Washington warns its citizens in Egypt
Egypt-USA, Local, 4/8/2005

The American embassy in Cairo issued a statements urging American citizens to stay away from the area where Thursday evening an explosion took place. The embassy said that there is no independent information indicating that the attack is part of a large scale campaign, but warned the Americans of areas where foreign tourists gather in Cairo.

Worthy mentioning that al-Azhar quarters is in the downtown of Cairo trade and tourism center where the most remarkable Islamic monuments are located, al-Azhar mosque and Imam al-Hussein Bin Ali, in addition to the fact it is considered a main center for textile, silver and gold trade. A matter which made of it a center of attraction to Egyptians and foreign tourists, alike.

No signs surfaced immediately on the intention behind the attack which recalled the series of attacks which targeted foreign tourists in Egypt by the beginning of the 1990s and inflected heavy losses in the tourism industry which is the main source of national income in Egypt.

These attacks came on the background of confrontations between the Egyptian authorities and the armed Islamic groups, the most dangerous of which was al-Oqsor attack in November 1997 which resulted in killing 58 persons with most of them are Swiss. After that, the Islamic group announced suspension of its armed operations.

The attacks resumed in October 2004 when one attack targeted Taba Hilton and two resorts in Sinai and resulted in killing 34 persons and injured 100 persons most of them Israeli tourists.

Previous Stories:
  Nabil Fahmi: Egypt is not party to Bush guarantees to Sharon   (3/29/2005)
  Awwad: Mubarak's visit to Washington was not originally scheduled to be adjourned   (3/15/2005)
  Taba: a demonstration deploring the explosions   (10/15/2004)
  Maher Abdel Wahed: Taba inspections, witness questioning done   (10/12/2004)

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