DATE=10/22/98 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-41660 TITLE=UPPER EGYPT: SECURITY BYLINE=SCOTT BOBB DATELINE=ASSIUT, EGYPT CONTENT= VOICED AT: /// EDS: THIS IS ONE IN A SERIES OF BACKGROUND REPORTS FROM UPPER EGYPT /// INTRO: IT'S BEEN NEARLY ONE YEAR SINCE ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS ATTACKED A GROUP OF FOREIGN TOURISTS AT AN ANCIENT TEMPLE IN LUXOR, SOUTHERN EGYPT. THE ATTACK, IN WHICH MORE THAN 60 PEOPLE WERE KILLED, FOLLOWED YEARS OF BLOODY TERRORISM IN THE REGION, LEAVING HUNDREDS DEAD AND THOUSANDS UNDER ARREST. BUT SINCE LAST NOVEMBER'S ATTACK, THERE HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY NO VIOLENCE. V-O-A MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT SCOTT BOBB TRAVELED TO SOUTHERN EGYPT RECENTLY AND FILED THIS REPORT ON THE SECURITY SITUATION UP RIVER FROM LUXOR IN THE CITY OF ASSIUT. TEXT: THE SECURITY SITUATION IN UPPER EGYPT IS GREATLY IMPROVED AND TOURISM IS BEGINNING TO RECOVER. TODAY, THERE IS PEACE, BUT NERVOUS AUTHORITIES HAVE ORDERED POLICE OFFICERS TO BE WITH FOREIGNERS WHEREVER THEY GO -- WHETHER TO A MUSEUM OR A RIVERSIDE RESTAURANT LYING ALONG THE NILE. /// OPT /// EVEN A VISIT TO THE MOSQUES, MONASTERIES AND ANCIENT TEMPLES IN THE DESERT A SHORT DRIVE AWAY COMES WITH A POLICE ESCORT. /// END OPT /// A FEW YEARS AGO, ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS REGULARLY ATTACKED POLICE OFFICERS, COPTIC CHRISTIANS, AND FOREIGN TOURISTS AS PART OF A CAMPAIGN TO BRING ABOUT AN ISLAMIC STATE IN EGYPT. THE UNIVERSITY OF ASSIUT, WITH ITS 60-THOUSAND STUDENTS, WAS AN INCUBATOR FOR ISLAMIST EXTREMISM IN THOSE DAYS. A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY, MOHAMED IBRAHIM MANSOUR, SAYS THAT BACK THEN, THERE WAS A LACK OF JOBS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN THE REGION. /// MANSOUR ACT IN ARABIC WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION /// I'M SURE THAT ECONOMIC NEGLECT IS ONE OF THE REASONS OF THE RISE OF EXTREMISM, BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHER REASONS. /// END ACT /// PROFESSOR MANSOUR SAYS THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENT WAS SUPPORTED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS, WHO WERE FED UP WITH POVERTY, CORRUPTION, AND REPRESSIVE SECURITY FORCES. ANALYSTS ALSO SAY THE MOVEMENT IN THE 1960'S AND 1970'S WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE AUTHORITIES IN ORDER TO COUNTER MARXIST AND NATIONALISTIC MOVEMENTS THAT OPPOSED THE GOVERNMENT. /// OPT /// BY THE 1980'S MEMBERS OF THE "GAMA'A ISLAMIYA," OR "ISLAMIC GROUP," HAD TAKEN OVER THE LEADERSHIP OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS AT ASSIUT UNIVERSITY. FROM THERE, THE MOVEMENT SPREAD THROUGHOUT EGYPT. /// OPT /// THE GROUP'S MAIN GOALS ARE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ISLAMIC STATE IN EGYPT. IT ALSO SUPPORTS THE ELIMINATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND PUNISHMENT FOR GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE SEEN AS SUPPORTING ISRAEL AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE DIED IN THE SUBSEQUENT VIOLENCE. /// OPT /// SHEIKH ABDEL RAHMAN AMINA IS AN ISLAMIST ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISLAMIC GROUP AND A PROFESSOR AT AZHAR UNIVERSITY, THE OLDEST INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES IN THE WORLD. HE SAYS THE MOVEMENT IS NOT VIOLENT. /// OPT // AMINA ACT. IN ARABIC WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION /// THE POLITICAL ISLAMIC MOVEMENT CAN NEVER FINISH. BUT IT IS HERE AND WE MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ISLAMIC POLITICAL MOVEMENT AND WHAT IS CALLED TERRORISM AND EXTREMISM, BECAUSE TERRORISM AND EXTREMISM ARE OUTSIDE OF ISLAMIC POLITICS. /// END ACT // END OPT /// LOCAL POLITICIANS AND SECURITY OFFICIALS SAY THE TURNING POINT IN THE BATTLE CAME LAST NOVEMBER WITH THE ATTACK AT LUXOR. EGYPTIANS WERE SHOCKED. FOLLOWING THE ATTACK, PUBLIC OPINION TURNED MASSIVELY AGAINST THE EXTREMISTS. A NEW MINISTER OF INTERIOR WAS APPOINTED. THE SECURITY FORCES WERE REORGANIZED. A NEW MAYOR OF LUXOR WAS ALSO NAMED -- RETIRED ARMY GENERAL SILMY SELIM, WHO SAYS THE TRAGEDY WAS A MAJOR LESSON. /// SELIM ACT. IN ARABIC WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION /// WE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THAT DESPICABLE (HORRIBLE) INCIDENT AND FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE STUDY WHICH WE CARRIED OUT AFTERWARDS THAT LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW SECURITY PLAN. /// END ACT /// GENERAL SELIM SAYS SECURITY ZONES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AROUND LUXOR'S MONUMENTS AND OTHER IMPORTANT AREAS, AND THE MILITARY IS NOW CALLED IN WHEN NEEDED. THE FLOW OF FUNDING TO THE ISLAMIC GROUP HAS ALSO REPORTEDLY BEEN DRASTICALLY REDUCED. PRESSURE HAS BEEN BROUGHT ON THOSE FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS WHICH HAVE PROVIDED ASYLUM TO MEMBERS WHO FLED ABROAD IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THEIR ACTIVITIES. OFFICIALS SAY THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE, HOWEVER, IS THAT LOCAL CIVILIANS NOW HELP POLICE. /// OPT /// GENERAL MOUSTAPHA ABDEL-ADER IS THE GOVERNOR OF MINYA, A NEIGHBORING REGION TO ASSIUT WHICH ALSO SAW A GREAT DEAL OF EXTREMIST VIOLENCE A FEW YEARS AGO. HE SAYS COOPERATION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE POLICE HAS LED TO THE CAPTURE OF MOST OF THE TERRORISTS. /// OPT // ABDEL-ADER ACT IN ARABIC, WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION /// AS FAR AS THE TERRORIST ATTACKS THAT WERE IN MINYA -- NOW THEY ARE NO MORE BECAUSE OF THE POPULAR AND POLITICAL MOVEMENT. THEY (THE PEOPLE) DISCOVERED THAT TERRORISTS THREATEN THEIR LIVELIHOODS AND FUTURE. THE PEOPLE ALSO REALIZED THAT THEIR (THE MILITANTS') INTERPRETATIONS OF ISLAM ARE WRONG BECUASE ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF PEACE. /// END ACT // END OPT /// THERE ARE ALSO EFFORTS TO ADDRESS WHAT SOME BELIEVE ARE THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE MOVEMENT. THE SENIOR ADVISER TO THE GOVERNOR OF ASSIUT IS YEHIA ABDEL-AAL. HE SAYS HE AND THE GOVERNOR BELIEVE EDUCATION AND GOOD GOVERNANCE ARE WAYS TO STEM THE RISE OF EXTREMIST GROUPS. /// YEHIA ACT /// WE HAVE A MISSION IN THE REGION TO DEVELOP HUMAN RESOURCES, TO REACH THE YOUNG GENERATION AND TRY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AND TRY TO TEACH THEM HOW TO THINK AND HOW TO BE PROACTIVE AND ALSO, TO MAKE THEM THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE. AND ALSO WE TEACH THEM WHY WE SHOULD HAVE PEACE IN THE REGION -- BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY WAY AND THE ONLY ROAD TO DEVELOPMENT. ///END ACT/// OFFICIALS IN SOUTHERN EGYPT SAY WHILE INCIDENTS MAY STILL OCCUR, THE POLICE ARE ON THE OFFENSIVE INSTEAD OF THE DEFENSIVE. THEY SAY THE POLICE ARE VIGILANT, WATCHING TO PREVENT THE YOUNGER GENERATION FROM BEING SEDUCED BY EXTREMIST IDEAS OR CALLS TO VIOLENCE. OTHERS, HOWEVER, ARE SKEPTICAL. THEY SAY THAT VIOLENT INDIVIDUALS ARE STILL AMONG THEM. AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE, THEY SAY, THAT SOME PEOPLE STILL FEAR THE AUTHORITIES MORE THAN THE EXTREMISTS. (SIGNED) NEB/SB/PCF 22-Oct-98 1:44 PM EDT (1744 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .