DATE=  11/18/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-222859

TITLE=EGYPT ATTACK (L UPDATE)

BYLINE=DOUGLAS ROBERTS

DATELINE=CAIRO

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



    ///  EDS:  THIS REPORT UPDATES CR 2-222857, NEW INTERIOR 

                MINISTER, LAST GRAPH OF TEXT  ///



INTRO:  ONE DAY AFTER THE WORST TERRORIST ATTACK IN EGYPT'S 

HISTORY, PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK IS VOWING TO IMPLEMENT TOUGH NEW

SECURITY MEASURES  AROUND THE COUNTRY'S MAIN TOURIST SITES.  

V-O-A'S DOUGLAS ROBERTS IN CAIRO REPORTS EGYPT'S MOST POWERERFUL 

ISLAMIST EXTREMIST GROUP IS CLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE 

ATTACK MONDAY IN LUXOR THAT LEFT NEARLY 60 FOREIGN TOURISTS DEAD.



TEXT:  THE CLAIM OF RESPONSIBILITY CAME FROM THE OUTLAWED ISLAMIC

GROUP, IN A STATEMENT FAXED TO WESTERN NEWS AGENCY OFFICES HERE 

TUESDAY.



THE GROUP SAYS 15 OF ITS MILITANTS TOOK PART IN THE LUXOR ATTACK.

THE STATEMENT SAYS THEIR OBJECTIVE WAS TO TAKE A LARGE GROUP OF 

TOURISTS HOSTAGE, IN A BID TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF THE GROUP'S 

SPIRITUAL LEADER, THE BLIND EGYPTIAN CLERIC SHEIKH OMAR 

ABDERRAHMAN, WHO IS SERVING A LIFE PRISON SENTENCE IN THE UNITED 

STATES FOR HIS PART IN THE 1993 BOMBING OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER

IN NEW YORK.



TUESDAY'S STATEMENT BLAMED WHAT IT DESCRIBED AS THE RASH BEHAVIOR

OF THE SECURITY FORCES FOR THE HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE IN MONDAY'S 

INCIDENT.



THERE WAS  NO  WAY TO VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE STATEMENT,  

NOR  OF AN EARLIER COMMUNIQUE FROM AN ORGANIZATION CALLED 

VANGUARDS OF THE CONQUEST WHICH ALSO APPEARED TO CLAIM 

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LUXOR ATTACK.



BUT CAIRO NEWSPAPER REPORTS SAY POLICE HAVE TENTATIVELY 

IDENTIFIED TWO OF THE SLAIN TERRORISTS AS LEADERS OF THE ISLAMIC 

GROUP.



EGYPTIAN OFFICIALS SAY ALL SIX MEN WHO TOOK PART IN THE ATTACK 

WERE KILLED IN GUNBATTLES WITH SECURITY FORCES.



PRESIDENT MUBARAK DENOUNCED THE TERRORISTS AS CRIMINALS AND 

KILLERS WHO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ISLAM OR ANY OTHER RELIGION.



THE EGYPTIAN LEADER FLEW TO LUXOR EARLY TUESDAY, AND WAS TAKEN 

STRAIGHT TO THE FAMED TEMPLE OF QUEEN HATSHEPSUT, THE SCENE OF 

MONDAY'S CARNAGE.



EGYPTIAN OFFICIALS NOW SAY A TOTAL OF 58 FOREIGNERS WERE KILLED, 

AMONG THEM SWISS, GERMAN, JAPANESE, BRITISH. AND FRENCH CITIZENS.

TWENTY-FIVE PEOPLE, MOST OF THEM TOURISTS, WERE WOUNDED IN THE 

ATTACK.



OFFICIALS SAY THE TERRORISTS MUTILATED MANY OF THEIR VICTIMS, AND

SOME OF THE DEAD HAVE  NOT  YET BEEN IDENTIFIED.



DURING HIS BRIEF VISIT TO LUXOR, PRESIDENT MUBARAK VOICED DEEP 

REGRET OVER THE LOSS OF LIFE.  HE WAS ALSO CRITICAL OF WHAT HE 

TERMED GAPS IN SECURITY MEASURES AROUND THE TOWN'S PRINCIPLE 

TOURIST SITES.



THE EGYPTIAN LEADER TOLD REPORTERS HE HAS ORDERED TOUGH NEW 

PRECAUTIONS, TO GO INTO EFFECT WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.



LATE TUESDAY, THE LUXOR ATTACK CLAIMED ITS FIRST POLITICAL 

CASUALITY.  MR. MUBARAK FIRED HIS INTERIOR MINISTER, HASSAN 

AL-ALFI, REPLACING HIM WITH ANOTHER SENIOR POLICE OFFICER (HABIB 

AL-ADLI).  (SIGNED) 



NEB/DBR/JWH/EH



18-Nov-97 11:47 AM EST (1647 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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