#Sinai : Bad night , bad morning

The general mood in Egypt is mourning one after the Sinai attack despite there is no official mourning just like in the days of Mubarak, Egyptians get killed and no official mourning !! People are sad in work and in homes. No TV channel has announced national mourning except ONTV as well Cairo Opera House that decided to cancel its artistic activities for three days in mourning. Al Shorouk newspaper has announced that President Morsi announced the official mourning for three days.

The death toll of victims raised to 16 !! The photos of martyrs began to find its way to social media. Young officers and conscripts whose ages range from 18 to 29 years old. The victims are from army and central security forces. Their bodies should reach to Cairo soon this afternoon !!
Currently there are strict check points in North Sinai according to Journalists who head from Cairo to Al Arish. The residents of North Sinai have already cut the roads and set tires on fire in solidarity with the Egyptian army.

Angry citizens in Sinai "AP"

Here is the televised speech of Morsi which he said very late night.

Anyhow this clip did not have the slightest effect on Egyptians compared to that video showing the victims transferred to the morgue. "Graphic"

Now interestingly enough it turned out that the Sinai tribes' Chieftains were having a breakfast with none other than the head of Egyptian intelligence "GIS" Mouard Mwafi at the tim of the cowardly act !! It is unclear if they were having the breakfast in Cairo or in Rafah. Mwafi used to be the governor of North Sinai before appointed as the head of the GIS after the #Jan25 revolution. Today Morsi is having another meeting with Mwafi.
Now in Israel , well the Israeli government is bragging on how they beat the terrorists in 15 minutes insisting that they gave intelligence info their Egyptian counterpart. I will buy this.
Israeli PM Netanyahu has visited Israeli Egyptian borders and the locations of clashes in Karam Shalom.

His Arabic media spokesperson of course continued to tease us and published a photo for the burned military vehicle.

Of course the IDF could not leave us alone and decided to post the video showing how they blew up the bloody Egyptian vehicle !!

Here is a quick round up from reactions in Egypt following the attack

Freedom and Justice Party issued a statement last Sunday night condemning the attack describing as “criminal terrorist attack” demanding President Morsi, the supreme commander of armed forces and the government to take all the needed procedures to face “that challenge facing Egyptian sovereignty” and “to protect Sinai from all militant groups”.

Moderate Islamist Al Wasat Party demanded a quick and harsh reaction following the attack in order to “ revenge for the blood of Egypt’s heroes” and “to arrest those terrorists behind the attack” through tough procedures to track the planners of such act and those funding them from inside and outside the country.

Al Wasat Party added in its statement issued on Sunday’s night that it put itself as well other powers in the society in the support of the armed forces in securing the borders and Sinai.

Liberal Al Wafd Party issued a statement condemning the attack and paying its respect to the soldiers and officers from armed forces killed in the attack adding that Al Wafd Party has already warned from what it described as sleeping terrorist cells in Sinai targeting the democratic transition in Egypt.

Liberal Democratic Front Party’s general secretary office held an urgent meeting on Sunday’s night following the attack as well to discuss the implications resulted from that attack demanding a harsh reaction. The party also decided to half-mast its flag for three days in mourning.  

Today Egyptian athlete was qualified to the semi-final 800m race , Mohamed Hamda did the military salute in a very significant moment.

Now at the same time anti-Palestinian sentiments are back in Egypt thanks to the biased Media machine , Hamas in Gaza held a memorial service for the late victims of the attack. Hamas reportedly offered its full help to arrest those who are standing behind the attack. 

In Gaza "AP"

Any serious researcher in Islamist groups will know that Salafist Jihadist groups "suspect" are actually against Muslim brotherhood and their way of thinking. The Salafist Jihadist groups consider the MB to be the liberals of the Islamists. 

In afternoon Morsi paid a quick visit to Al Arish , to Rafah along with Tantawy and Mwafi , he did not visit the site of the attack for security reasons yet he vowed that the army will fire back. Now he did not give an order to destroy the tunnels but Tantawy gave an order to destroy the tunnels. News agencies say that Egyptian air forces are already there !!

Tomorrow there will be big military/popular funeral for the victims tomorrow at Al Rashdan mosque attended by the president.