Egyptian experts say Mossad could be behind bombings

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Egyptian experts say Mossad could be behind bombings 7/25/2005 3:12:00 PM GMT Several Egyptian security experts and political analysts said that the Mossad, Israel's spy agency, was behind Saturday's attacks on the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh. Similar accusations were made against Israel in the past, particularly after last year's attack at the Taba Hotel in October and after the 9/11 attacks in the United States. Saturday's pre-dawn blasts killed more than 64 people, according to Egypt's health ministry, although hospital officials put the toll as high as 88. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Many Egyptian security officials said at least one car used in the bombings had special plates indicating it had come from the Israeli border at Taba on the Sinai peninsula. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< On Saturday, Egypt's state-run television interviewed retired army general Fuad Allam, who said that he was confident that Israel played a key role in Sharm al-Sheikh bombings. Fuad also said that investigations showed that the mastermind of the Taba attack, which killed more than 34 people, was a Palestinian "apparently linked to Israel's security forces." He added: "I'm almost certain that Israel was also behind this attack because they want to undermine our government and deal a severe blow to our economy. The only ones who benefit from these attacks are the Israelis and the Americans." Other Egyptian political figures and prominent journalists and editors interviewed by Arabic TV channels made similar accusations. Dia Rashwan, a political expert, said that Israel is the only country that benefits from such attacks. Dismissing the idea that "al-Qaeda" was behind the bombings, Rashwan explained: "We are giving al- Qaeda more credit than it deserves. What happened here negates the possibility that the attacks were carried out by ordinary elements. This is the work of an extraordinary element – one that benefits from such attacks. All the available details indicate that only the Israelis could have done this." Majdi Birnawi, another security expert, said that the Mossad was behind the attacks. "I believe that Mossad or some other [Israeli] security organization carried out this attack," >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Birnawi said he believed the Sharm el-Sheikh bombings were related to the Taba attacks, in which 12 Israelis were killed. "Everyone knows that there are no Israelis in Sharm e-Sheikh," he said. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< "There are only Western tourists there. That's why it's wrong to assume that the perpetrators were targeting Israelis." Six Pakistani suspects Meanwhile, news agencies reported that Egyptian police are searching for six Pakistani citizens in connection with Sharm el-Sheikh bombings. They have distributed photographs of the six men. The six wanted Pakistanis were staying at a hotel in Sharm al-Sheikh and had left their passports at the reception, police said. Egyptian authorities have already arrested close to 100 people in connection with the attacks, and Interior Minister Habib al-Adly said investigators already had leads. The deadly bombings were strongly condemned by the Egyptian public. More than 1,000 Egyptian hotel workers, bedouin sheikhs and foreign dive school instructors rallied through Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday to denounce the attacks. "There is no God but God and terrorism is the enemy of God," chanted the Egyptian protesters, including hotel chefs, technicians and road sweepers, as they marched along the main road of Sharm el-Sheikh.