An Islamic civil war
Terrorists aim to overthrow Arab government and their primary focus is moderate Islam; all the anti-Israel conspiracy theories in the world won't help Arab countries, says terror expert Boaz Ganor
Dr. Boaz Ganor, an expert on international terrorism and assistant dean at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herziliya, says it will take a long time for terrorism to end.
“The connection between the terror attacks in London, Madrid, and New York are very clear,” he told ynet after the London terror attacks.
“The purpose of the terrorists is to isolate the Middle East and cut it off from outside intervention, so that they can overthrow the Arab regimes. This is, first of all, a declaration of war against moderate Islam.”
“The aim of attacking the West is to cause it to turn to isolationism, and to pull away from the Middle East. In a situation where the United States and the West cuts aid to the Middle East, and to Egypt for example, tourism will collapse. It will then be easier for radical Islam to overthrow the government and take over the country. That is their aim. However, moderate Islam in the Arab countries doesn’t see this, and prefers to stick its head in the sand.”
Even before all of the bodies of those killed in Sinai were taken away, an Egyptian strategic analyst went on an Al Jazeera broadcast and hinted that Israel’s Mossad was behind the Egypt attacks.
“You shouldn’t rule out the opportunity that Israel wants to take revenge for the Netanya attack last week and even the attacks in Sinai and Taba last October,” said the Egyptian 'analyst.'
Hours later, a senior figure from the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, and a member of parliament, Ala Hasnin, also appeared on Al Jazeera, and continued the same line.
Egypt’s former communications minister, Muhammad Faik, went even further, saying that “the support of Israel’s policies is what causes the terror.”
Conspiracy theories won't help
Al Jazeera’s Cairo correspondent said that citizens, who were celebrating the anniversary of the revolution of the Free Officer’s (Egypt’s national holiday), were frightened, and convinced that Muslims could not have carried out such acts, but rather that an outside player was responsible, who wished to harm Egypt.
Dr. Ganor is not surprised by the accusations.
“We shouldn’t forget what neighborhood we live in – a neighborhood where conspiracy theories against Israel reign supreme. The person who said that should be stripped of the title ‘strategic analyst,’ but the fact that he said it shouldn’t surprise anyone."
"Israel is not much loved here," says Ganor.
"Despite that, radical Islam is waging a campaign against moderate Islam. Instead of dealing with the rotten fruit that has grown in its shadow, moderate Islam prefers being in denial about the danger and to invent charges against Israel.”
Answer to terror: A Middle Eastern Marshall plan
Since the 9/11 attacks in September, a theory about a ‘clash of civilizations’ has often been repeated. According to this view, Islam is at war with the West. But Dr. Ganor sees world events from a different angle.
“I agree that there is a clash, but it is first and foremost with moderate Islam. In general, there is no need to bind the terror of radical Islam to the Israeli-Palestinian sphere, because its not the same ideology, not the same background, and not the same trigger.The global jihad started long before Israel was used as an excuse for it.”
Dr. Ganor is actually optimistic when it comes to finding a solution. “Its possible to fight suicide terror through two means – by striking the operational ability of terrorists, through consolidating intelligence, thereby hurting their motivation, and by initiating a ‘Marshall Plan’ for this area, something I’ve been calling for to happen for years."
"Today we are reaping the rotten fruit sewn 25 years ago, when radical Islam was busy winning hearts and minds, under an uninterrupted initiative known in Arabic as Da’wa," says Ganor.
"A reverse da’wa must be waged with the same intensity, which means closing all the madrassas (Islamic learning centers) and opening up different schools in their place.
Until the Arab states don’t understand that this terrorism is aimed primarily at them, none of this will happen, and to my great sorrow they won’t understand it until something dramatic happens. Therefore, I expect that we’ll continue to roll down this slope."
A group linked with al-Qaeda calling itself the “Abudullah Azam Brigades” said it was behind the Sinai attacks.
But Dr. Ganor does not think that any one group name is particularly significant.
“In recent years, a number of groups have taken this name. Abudullah Azzam is the spiritual leader of Al Qaeda, and is of Palestinian origin. Osama Bin Laden is applying his doctrine.
Its difficult to say which one of these has taken responsibility, and therefore there are three options: al Qaeda sleeper cells in Egypt, a group friendly to al-Qaeda, which is acting in its name, or a group inspired by al-Qaeda, locally organized.”
Egyptian sources say that the attacks could also be linked to the start of the trials of suspects charged with planning the previous Sinai attacks in October 2004. Another option is that the bombings were deliberately carried out on the anniversary of the Free Officer’s Revolt.
