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| Egypt Reports Gains Against Militants in Sinai | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| CAIRO — A spokesman for the Egyptian military said Sunday that it had taken the upper hand in a two-month-old campaign to rid Sinai of Islamist militants, repairing a “security collapse” after the revolution of January 2011. | |
| “The last week included a decisive confrontation with elements that threaten national security,” the spokesman, Col. Ahmed Ali, said in a televised news conference to discuss the continuing campaign. | “The last week included a decisive confrontation with elements that threaten national security,” the spokesman, Col. Ahmed Ali, said in a televised news conference to discuss the continuing campaign. |
| The persistent security vacuum in the Sinai Desert near the Israeli border has been a growing worry for officials in Cairo, Tel Aviv and Washington, all concerned that the region is turning into a terrorist haven. But the Egyptian government’s control of Sinai was tenuous even under President Hosni Mubarak’s police state, and Bedouin families with ties across the border in Gaza and Israel have prided themselves for decades on their flourishing smuggling business. And previous announcements from the Egyptian military about its expansive operations there have not changed much. | The persistent security vacuum in the Sinai Desert near the Israeli border has been a growing worry for officials in Cairo, Tel Aviv and Washington, all concerned that the region is turning into a terrorist haven. But the Egyptian government’s control of Sinai was tenuous even under President Hosni Mubarak’s police state, and Bedouin families with ties across the border in Gaza and Israel have prided themselves for decades on their flourishing smuggling business. And previous announcements from the Egyptian military about its expansive operations there have not changed much. |
| Last September, for example, under President Mohamed Morsi and his new defense minister, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, Colonel Ali held a similar news conference about the army’s accomplishments in a similarly sweeping campaign begun that August and called “Operation Sinai.” The military said it had captured and killed dozens of militants there, and Colonel Ali said the campaign would “continue until it achieves the main goal of retaining security and stability.” | Last September, for example, under President Mohamed Morsi and his new defense minister, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, Colonel Ali held a similar news conference about the army’s accomplishments in a similarly sweeping campaign begun that August and called “Operation Sinai.” The military said it had captured and killed dozens of militants there, and Colonel Ali said the campaign would “continue until it achieves the main goal of retaining security and stability.” |
| But a correspondent for National Public Radio, Leila Fadel, visited the area and reported no signs of a major military operation. | But a correspondent for National Public Radio, Leila Fadel, visited the area and reported no signs of a major military operation. |
| This year’s renewed Sinai campaign began in July, soon after General Sisi ousted President Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood. And the operation escalated as militants angry at the removal of Mr. Morsi have carried out seemingly daily attacks on soldiers and the police, killing dozens. | This year’s renewed Sinai campaign began in July, soon after General Sisi ousted President Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood. And the operation escalated as militants angry at the removal of Mr. Morsi have carried out seemingly daily attacks on soldiers and the police, killing dozens. |
| But in the news conference on Sunday, Colonel Ali said that in the past two weeks, the “military forces started taking action against terrorists instead of merely reacting to terrorist attacks” and attained “our highest rates for successfully achieving our targets.” | But in the news conference on Sunday, Colonel Ali said that in the past two weeks, the “military forces started taking action against terrorists instead of merely reacting to terrorist attacks” and attained “our highest rates for successfully achieving our targets.” |
| He said the military had detained 309 “terrorists,” including 36 in July, 140 in August and 33 in September. The military had stormed 601 houses, seized 7 weapons storehouses, confiscated 203 vehicles and captured 10 tons of explosives, he said. | |
| Colonel Ali also pointed fingers at Hamas, the militant Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood that controls Gaza, signaling a renewed chill in Egyptian relations with Hamas after a period of warming under Mr. Morsi. Colonel Ali suggested several times that some of the militants in the Egyptian Sinai had ties to Hamas or the Palestinians, including reporting that the army had seized grenades and other equipment stamped with “Qassam Battalions,” the name of Hamas’s military wing. | Colonel Ali also pointed fingers at Hamas, the militant Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood that controls Gaza, signaling a renewed chill in Egyptian relations with Hamas after a period of warming under Mr. Morsi. Colonel Ali suggested several times that some of the militants in the Egyptian Sinai had ties to Hamas or the Palestinians, including reporting that the army had seized grenades and other equipment stamped with “Qassam Battalions,” the name of Hamas’s military wing. |
| At one Sinai checkpoint, he said, the army found explosives connected by wires to a detonator across the border in Gaza. And he showed footage of some of the army’s accused “terrorist” captives. In short video clips shown on state television, several described themselves as Palestinian. (In a response on its Web site, Hamas said it had no activity or role inside Egypt.) | At one Sinai checkpoint, he said, the army found explosives connected by wires to a detonator across the border in Gaza. And he showed footage of some of the army’s accused “terrorist” captives. In short video clips shown on state television, several described themselves as Palestinian. (In a response on its Web site, Hamas said it had no activity or role inside Egypt.) |
| The army has now destroyed more than 150 tunnels used for smuggling to and from Gaza, Colonel Ali said. It appeared to be a continuation of an on-again, off-again military campaign begun under Mr. Morsi, when the army also sought to shut down the tunnels and filled some with sewage. | The army has now destroyed more than 150 tunnels used for smuggling to and from Gaza, Colonel Ali said. It appeared to be a continuation of an on-again, off-again military campaign begun under Mr. Morsi, when the army also sought to shut down the tunnels and filled some with sewage. |
| The military’s reports, however, are difficult to confirm independently, in part because the military has sought to close off certain areas of Sinai to journalists. | The military’s reports, however, are difficult to confirm independently, in part because the military has sought to close off certain areas of Sinai to journalists. |
| One prominent Sinai journalist, Ahmed Abu Deraa, has been detained by the military for contradicting the army’s official accounts of its last Sinai campaign, including reporting collateral damage to civilians. | One prominent Sinai journalist, Ahmed Abu Deraa, has been detained by the military for contradicting the army’s official accounts of its last Sinai campaign, including reporting collateral damage to civilians. |
| Egyptian journalists have taken up his case as a test of the new government’s respect for news media freedom, but in the news conference, Colonel Ali defended the military court’s charge against Mr. Abu Deraa for “spreading false news” about the military. | Egyptian journalists have taken up his case as a test of the new government’s respect for news media freedom, but in the news conference, Colonel Ali defended the military court’s charge against Mr. Abu Deraa for “spreading false news” about the military. |
| “The armed forces respect journalists and their work,” Colonel Ali said. “But when reports are intended to ignite tensions and claim that we are burning people’s homes, then how can we deal with that?” | “The armed forces respect journalists and their work,” Colonel Ali said. “But when reports are intended to ignite tensions and claim that we are burning people’s homes, then how can we deal with that?” |
| It was an example, he said, of the “information war” that the military now faced, and he likened Mr. Abu Deraa’s reporting to claims about the number of Islamist protesters against the recent military takeover who were killed when security forces stormed a sit-in at Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in Cairo. | It was an example, he said, of the “information war” that the military now faced, and he likened Mr. Abu Deraa’s reporting to claims about the number of Islamist protesters against the recent military takeover who were killed when security forces stormed a sit-in at Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in Cairo. |
| Although the authorities have blocked the Health Ministry from reporting a complete death toll, the best estimates indicate several hundred or close to a thousand. The Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood, who organized the sit-in, said it was far higher. | Although the authorities have blocked the Health Ministry from reporting a complete death toll, the best estimates indicate several hundred or close to a thousand. The Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood, who organized the sit-in, said it was far higher. |
| “They keep saying that thousands, thousands, thousands were killed at Rabaa, and some of them say 5,000 were killed,” Colonel Ali said, his voice rising in anger. He called the allegations “continuous lying that becomes a certainty in the minds of those who listen to it.” It was the same new generation of information warfare, he said, “that aims at destroying nations from within.” | “They keep saying that thousands, thousands, thousands were killed at Rabaa, and some of them say 5,000 were killed,” Colonel Ali said, his voice rising in anger. He called the allegations “continuous lying that becomes a certainty in the minds of those who listen to it.” It was the same new generation of information warfare, he said, “that aims at destroying nations from within.” |
Amro Hassan contributed reporting. | Amro Hassan contributed reporting. |