Questions Exist About The Sinai Attack On Egypt And Egypt's Retaliation

In the face of last weeks terrorist attack in the Sinai that resulted in the death of 16 Egyptian soldiers and various opinions on Egypt's retaliation and its implications, Challah Hu Akbar asks a contrarian question: Is Egypt Waging A Campaign Against Terrorists in the Sinai? Maybe Not

He has compiled a list of some of incongruities:

Arlene Kushner On The Realities Behind Egypt After Sinai Attack

From Arlene Kushner

August 10, 2012

In Brief

Brief, because preparations for Shabbat call...

I'll start with the good news that is so appropriate before Shabbat: An update on Noam Jay ben Inbar, for whom some of you have been praying. 

This is the boy of nine with cancer growing around his heart, who was thought to be terminal but is now receiving an experimental drug.  The family was thrilled this week, because he came home from the hospital for Shabbat, as he has before, but was coping so well he was allowed to stay home until Tuesday.  There is definite improvement in his condition.  Please God, let it continue.   (If you would like to make a donation to help with the expense of the experimental drug, let me know.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday, the Security Cabinet approved the deployment of five attack helicopters in the Sinai, in accordance with a request from Defense Minister Barak.

Arlene Kushner On The Sinai Terrorist Attack And The Implications

From Arlene Kushner

August 8, 2012

Sinai Anarchy

On Sunday evening, 35 members of a Bedouin terrorist cell broke into an Egyptian army base in the Sinai, killing some 15 Egyptian soldiers and wounding others.  They commandeered two armored jeeps, which headed to the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel. (Kerem Shalom sits at the intersection of Israel, Egypt and Gaza.)  

One of the jeeps exploded at the crossing -- likely because of explosives it was carrying -- and the other entered Israel, where it was intercepted by the IDF.  No Israelis were killed or injured.

After Sinai Attack, Egypt-Hamas Honeymoon Over Before It Begins

Khaled Abu Toamen writes that this week's Sinai terror attack has been a political and economic disaster for Hamas:

For Hamas, the timing of Sunday night’s terror attack in Sinai could not have been worse. The attack, which resulted in the killing of 16 Egyptian border guards while they were enjoying the fast-breaking meal of Ramadan, took place just when it seemed that Hamas and Egypt were about to embark on a honeymoon.

Barry Rubin: The Meaning of the Egypt-Israel Cross-Border Attack

The Meaning of the Egypt-Israel Cross-Border Attack

by Barry Rubin

A 35-man seemingly bedouin terrorist team invaded an Egyptian army base in eastern Sinai, stole a truck and armored personnel carrier, and tried to crash the Israel border gate. They killed about 16 Egyptian soldiers but those who tried to cross the border--at least five--were quickly wiped out by Israeli forces.

You will be reading a lot of accounts of this event mostly saying the same things. But what’s really important?

• The incompetence of the Egyptian military. That a whole platoon size unit of terrorists--one of the largest such forces every assembled for such an attack--could plan, organize, and come together without warning for the Egyptian army speaks poorly for its intelligence capability. That they could break into a base doesn’t bode well for the Egyptian military's competence. Presumably one reason why they wanted Egyptian vehicles--as happened with uniforms on a previous occasion--is to make Israeli soldiers hesitate to shoot or to end up getting Israelis to mistakenly kill Egyptians and set off a wider conflict.

Gaza Terrorist Attack Puts Both Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood In Bad Light

Keeping in mind that yesterday's terrorist attack on both Egypt and Israel was carried out by Palestinian terrorists from Gaza using Hamas smuggling tunnels, it is no wonder that Hamas publicly condemned the terrorist attack that killed Egyptian soldiers.

For their part, Palestinians fear deterioration in Egypt ties after attack:

Military Briefing On The Sinai Attack On Israel (Photos)

The following is from a military briefing given earlier today by the IDF Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich on the Sinai Attack and Gaza-Israel Border Incident

20:00 last night, we identified a group of terrorists which infiltrated an Egyptian base, took over two vehicles – a truck and an armored vehicle (APC). They also killed approximately 15 Egyptian security personnel and loaded the truck with explosives. They then stormed the border fence between Israel and Egypt at Kerem Shalom. It's not far from Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, with hundreds of Israelis living in it, and also not far from the Kerem Shalom supplies crossing.

Arlene Kushner on The Terrorist Attacks From Gaza And The Sinai

From Arlene Kushner:

June 20, 2012:

The Face of Things to Come?

When last I wrote, a member of an Israeli crew working on the fence being constructed on our border with Sinai -- precisely to prevent infiltration into Israel -- had just been killed by terrorists who had crossed over from Sinai.  (According to one report, one terrorist shot by the IDF was wearing a suicide belt, and planning considerably greater damage.)

This followed by two days the launching of two Grad Katyusha rockets from the Sinai into the Negev.

Then, very shortly after the attack at the fence, rocket attacks from Gaza began.

The army statement at that time was that there was no connection between the Gaza rocket launchings and the terrorist attack out of the Sinai.  Such coincidental timing left me a bit dubious.