Terror in Egypt

For all Egyptians and others who lost people in the bombings, may God bless you all.

Egypt, which has been on the front line in the war against terrorism much longer than we have been, was rocked by two, perhaps three bombs. 88 people, mostly Egyptians, were killed. The attack took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, a tourist town in the southern Sinai.

I lived in Sharm El-Sheikh for 6 months as part of the MFO. The locals are good people and hard working folk. There is also a battalion of U.S. Soldiers, an Italian Naval presence, Dutch MP's, and Egyptian forces.

It appears that the terrorists bypassed the military targets and set off one suicide bomb by running an exploding car into a hotel lobby. This was not particularly successful. The reason for this is probably because the hotels there are built spread out around a pool and restaurant. Hitting the lobby could only get the few people there - most of whom would be the Egyptian employees.

The second one was set off in the solely Egyptian part of town, in the market (Egyptians hang out at the markets shopping and going to coffee shops). This one killed far more people, almost certainly all Egyptians.

This is despicable.

Al-Qaida has claimed responsibility. Cowardly pigs. Yadrub bateikum.