Posted on 10/10/2004 6:49:13 AM PDT by Valin
CAIRO, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanetnet) -- The search-rescue work of the Taba blast, which killed at least 34 people and wounded 124, at Red Sea resorts in south Sinai of Egypt on Thursday night, was nearly completed, and some 15 Bedouin tribemen were detained by police on suspicion of involvement in the attack.
Israeli search and rescue teams said they expected to complete their search work later Sunday at the blast site of the hotel as no more bodies were found under the rubble.
A deadly blast Thursday night rocked Hilton Taba hotel in Egypt's Sinai Peninsular, which was popular with Israeli tourists. Shortly after that, two other blasts rocked two holiday camps in Ras al-Sultan and Nuwaiba, not far away from Taba.
Thousands of Israeli tourists were in the Red Sea resorts of the Sinai Peninsula over the Jewish holiday of Sukkot despite travelling warnings given by Israeli security officials last month, saying they received information of attacks against Israelis in the resort area.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the terror attacks was underway.
On Saturday, investigators lifted fingerprints, swabbed dust and collected tissue from the sites of three car bombings and some 15 Bedouin tribesmen were detained for allegedly providing the explosives used in the attacks.
The tribemen were believed to have helped smuggle the explosive sused in the attacks, security sources said on Sunday.
Israel has blamed al-Qaida for the attacks. But the Egyptian security sources said it was too early to jump a conclusion, saying at the moment they are concentrating their efforts on identifying the vehicles and the source of the explosives.
The United States is still reserved regarding who has carried out these operations, with US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher saying that Washington could not define who was involved in the attacks.
Egyptian officials said 34 people were killed, including nineEgyptians, at least five Israelis, in the most serious terrorist attack in Egypt since 1997 when 58 foreign tourists were massacredby Islamic militants in Luxor in southern Egypt.
On Sunday, the Israeli cabinet discussed a proposal of counter-terror unit on imposing economic sanctions on Israelis who travel to destinations which were classified in travel advisories as dangerous, the Ha'aretz daily reported Sunday.
The proposal, which was put forward following the three blasts,would include deprival of rights to compensation guaranteed to victims of terror attacks, the paper said.
Sanctions of the kind are already being practiced by the United States and Britain.
At Sunday's meeting, Israeli Health Minister Danny Naveh said National Security Advisor Giora Eiland is considering the matterand is to determine clear guidelines for situations in which the Shin Bet warns Israelis against traveling to Sinai or other destinations.
The paper said earlier there are currently thousands of Israelis staying in the Peninsula.
I thought the Arab consensus was "The Israelis did it to themselves."
:-)
An alligator crawl on Fox sometime in the wee hours said Egypt was blaming Al Qaeda, but maybe that was some Arab who'd strayed off the reservation about who they were going to all blame. Everybody all together now...Bedouhins or Israelis! Take your pick!
The Bedouins are now involved. We haven't heard much from them in recent times.
The last time they attacked here they were led by Laurence of Arabia who shouted Aquaba!..... They captured the little Turk port at the end of the gulf of Aquaba, beginning the succesful campaign to push the Ottaman Turks off the Arabian penninsula, out of Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.
George Bush is now straightening up the political mishmash that resulted and festered for 85 years.
The war in Iraq is the result of the WWI.
It's a problem. For so many people in that part of the world it easier to find a scapegoat than to look in the mirror and say I may have a problem. It's always easier to blame someone else than yourself.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.