The news came from Saudi Arabia as usual not from Egypt. It came from the State-owned Saudi Press Agency “SPA” and not from the the official Facebook page of the Egyptian armed forces Spokesperson Brigadier General Ahmad Samir.
According to SPA news published on Thursday Egypt's minister of defense Sedky Sobhy met with his Saudi counterpart Prince Mohamed Bin Salman in Riyadh to discuss the latest developments of Operation Decisive storm after the visit of Sedky to Pakistan.
The Saudi news agency mentioned in the end of its news that the meeting was attended by the Head of the Egyptian Reinforcement authority Major General Abdel Mohsen Mossa El-Shabarawy and the commander of the Egyptian force participating in the Saudi-led Coalition Brigadier General Rafik Rafaat Arafat and the Egyptian military attaché to Riyadh Colonel Mohamed Abdel Fatttah Abu Bakr.
Egypt’s armed forces Spox did not mention those names in his short statement about the minister of defense’s short visit to the Kingdom in that critical time.
On Saturday we found Saudi news websites sharing the photo of Brigadier General Rafik Rafaat Arafat.
Once again We know the news of our country’s army from abroad as it seems !!
It is worth to mention that only on April 10 Saturday the Spokesperson of the Saudi coalition announced that an Egyptian fighter jets participated in at least one air strikes on Yemen.
I do not know till when we are going to suffer from this lack of transparency. It is enough that we do not know for real the progress of that endless military operation in North Sinai so we would stumble in another military operation across seas. Speaking about Sinai , I wanted to raise this matter up but I was lost with all the updates in Yemen.
From two weeks ago ISIS-affiliated group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis “ABM” announced its responsibility for a series on attacks on several security checkpoints killing not less than 15 according to health sources. Late Friday the Sinai-based group released a very shocking video showing the execution of an Egyptian solider captured at one of the security checkpoints.
It is heartbreaking video where a kidnapped soldier “Ahmed Abu El-Fotouh” spoke in tears to the camera urging young Egyptian men not to join the army.
The video included also a beheading of a local from Sinai who was accused by ABM of working with Israeli Mossad.
Officially 20-years old Abou El-Fotouh died from his wound and was not shot till death by ABM according to the government.
As usual the video started with clips showing the mistreatment of the people in Sinai and their torture as well photos showing the victims from civilians specifically children killed by mistakes.
It is noticeable that ABM returned back to claim that their main goal was to liberate Jerusalem instead of vengeance for the Muslims in Egypt after the Raba’a massacre.
BY the way till this day the official statement of the Egyptian armed forces about the attack says that only 5 security forces personnel were killed in the attack where as all the Media outlets speak about not less 15 casualties
Added to the lack of transparency when it comes to the news coming from Sinai , we got the infamous disinformation and lies spread by the Pro-regime and state media proudly and shamelessly.
This is from Al-Akhbar newspaper which headed by Pro-Military and former military correspondent Yasser Razik’s coverage to that attack was another insult to Egyptian journalism.
In the First edition of the newspaper on the same day of the attack , it was claimed that the army killed 27 infidels “yes they used the word infidel to refer to the ABM Militants because we are not a religious state !!” then in the third edition we found out that the army killed 35 infidels !!
It is worth to mention that the State-owned newspaper claimed that attack was actually an Iranian plot according to unnamed security sources !!
It is worth to mention that Akhbar Al-Youm , the weekly edition of Al-Akhbar published a report claiming that a Houthi cell was arrested in Sinai and that it included members from ABM , Iran, Muslim Brotherhood and Houthis !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This 1967 media does not make me optimistic at all.
That tragedy in North Sinai should stop for the the sake of all people there whether the locals or the army soldiers and officers. The strategy adopted must be changed. This is guerrilla warfare not organized traditional war. The government must win the local community to its side. I do not know how many times people should say that so the political and military decision makers realize that !!
Above all that there should be transparency , true transparency because after all those are our youth in the army and this is our national security that affects our future whether in Sinai or Yemen.
El-Sisi said that we were not rewinding the 1960s when it comes to Yemen , well I am afraid we are rewinding the infamous lack of transparency of that bloody era which ended with the worst defeat ever.
By the way because I do really care about the people in Sinai and the Egyptian army , I speak and I criticize.
According to SPA news published on Thursday Egypt's minister of defense Sedky Sobhy met with his Saudi counterpart Prince Mohamed Bin Salman in Riyadh to discuss the latest developments of Operation Decisive storm after the visit of Sedky to Pakistan.
The Saudi news agency mentioned in the end of its news that the meeting was attended by the Head of the Egyptian Reinforcement authority Major General Abdel Mohsen Mossa El-Shabarawy and the commander of the Egyptian force participating in the Saudi-led Coalition Brigadier General Rafik Rafaat Arafat and the Egyptian military attaché to Riyadh Colonel Mohamed Abdel Fatttah Abu Bakr.
Egypt’s armed forces Spox did not mention those names in his short statement about the minister of defense’s short visit to the Kingdom in that critical time.
بعد زيارته الناجحة لباكستان.. الفريق أول/صدقى صبحى يتوجه إلى المملكة العربية السعودية..ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ...
Posted by الصفحة الرسمية للمتحدث العسكري للقوات المسلحة on Thursday, April 9, 2015
On Saturday we found Saudi news websites sharing the photo of Brigadier General Rafik Rafaat Arafat.
 |
| Brigadier General Rafik Arafat wearing the ground forces uniform "paratroopers if I am not mistaken" |
It is worth to mention that only on April 10 Saturday the Spokesperson of the Saudi coalition announced that an Egyptian fighter jets participated in at least one air strikes on Yemen.
I do not know till when we are going to suffer from this lack of transparency. It is enough that we do not know for real the progress of that endless military operation in North Sinai so we would stumble in another military operation across seas. Speaking about Sinai , I wanted to raise this matter up but I was lost with all the updates in Yemen.
From two weeks ago ISIS-affiliated group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis “ABM” announced its responsibility for a series on attacks on several security checkpoints killing not less than 15 according to health sources. Late Friday the Sinai-based group released a very shocking video showing the execution of an Egyptian solider captured at one of the security checkpoints.
It is heartbreaking video where a kidnapped soldier “Ahmed Abu El-Fotouh” spoke in tears to the camera urging young Egyptian men not to join the army.
The video included also a beheading of a local from Sinai who was accused by ABM of working with Israeli Mossad.
Officially 20-years old Abou El-Fotouh died from his wound and was not shot till death by ABM according to the government.
As usual the video started with clips showing the mistreatment of the people in Sinai and their torture as well photos showing the victims from civilians specifically children killed by mistakes.
It is noticeable that ABM returned back to claim that their main goal was to liberate Jerusalem instead of vengeance for the Muslims in Egypt after the Raba’a massacre.
BY the way till this day the official statement of the Egyptian armed forces about the attack says that only 5 security forces personnel were killed in the attack where as all the Media outlets speak about not less 15 casualties
Added to the lack of transparency when it comes to the news coming from Sinai , we got the infamous disinformation and lies spread by the Pro-regime and state media proudly and shamelessly.
This is from Al-Akhbar newspaper which headed by Pro-Military and former military correspondent Yasser Razik’s coverage to that attack was another insult to Egyptian journalism.
 |
| The first edition and the Third "last" edition of Al-Akhbar |
It is worth to mention that the State-owned newspaper claimed that attack was actually an Iranian plot according to unnamed security sources !!
 |
| A security source to Al Akhbar : The planning for that attack was Iranian !! |
This 1967 media does not make me optimistic at all.
That tragedy in North Sinai should stop for the the sake of all people there whether the locals or the army soldiers and officers. The strategy adopted must be changed. This is guerrilla warfare not organized traditional war. The government must win the local community to its side. I do not know how many times people should say that so the political and military decision makers realize that !!
Above all that there should be transparency , true transparency because after all those are our youth in the army and this is our national security that affects our future whether in Sinai or Yemen.
El-Sisi said that we were not rewinding the 1960s when it comes to Yemen , well I am afraid we are rewinding the infamous lack of transparency of that bloody era which ended with the worst defeat ever.
By the way because I do really care about the people in Sinai and the Egyptian army , I speak and I criticize.
What an excellent article, Z! This is what makes Egyptian Chronicles so indispensable. There is no other place for English speakers to get this news and opinion.
ReplyDeleteAnd the people are the last to know!!
ReplyDeleteThey still lie
I have noticed some other articles where Egyptian media elements refer to ABM members as "infidels," though at first it seemed like a translation issue (apparently they actually did say that). If they start to refer to Shias as "infidels," that will not be surprising. This deluded regime expects people to believe in it no matter how insane it acts. It is treated like an infallible font of divinity and wisdom.
ReplyDeleteThey may try rewriting the nature of their "opposition" to al-Qaeda and ABM. Instead of being terrorists, they may be portrayed as deviant religious foes; heretics. It has already taken the delirious step of connecting them to the Shia.
Remember how Morsi was criticized for tolerating the extreme rhetoric of his Salafist political allies? If lynchings start to happen on Sisi's watch, his support outside of the Arab world will falter. Even if governments won't dump him, public opinion will.
In any case, the current Egyptian dictatorship agrees with almost all versions of the MB about the Yemen intervention. The Islah party in Yemen enthusiastically endorses the Egyptian help they are receiving. Both sides in Libya support it. Sisi, not Iran, not the April 6, not the Revolutionary Socialists, not the Houthis, not the liberals, not the left, is working with organizations associated with and friendly with the MB. He is lying scum.