Updating the Dahab Bombing Story

Three people have been arrested in connection to the triple bombing in Dahab.

Interior Minister Habib el-Adly put the death toll at 23, including 20 Egyptians and three foreigners. But Sinai hospital officials said Tuesday that an Egyptian man had died of his wounds, bringing the toll to 24. More than 60 people were wounded, including many Westerners.

One of the dead was a German child, according to the Egyptian Interior Ministry and the German Foreign Ministry. Police said one Russian and one Swiss were also killed, but el-Adly would not confirm those nationalities.

At least three Israelis were hurt in the attack, which sent a steady stream of cars back to Israel some 65 miles to the north. Israeli authorities said 1,800 of their citizens were in the Sinai at the time, far fewer than during last week’s Passover holiday.

Israel’s ambassador in Cairo, Shalom Cohen, said the Israeli government had warned repeatedly against visiting the Sinai. “Unfortunately, the warnings came true,” he told Israel’s Channel 10 TV.

Ghazi Hamad, spokesman for the Hamas-run Palestinian Cabinet, called the bombings a “criminal attack which is against all human values. We denounce the attack, which harmed the Egyptian national security.” By contrast, Hamas had refused to condemn last week’s bombing that killed nine people in an Israeli fast-food restaurant.

Hamas' statements are motivated by the terrorist group's need for cashflow and antagonizing potential donors wouldn't be the way to secure the funding needed to continue their war against Israel. That's how they're able to denounce this bombing in Egypt and support the terrorist bombing against Israel.

The New York Times puts the death toll at 30. Both reports are far lower than the initial reports that put the toll above 100.

Big Pharoah, a blogger from Egypt, is safe - although he indirectly knows several people who were injured in the attacks.

UPDATE:
The number arrested in connection to the attacks is now 10.

Captain Ed speculates about the likelyhood of al Qaeda's involvement in the attacks and thinks that it's a poor strategic move. I'm going to think outside the box and suggest that the move to attack the Egyptians in their own backyard - an attack targeting the economically profitable and vital tourist industry is designed to undermine the Egyptian government and bring the Islamists to power there. While I agree that Osama's power projection is far more limited due to the coalition efforts around the world, the Islamists have an outside shot at toppling Mubarak. It's not as though the Islamists haven't succeeded in assassinating moderate Egyptian leaders before. The Muslim Brotherhood assassinated Anwar Sadat in response to his peace agreement with Israel. Mubarak has survived multiple assassination attempts as well.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the group from which spawned the likes of Sheik Abdul Rahman whose minions attacked the WTC in 1993. And whose political theology encouraged the likes of Osama Bin Laden.

In other words, the attacks could signal that al Qaeda is going to try to topple the Egyptian government and install an Islamist government astride the Suez and try to outflank the US strategy.

Technorati: egypt, dahab, bombing, terrorism.