Yediot Acharonot military commentator Alex Fishman writes this morning, "Under Israel's nose, an Al-Qaeda terror network sprouted in Sinai, and it has issued a warning card to Israel; 'We are on your tail. If we were able to blow up the Taba Hilton, we can also cross this non-border, just like the prostitutes, the drug dealers and the arms-smugglers... We're already in your back yard, in Sinai... The Israeli government has not yet understood that the border with Egypt is an Achilles' heel, and that we must immediately place more observation points, more electronic means, more patrols... There was a 'mistaken conception' about what type of terror attack could be expected in Sinai. It was thought that it would be a 'local,' small-scale Palestinian attack..."
Fishman wrote that Israel had long tried, without success, to convince the Egyptians to carry out a joint rescue exercise in Sinai. Similar exercises have been carried out with Jordan. Israeli forces themselves held a rescue exercise several months ago in Jerusalem's Holyland Hotel - part of which had been demolished - and practiced operations that were in fact employed in Taba.
The Sunday Times reported today that Prime Minister Sharon has instructed Israel's Mossad intelligence agency to place the hunt for Al-Qaeda terrorists atop its list of priorities.
General Security Service chief Avi Dichter, who issued the original warnings of possible attacks in Sinai three weeks ago, criticized the government for not acting firmly enough on the information. He said that Israel's peace treaty with Egypt had prevented it from closing the border, and noted that the travel warnings that were issues were an inadequate response to "a highly specific terrorist alert."
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, at the emergency Cabinet meeting he convened in Jerusalem on Friday, praised Egypt and President Mubarak for their cooperation with Israeli rescue teams in Sinai. Sharon also requested that the government ministers not criticize Egypt or Egyptian authorities.
Fishman wrote that Israel had long tried, without success, to convince the Egyptians to carry out a joint rescue exercise in Sinai. Similar exercises have been carried out with Jordan. Israeli forces themselves held a rescue exercise several months ago in Jerusalem's Holyland Hotel - part of which had been demolished - and practiced operations that were in fact employed in Taba.
The Sunday Times reported today that Prime Minister Sharon has instructed Israel's Mossad intelligence agency to place the hunt for Al-Qaeda terrorists atop its list of priorities.
General Security Service chief Avi Dichter, who issued the original warnings of possible attacks in Sinai three weeks ago, criticized the government for not acting firmly enough on the information. He said that Israel's peace treaty with Egypt had prevented it from closing the border, and noted that the travel warnings that were issues were an inadequate response to "a highly specific terrorist alert."
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, at the emergency Cabinet meeting he convened in Jerusalem on Friday, praised Egypt and President Mubarak for their cooperation with Israeli rescue teams in Sinai. Sharon also requested that the government ministers not criticize Egypt or Egyptian authorities.