The Egyptian Armed Forces’ 24th Intellectual Seminar
Earlier this month, Egypt's top political, military and academic leaders have gathered to discuss the security situation in Sinai as well as the country's counterterrorism strategies
Dr. Shaul Shay
| 21/02/2017
Egyptian Army soldiers patrol in Sheikh Zuweyid, north Sinai, Egypt (Photo: AP)
The Egyptian Armed Forces held the 24th intellectual seminar titled "Counter-terrorism: a Nation's Will," in February 2017. The seminar was organized by the Morale Affairs Department of the Armed Forces.
The seminar was attended by Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt's prime minister, the parliament speaker, political leaders and military commanders, as well as a range of renowned Egyptian writers and journalists.
At the beginning of the seminar, the Morale Affairs Department of the Armed Forces showed a documentary themed "War of Existence," in which the department highlighted the risks and challenges facing the country, as well as the role played by the Armed Forces and police in combating terrorism.
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi spoke in the seminar on the country's efforts to combat terrorism over the past few years. He said in the seminar that terrorism is the most malignant way to destroy countries not only regimes. President el-Sisi pointed out that terrorism wreaked havoc on several countries such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya. Egypt has been fighting terrorism alone for three and a half years now, he said, praising the role of the Armed Forces and police in fighting terrorism.
In his speech to the Egyptian Armed Forces’ 24th intellectual seminar, General Mohamed al-Shahat, the head of Military Intelligence, said that the banned Muslim Brotherhood organization formed an alliance with the Islamic State militant group, which is based predominantly in North Sinai, a move aimed at putting the Brotherhood back in power. Al-Shahat cited as proof of this alliance a statement made in early July 2013 by Mohamed El-Beltagy, a leading Muslim Brotherhood figure who is now in jail on various criminal convictions, in which he said that terrorism in Sinai would stop at the moment ousted president Morsi returns to power.
"Militants attempted to announce an Islamic state in North Sinai's Sheikh Zuweid city after they launched a major attack on 1 July 2015," said the Military Intelligence Chief Al-Shahat. He said the army and police in North Sinai foiled this attempt, causing tangible losses among militants and terrorist groups. He added that the Egyptian army had killed nearly 500 militants in Sinai during the "Martyr's Right" military operations launched in 2015.
Al-Shahat addressed three strategic issues related to the fight against terrorism and the situation in Sinai. Counterterrorism strategies Egypt has adopted include communications and coordination between terrorist and extremist groups and their national security implications and counterterrorist strategy in northeastern Sinai and the progress that has been achieved in the fight against terrorism.
Egypt's counterterrorist strategy comprises three general areas of activity, said Al-Shahat. One is the monitoring and surveillance of terrorist networks, dismantling their support bases and infrastructure, drying up sources of funding and securing full control over ports and borders in collaboration with the relevant ministries and agencies. The second encompasses military and security actions, including raids and combing operations, carried out in collaboration with civil police and community members within the framework of the “Martyr’s Right Operation” in Sinai. The third involves putting comprehensive development projects in place in Sinai in order to raise standards of living and eliminate an environment and climate that has fed extremism.
The Egyptian military intelligence chief also said that the state of instability in many countries in the region contributed to the rise of terrorist attacks in Egypt during this period.
The scholar Ali Al-Jafri delivered a speech in which he praised the role of Egypt's army and its soldiers. He said the philosophy of the Egyptian army asserts that it is non-aggressive and not greedy. Responding to Jafri's statement, President el-Sisi said the Egyptian army and police have no political, sectarian, or ideological loyalty. Their loyalty goes only to the homeland.
Political analyst Abdel Moneem Saeed elaborated on those evil powers’ plans, mainly pointing fingers at the Muslim Brotherhood group. “They have two strategies; the first one is using militant groups to terrorize people on the ground, while the second one is using media outlets to distort the image of the state,” he said. Saeed mentioned as an example, that when the New Suez Canal national project was launched, the Muslim Brotherhood spread lies that the Egyptian people will not benefit from the project and that it will be handed over to foreign investors.
Summary
Egypt's security forces have been battling a decade-long militant Islamist insurgency, which intensified since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3, 2013. The insurgency has been mainly concentrated in North Sinai's Rafah, Arish, and Shiekh Zuwied. Militant attacks have left hundreds of police and army personnel dead.
Egypt’s counter-terrorism strategy is based on a comprehensive approach which focuses on combating and dismantling the core ideology which constitutes the threat itself, confronting the different terrorist groups which are its manifestations, and working to create an environment conducive to the rejection of radical thought, so as to prevent the resurgence of the threat. The 24th intellectual seminar of the Egyptian armed forces which was dedicated to "Counter-terrorism: a Nation's Will," is part of this approach.
The speech of General Mohamed Al-Shahat, the head of Military Intelligence, provided a most extensive, detailed discussion on the security situation in Sinai and the strategy to defeat the terror groups, and reflected the comprehensive approach implemented by the Egyptian armed forces.
Although the results of Egypt's counterterror strategy have been mixed so far, Egypt can be a model for other countries with similar problems and priorities to form counter terror and extremism strategy.
Earlier this month, Egypt's top political, military and academic leaders have gathered to discuss the security situation in Sinai as well as the country's counterterrorism strategies
The Egyptian Armed Forces held the 24th intellectual seminar titled "Counter-terrorism: a Nation's Will," in February 2017. The seminar was organized by the Morale Affairs Department of the Armed Forces.
The seminar was attended by Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt's prime minister, the parliament speaker, political leaders and military commanders, as well as a range of renowned Egyptian writers and journalists.
At the beginning of the seminar, the Morale Affairs Department of the Armed Forces showed a documentary themed "War of Existence," in which the department highlighted the risks and challenges facing the country, as well as the role played by the Armed Forces and police in combating terrorism.
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi spoke in the seminar on the country's efforts to combat terrorism over the past few years. He said in the seminar that terrorism is the most malignant way to destroy countries not only regimes. President el-Sisi pointed out that terrorism wreaked havoc on several countries such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya. Egypt has been fighting terrorism alone for three and a half years now, he said, praising the role of the Armed Forces and police in fighting terrorism.
In his speech to the Egyptian Armed Forces’ 24th intellectual seminar, General Mohamed al-Shahat, the head of Military Intelligence, said that the banned Muslim Brotherhood organization formed an alliance with the Islamic State militant group, which is based predominantly in North Sinai, a move aimed at putting the Brotherhood back in power. Al-Shahat cited as proof of this alliance a statement made in early July 2013 by Mohamed El-Beltagy, a leading Muslim Brotherhood figure who is now in jail on various criminal convictions, in which he said that terrorism in Sinai would stop at the moment ousted president Morsi returns to power.
"Militants attempted to announce an Islamic state in North Sinai's Sheikh Zuweid city after they launched a major attack on 1 July 2015," said the Military Intelligence Chief Al-Shahat. He said the army and police in North Sinai foiled this attempt, causing tangible losses among militants and terrorist groups. He added that the Egyptian army had killed nearly 500 militants in Sinai during the "Martyr's Right" military operations launched in 2015.
Al-Shahat addressed three strategic issues related to the fight against terrorism and the situation in Sinai. Counterterrorism strategies Egypt has adopted include communications and coordination between terrorist and extremist groups and their national security implications and counterterrorist strategy in northeastern Sinai and the progress that has been achieved in the fight against terrorism.
Egypt's counterterrorist strategy comprises three general areas of activity, said Al-Shahat. One is the monitoring and surveillance of terrorist networks, dismantling their support bases and infrastructure, drying up sources of funding and securing full control over ports and borders in collaboration with the relevant ministries and agencies. The second encompasses military and security actions, including raids and combing operations, carried out in collaboration with civil police and community members within the framework of the “Martyr’s Right Operation” in Sinai. The third involves putting comprehensive development projects in place in Sinai in order to raise standards of living and eliminate an environment and climate that has fed extremism.
The Egyptian military intelligence chief also said that the state of instability in many countries in the region contributed to the rise of terrorist attacks in Egypt during this period.
The scholar Ali Al-Jafri delivered a speech in which he praised the role of Egypt's army and its soldiers. He said the philosophy of the Egyptian army asserts that it is non-aggressive and not greedy. Responding to Jafri's statement, President el-Sisi said the Egyptian army and police have no political, sectarian, or ideological loyalty. Their loyalty goes only to the homeland.
Political analyst Abdel Moneem Saeed elaborated on those evil powers’ plans, mainly pointing fingers at the Muslim Brotherhood group. “They have two strategies; the first one is using militant groups to terrorize people on the ground, while the second one is using media outlets to distort the image of the state,” he said. Saeed mentioned as an example, that when the New Suez Canal national project was launched, the Muslim Brotherhood spread lies that the Egyptian people will not benefit from the project and that it will be handed over to foreign investors.
Summary
Egypt's security forces have been battling a decade-long militant Islamist insurgency, which intensified since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3, 2013. The insurgency has been mainly concentrated in North Sinai's Rafah, Arish, and Shiekh Zuwied. Militant attacks have left hundreds of police and army personnel dead.
Egypt’s counter-terrorism strategy is based on a comprehensive approach which focuses on combating and dismantling the core ideology which constitutes the threat itself, confronting the different terrorist groups which are its manifestations, and working to create an environment conducive to the rejection of radical thought, so as to prevent the resurgence of the threat. The 24th intellectual seminar of the Egyptian armed forces which was dedicated to "Counter-terrorism: a Nation's Will," is part of this approach.
The speech of General Mohamed Al-Shahat, the head of Military Intelligence, provided a most extensive, detailed discussion on the security situation in Sinai and the strategy to defeat the terror groups, and reflected the comprehensive approach implemented by the Egyptian armed forces.
Although the results of Egypt's counterterror strategy have been mixed so far, Egypt can be a model for other countries with similar problems and priorities to form counter terror and extremism strategy.
