Britain have stopped all flights to Sharm el Sheikh until their concerns about security at the resort’s international airport are resolved. | Egypt is leading the multinational investigation into the crash, and its publication of the preliminary report on Monday met with a curt response from Russia, which along with Britain have stopped all flights to Sharm el Sheikh until their concerns about security at the resort’s international airport are resolved. |
| A Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, declined to comment on the Egyptian report but pointedly reminded reporters that Russia’s security services had “come to the conclusion that it was a terrorist action.” | A Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, declined to comment on the Egyptian report but pointedly reminded reporters that Russia’s security services had “come to the conclusion that it was a terrorist action.” |
| From the start, the Egyptian-led investigation has been mired in a fog of secrecy, misinformation and contradictions. Apparently unwilling to publicly concede that terrorists may have penetrated such a sensitive target, Egyptian officials repeatedly ruled out a bomb as a possible cause. Pro-government media outlets have consistently painted the assertions of terrorism as part of what they called a nefarious Western plot to weaken the president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. | From the start, the Egyptian-led investigation has been mired in a fog of secrecy, misinformation and contradictions. Apparently unwilling to publicly concede that terrorists may have penetrated such a sensitive target, Egyptian officials repeatedly ruled out a bomb as a possible cause. Pro-government media outlets have consistently painted the assertions of terrorism as part of what they called a nefarious Western plot to weaken the president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. |
| “All of these people are misleading us,” said Abdel Rahim Ali, a television host and frequent booster for Mr. Sisi, referring to critics of Monday’s vaguely worded report. “This is part of a conspiracy to divide the region, like what happened in Syria and Iraq.” | “All of these people are misleading us,” said Abdel Rahim Ali, a television host and frequent booster for Mr. Sisi, referring to critics of Monday’s vaguely worded report. “This is part of a conspiracy to divide the region, like what happened in Syria and Iraq.” |
| Yet some Egyptian officials have indirectly acknowledged the possibility of a bomb, either through loud denunciations of terrorism or the announcement of new measures to secure the country’s airports. | Yet some Egyptian officials have indirectly acknowledged the possibility of a bomb, either through loud denunciations of terrorism or the announcement of new measures to secure the country’s airports. |
| As tourists deserted Egypt following the Russian crash, Western officials identified a number of serious security flaws at the Sharm el Sheikh airport including faulty scanning equipment and inattentive baggage checkers, all of which could have made it easier for militants to smuggle a bomb onto the plane. | As tourists deserted Egypt following the Russian crash, Western officials identified a number of serious security flaws at the Sharm el Sheikh airport including faulty scanning equipment and inattentive baggage checkers, all of which could have made it easier for militants to smuggle a bomb onto the plane. |
| On Monday, Egyptian officials stressed their intention to hire foreign officials to improve security at airports across the country. | On Monday, Egyptian officials stressed their intention to hire foreign officials to improve security at airports across the country. |
| Egypt’s handling of the crisis has drawn some comparisons with the 1999 crash off the coast of Massachusetts of EgyptAir 990, a flight from New York to Cairo. American officials, drawing on audio recordings from the cockpit, attributed the crash to a suicidal pilot who plunged the plane into the sea. Egyptian officials insisted the cause was mechanical failure. | Egypt’s handling of the crisis has drawn some comparisons with the 1999 crash off the coast of Massachusetts of EgyptAir 990, a flight from New York to Cairo. American officials, drawing on audio recordings from the cockpit, attributed the crash to a suicidal pilot who plunged the plane into the sea. Egyptian officials insisted the cause was mechanical failure. |
| This time, though, the risks for Egypt are different. Egyptian officials seem caught between a desire to deny the possibility that the Islamic State’s Sinai affiliate could have hit such a sensitive target, and the pressing need to assuage the security concerns of foreign allies such as Britain and Russia. Their tourist dollars constitute an important part of the faltering Egyptian economy. | This time, though, the risks for Egypt are different. Egyptian officials seem caught between a desire to deny the possibility that the Islamic State’s Sinai affiliate could have hit such a sensitive target, and the pressing need to assuage the security concerns of foreign allies such as Britain and Russia. Their tourist dollars constitute an important part of the faltering Egyptian economy. |
| Egypt is suffering a shortage of foreign currency, and a ban on flights by Britain and Russia into Sharm el Sheikh is costing the country roughly $280 million a month, the tourism minister, Hisham Zaazou, said this month. | Egypt is suffering a shortage of foreign currency, and a ban on flights by Britain and Russia into Sharm el Sheikh is costing the country roughly $280 million a month, the tourism minister, Hisham Zaazou, said this month. |
| Large tour operators in Europe that sell winter breaks in Egypt have diverted customers to other destinations such as Cyprus and the Canary Islands. Mr. Zaazou said he expected tourism revenue to drop by 15 percent in 2015, to $6.2 billion, because of the crisis. | Large tour operators in Europe that sell winter breaks in Egypt have diverted customers to other destinations such as Cyprus and the Canary Islands. Mr. Zaazou said he expected tourism revenue to drop by 15 percent in 2015, to $6.2 billion, because of the crisis. |
| Russian officials initially denied Islamic State claims that it had felled the plane in retaliation for the Russia air campaign in Syria. But on Nov. 17 the Kremlin security chief blamed terrorism and offered a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators. | Russian officials initially denied Islamic State claims that it had felled the plane in retaliation for the Russia air campaign in Syria. But on Nov. 17 the Kremlin security chief blamed terrorism and offered a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators. |
| President Vladimir V. Putin vowed to hunt down those responsible, although he did not blame any specific group. | President Vladimir V. Putin vowed to hunt down those responsible, although he did not blame any specific group. |
| Now, the wreckage from the airplane, an Airbus A321, which had been strewn over a 10-mile radius in the Sinai Desert, has been moved to a secure location in Cairo for further examination by metallurgists and others specialists, Egyptian investigators said Monday. But the report did not explore assertions by Russian officials that they had discovered traces of explosives on portions of the wreckage. | Now, the wreckage from the airplane, an Airbus A321, which had been strewn over a 10-mile radius in the Sinai Desert, has been moved to a secure location in Cairo for further examination by metallurgists and others specialists, Egyptian investigators said Monday. But the report did not explore assertions by Russian officials that they had discovered traces of explosives on portions of the wreckage. |
| The Islamic State, promoting its claims of a major achievement, has published a photograph of what it identified as the explosive device used to bring down the plane: a bomb hidden in a Schweppes pineapple juice soda can, along with a detonator and a timer. | The Islamic State, promoting its claims of a major achievement, has published a photograph of what it identified as the explosive device used to bring down the plane: a bomb hidden in a Schweppes pineapple juice soda can, along with a detonator and a timer. |
| Terrorism experts could not confirm the veracity of the photograph, but noted that a midair breakup, caused by a rapid decompression, would be consistent with a bomb. Other causes, such as mechanical failure, were still possible although now appear less likely. | Terrorism experts could not confirm the veracity of the photograph, but noted that a midair breakup, caused by a rapid decompression, would be consistent with a bomb. Other causes, such as mechanical failure, were still possible although now appear less likely. |