CAIRO VOW TO REDOUBLE BATTLE AGAINST ITS ENEMY WITHIN

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi ordered a massive shake-up of defence after last month’s confrontation between militants and security forces in the Western Desert just 135 kilometres from Cairo.

Last month Mr El Sisi named a new army chief of staff and interior minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar ordered a leadership change at the National Security Agency – the main internal intelligence unit.

But following Friday’s massacre at Al Rawdah mosque in North Sinai – the deadliest terrorist attack in Egypt’s modern history, authorities are signalling more of a doubling down of their approach to security challenges in the region than a policy rethink.

“This attack will do nothing but make us stronger and more persistent in our effort combat terrorism, Mr El Sisi told a nation stunned by the unprecedented assault on Muslim worshippers that has yet to be claimed by any group.

A briefing on Friday night by Dia Rashwan, who heads the state information service, underscored the key themes that the administration has emphasised since Mr El Sisi rose to power.

They include the assertion that all terrorism in the country is ultimately rooted in the ideology and structure of the Muslim Brotherhood – outlawed in Egypt since 2013 – and an insistence that all violence is directed at the destruction of the Egyptian state, not a replacement of the country’s military-influenced political leadership.

“The battle has become so clear in the decisive stage,” Mr Rashwan said. “All Egyptians are lining up in the face of a paid rogue group sponsored by the enemies of Egypt and humanity abroad.”

The administration categorically rejects suggestions that the terrorist groups linked to Al Qaeda and ISIL have made gains in recruitment or created a support base due to shortcomings in Egypt’s domestic political arrangements or economic challenges.

Cairo continues to hold outside forces responsible for the ideological and financial drive behind domestic terrorism, which last year claimed the lives of 293 citizens and at least 305 in Friday’s attack alone.

“The world’s reluctance to uproot [terrorism’s] support and finance will lead to spreading its evil everywhere,” said Mr Rashwan. “Egypt’s people and leadership will continue to confront it courageously and defend her citizens on behalf of humanity.”

Global and regional media outlets are also blamed for a misunderstanding of the scale of Egypt’s terrorism challenge, which officials insist is still largely confined to an area in north-eastern Sinai comprising just 30 of Egypt’s one million square kilometres.

“There is no excuse for those determined to use ambiguous terms such as the so-called ‘armed opposition’, ‘political violence’ or ‘conflict with the regime’. Those who use this language are partners to terrorists, either by encouragement or evasion,” Mr Rashwan said.

Authorities are also making it clear that there will be no change of policy regarding imprisonment of the government’s political opponents, or a loosening of regulations on personal expression.

“This heinous crime is an alarm to all organisations that trade in raising high the banners of “human rights and freedoms”, the state information service said.

Pro-administration Egyptians take it as an article of faith that a military leadership in the world’s Muslim Brotherhood continues to menace stability in Egypt.

“The Brotherhood mobilises support for terrorism, justifies it and censures those who fight it,” said Abdel Moneim Said, chairman of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies in Cairo. “When terrorists are killed they become ‘martyrs’. The actions of their affiliates Hasm, Anjad Masr, Allqab Al Thawri show they do not hesitate to practise violence, as we see in Egypt today.”

The official mourning period for mosque massacre will continue until tomorrow – but the sense in Cairo is that the government intends to hold a fortress around its controlling principles for a very long time.

I refer to your article Man who raped and murdered eightyear-old Obaida is executed in

Dubai (November 24). I have a son the same age and my heart breaks for this family and the innocent victim. The perpetrator is dead, as he should be, and should never be spoken of again. It is the victim, his family, his friends and other potential victims who should be the focus now. This boy was everyone’s son, brother and friend. He will forever be remembered by my family and many others. Ela Jayne, Abu Dhabi

Rest in peace, little one. This story was so sad, heartbreaking and infuriating. May his family finally try to get on with their lives. Life will be different, but at least some kind of justice has been done. Chika Marie, Abu Dhabi

In a country of such low crime rates, this was a particularly gruesome story. May God give the family strength. Name withheld by request