• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=6/13/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233854
TITLE=EGYPT / MILITANT ARRESTS (S&L)
BYLINE=RICHARD ENGEL
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  IN EGYPT, POLICE SAY THEY HAVE ARRESTED ISLAMIC MILITANTS
WHO THEY SUSPECT WERE TRYING TO REVITALIZE THE TERRORIST GROUP 
THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ASSASSINATION OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT 
ANWAR SADAT.  RICHARD ENGEL REPORTS FROM CAIRO.
TEXT:  POLICE SAY THEY ARRESTED 17 SUSPECTED TERRORISTS FROM A 
HIDEOUT IN DOWNTOWN CAIRO.  A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MINISTRY OF 
INTERIOR TOLD V-O-A ON SATURDAY THAT EGYPT'S STATE SECURITY 
FORCES CONFISCATED GUNS DURING THE ARRESTS IN ABBASSIYA CAIRO 
NEAR THE FAMOUS KHAN AL KHALILI BAZAAR. 
POLICE ALSO SAY THEY UNCOVERED PLANS TO ROB SHOPS TO FINANCE 
TERRORIST OPERATIONS AND ATTACK VIDEO STORES.
POLICE SAY THAT A FEW OF THE SUSPECTS HAVE ALREADY CONFESSED TO 
SEEKING TO REVIVE THE TERRORIST GROUP AL JIHAD. 
AL JIHAD IS ONE OF EGYPT'S OLDEST ISLAMIC MILITANT GROUPS TRYING 
TO OVERTHROW THE MILITARY-BACKED GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT HOSNI 
MUBARAK AND IMPOSE A PURIST ISLAMIC STATE.
AL JIHAD WAS ONCE ORGANIZED ENOUGH TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT ANWAR
SADAT IN OCTOBER, 1981.  
                          //REST OPT//
THE GROUP, HOWEVER, SOON BROKE APART BECAUSE OF AN AGGRESSIVE 
GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN THAT FOLLOWED THE ASSASSINATION.  UNDER 
INTENSE GOVERNMENT PRESSURE, INTERNAL DISPUTES LEFT AL JIHAD 
SPLINTERED AND WEAK.
IN THE 1990S, SEVERAL MILITANT GROUPS HAVE EMERGED CLAIMING TO BE
THE REFORMED AL JIHAD GROUP AND HAVE CARRIED OUT A VARIETY OF 
ATTACKS AGAINST POLICE AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
AL JIHAD'S MAIN RIVAL IS THE GAMAA ISLAMIYA THAT MAINLY TARGETS 
POLICE AND FOREIGN TOURISTS IN ITS ATTEMPTS TO DESTABILIZE THE 
EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT.  THE GAMAA ISLAMIYA IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MASSACRE OF 58 TOURISTS LAST NOVEMBER IN THE 
SOUTHERN RESORT-TOWN OF LUXOR.
STATE SECURITY PROSECUTORS HAVE ORDERED THE 17 MEN SUSPECTED OF 
REVIVING THE AL JIHAD GROUP DETAINED FOR 15 DAYS TO CARRY OUT 
FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS. (SIGNED) 
NEB/RHE/SB/DW
13-Jun-98 12:01 PM EDT (1601 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.