Friday April 8, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

Terror struck at the heart of Egypt yesterday. A motorcyclist threw a bomb in Egypt's historic bazaar. It landed near Cairo's famous and popular tourist attraction, the Khan al Khalili Souk. Four people were murdered and at least 20 wounded. Many of the victims were tourists.

Now let's see how Egypt handles the terror attack.
Egypt has extensive experience confronting extremist Muslims and terrorists. They will be quick to arrest and interrogate and discover who is ultimately responsible for this murderous act.
They will also make certain that those responsible will not perpetrate any further terror.

Tourism is Egypt's most important industry.
Tourism brings a large amount of foreign currency into the country.
Hitting the tourist market is a blow to Egypt's very existence.
Terror in this form is a direct attack against Egypt's economy.
Terror in Egypt is a strong statement against the country's Western leanings and non-Islamic government.

In the 1990's there was a rise in this type of terror in Egypt. In September of 1997, two men opened fire at a group of tourists in Cairo killing 10. Then again in November terrorists murdered 62 people in Luxor, the burial site of the Pharoah's. 58 of those killed were tourists.

Believe me. Egypt will respond with a strong hand.
Egypt understands the dangers of terror.