DATE=10/22/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41660
TITLE=UPPER EGYPT: SECURITY
BYLINE=SCOTT BOBB
DATELINE=ASSIUT, EGYPT
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
/// EDS: THIS IS ONE IN A SERIES OF BACKGROUND REPORTS FROM
UPPER EGYPT ///
INTRO: IT'S BEEN NEARLY ONE YEAR SINCE ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS
ATTACKED A GROUP OF FOREIGN TOURISTS AT AN ANCIENT TEMPLE IN
LUXOR, SOUTHERN EGYPT. THE ATTACK, IN WHICH MORE THAN 60 PEOPLE
WERE KILLED, FOLLOWED YEARS OF BLOODY TERRORISM IN THE REGION,
LEAVING HUNDREDS DEAD AND THOUSANDS UNDER ARREST. BUT SINCE LAST
NOVEMBER'S ATTACK, THERE HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY NO VIOLENCE. V-O-A
MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT SCOTT BOBB TRAVELED TO SOUTHERN EGYPT
RECENTLY AND FILED THIS REPORT ON THE SECURITY SITUATION UP RIVER
FROM LUXOR IN THE CITY OF ASSIUT.
TEXT: THE SECURITY SITUATION IN UPPER EGYPT IS GREATLY IMPROVED
AND TOURISM IS BEGINNING TO RECOVER.
TODAY, THERE IS PEACE, BUT NERVOUS AUTHORITIES HAVE ORDERED
POLICE OFFICERS TO BE WITH FOREIGNERS WHEREVER THEY GO -- WHETHER
TO A MUSEUM OR A RIVERSIDE RESTAURANT LYING ALONG THE NILE.
/// OPT /// EVEN A VISIT TO THE MOSQUES, MONASTERIES AND
ANCIENT TEMPLES IN THE DESERT A SHORT DRIVE AWAY COMES WITH A
POLICE ESCORT. /// END OPT ///
A FEW YEARS AGO, ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS REGULARLY ATTACKED POLICE
OFFICERS, COPTIC CHRISTIANS, AND FOREIGN TOURISTS AS PART OF A
CAMPAIGN TO BRING ABOUT AN ISLAMIC STATE IN EGYPT.
THE UNIVERSITY OF ASSIUT, WITH ITS 60-THOUSAND STUDENTS, WAS AN
INCUBATOR FOR ISLAMIST EXTREMISM IN THOSE DAYS. A PROFESSOR AT
THE UNIVERSITY, MOHAMED IBRAHIM MANSOUR, SAYS THAT BACK THEN,
THERE WAS A LACK OF JOBS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN THE REGION.
/// MANSOUR ACT IN ARABIC WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION ///
I'M SURE THAT ECONOMIC NEGLECT IS ONE OF THE REASONS OF
THE RISE OF EXTREMISM, BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHER REASONS.
/// END ACT ///
PROFESSOR MANSOUR SAYS THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT WAS SUPPORTED BY
LOCAL RESIDENTS, WHO WERE FED UP WITH POVERTY, CORRUPTION, AND
REPRESSIVE SECURITY FORCES. ANALYSTS ALSO SAY THE MOVEMENT IN
THE 1960'S AND 1970'S WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE AUTHORITIES IN ORDER
TO COUNTER MARXIST AND NATIONALISTIC MOVEMENTS THAT OPPOSED THE
GOVERNMENT.
/// OPT /// BY THE 1980'S MEMBERS OF THE "GAMA'A ISLAMIYA,"
OR "ISLAMIC GROUP," HAD TAKEN OVER THE LEADERSHIP OF STUDENT
ORGANIZATIONS AT ASSIUT UNIVERSITY. FROM THERE, THE MOVEMENT
SPREAD THROUGHOUT EGYPT.
/// OPT /// THE GROUP'S MAIN GOALS ARE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
AN ISLAMIC STATE IN EGYPT. IT ALSO SUPPORTS THE ELIMINATION OF
THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND PUNISHMENT FOR GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE SEEN
AS SUPPORTING ISRAEL AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE. HUNDREDS OF
PEOPLE DIED IN THE SUBSEQUENT VIOLENCE.
/// OPT /// SHEIKH ABDEL RAHMAN AMINA IS AN ISLAMIST
ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISLAMIC GROUP AND A PROFESSOR AT AZHAR
UNIVERSITY, THE OLDEST INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES IN THE WORLD.
HE SAYS THE MOVEMENT IS NOT VIOLENT.
/// OPT // AMINA ACT. IN ARABIC WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION ///
THE POLITICAL ISLAMIC MOVEMENT CAN NEVER FINISH. BUT IT
IS HERE AND WE MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ISLAMIC
POLITICAL MOVEMENT AND WHAT IS CALLED TERRORISM AND
EXTREMISM, BECAUSE TERRORISM AND EXTREMISM ARE OUTSIDE
OF ISLAMIC POLITICS.
/// END ACT // END OPT ///
LOCAL POLITICIANS AND SECURITY OFFICIALS SAY THE TURNING POINT IN
THE BATTLE CAME LAST NOVEMBER WITH THE ATTACK AT LUXOR. EGYPTIANS
WERE SHOCKED. FOLLOWING THE ATTACK, PUBLIC OPINION TURNED
MASSIVELY AGAINST THE EXTREMISTS.
A NEW MINISTER OF INTERIOR WAS APPOINTED. THE SECURITY FORCES
WERE REORGANIZED. A NEW MAYOR OF LUXOR WAS ALSO NAMED -- RETIRED
ARMY GENERAL SILMY SELIM, WHO SAYS THE TRAGEDY WAS A MAJOR
LESSON.
/// SELIM ACT. IN ARABIC WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION ///
WE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THAT DESPICABLE (HORRIBLE)
INCIDENT AND FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE STUDY WHICH WE
CARRIED OUT AFTERWARDS THAT LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
NEW SECURITY PLAN.
/// END ACT ///
GENERAL SELIM SAYS SECURITY ZONES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AROUND
LUXOR'S MONUMENTS AND OTHER IMPORTANT AREAS, AND THE MILITARY IS
NOW CALLED IN WHEN NEEDED.
THE FLOW OF FUNDING TO THE ISLAMIC GROUP HAS ALSO REPORTEDLY BEEN
DRASTICALLY REDUCED. PRESSURE HAS BEEN BROUGHT ON THOSE FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS WHICH HAVE PROVIDED ASYLUM TO MEMBERS WHO FLED ABROAD
IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THEIR ACTIVITIES.
OFFICIALS SAY THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE, HOWEVER, IS THAT LOCAL
CIVILIANS NOW HELP POLICE.
/// OPT /// GENERAL MOUSTAPHA ABDEL-ADER IS THE GOVERNOR OF
MINYA, A NEIGHBORING REGION TO ASSIUT WHICH ALSO SAW A GREAT DEAL
OF EXTREMIST VIOLENCE A FEW YEARS AGO. HE SAYS COOPERATION
BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE POLICE HAS LED TO THE CAPTURE OF MOST
OF THE TERRORISTS.
/// OPT // ABDEL-ADER ACT IN ARABIC, WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION ///
AS FAR AS THE TERRORIST ATTACKS THAT WERE IN MINYA --
NOW THEY ARE NO MORE BECAUSE OF THE POPULAR AND
POLITICAL MOVEMENT. THEY (THE PEOPLE) DISCOVERED THAT
TERRORISTS THREATEN THEIR LIVELIHOODS AND FUTURE. THE
PEOPLE ALSO REALIZED THAT THEIR (THE MILITANTS')
INTERPRETATIONS OF ISLAM ARE WRONG BECUASE ISLAM IS A
RELIGION OF PEACE.
/// END ACT // END OPT ///
THERE ARE ALSO EFFORTS TO ADDRESS WHAT SOME BELIEVE ARE THE ROOT
CAUSES OF THE MOVEMENT. THE SENIOR ADVISER TO THE GOVERNOR OF
ASSIUT IS YEHIA ABDEL-AAL. HE SAYS HE AND THE GOVERNOR BELIEVE
EDUCATION AND GOOD GOVERNANCE ARE WAYS TO STEM THE RISE OF
EXTREMIST GROUPS.
/// YEHIA ACT ///
WE HAVE A MISSION IN THE REGION TO DEVELOP HUMAN
RESOURCES, TO REACH THE YOUNG GENERATION AND TRY TO
COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AND TRY TO TEACH THEM HOW TO THINK
AND HOW TO BE PROACTIVE AND ALSO, TO MAKE THEM THINK
ABOUT THE FUTURE. AND ALSO WE TEACH THEM WHY WE SHOULD
HAVE PEACE IN THE REGION -- BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY WAY
AND THE ONLY ROAD TO DEVELOPMENT.
///END ACT///
OFFICIALS IN SOUTHERN EGYPT SAY WHILE INCIDENTS MAY STILL OCCUR,
THE POLICE ARE ON THE OFFENSIVE INSTEAD OF THE DEFENSIVE. THEY
SAY THE POLICE ARE VIGILANT, WATCHING TO PREVENT THE YOUNGER
GENERATION FROM BEING SEDUCED BY EXTREMIST IDEAS OR CALLS TO
VIOLENCE.
OTHERS, HOWEVER, ARE SKEPTICAL. THEY SAY THAT VIOLENT INDIVIDUALS
ARE STILL AMONG THEM. AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE, THEY SAY, THAT SOME
PEOPLE STILL FEAR THE AUTHORITIES MORE THAN THE EXTREMISTS.
(SIGNED)
NEB/SB/PCF
22-Oct-98 1:44 PM EDT (1744 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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