In an article in the Egyptian government daily Al-Ahram titled "From Al-Aqsa to Darfour," the paper's deputy editor, Mahmoud Murad, accused Israel of involvement in the April 7, 2005 bombing near Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo. This bombing, he said, was meant to distract from "the Zionist attempts to destroy Al-Aqsa," the "cruel attack on Sudan," and "the conspiracy against Syria." [1] The following are excerpts from the article:
Zionists are Plotting to Destroy Al-Aqsa
"Dangerous events that are destroying the region are taking place, and all we can do is analyze them and understand the connection between these and other events. We must open our eyes in order to read and know the details [of the events], by piecing together the puzzle from its four main pieces that occurred simultaneously.
"The first piece is the activity by Zionist groups to destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque. This is without Israel's government - which speaks in the high-flown language of peace - making any assertive move to halt this comedy, and also without any action by the [U.N.] Security Council and the important countries, headed by the U.S., against this activity that violates international laws and conventions and stops the peace efforts!"
Israel Revives 1954 Terrorist Scandal
"The second piece is the Israeli government's decision to revive the 1954 scandal… when the Mossad recruited a number of Zionists to place bombs and explosive charges in some American and British movie theaters and cultural centers in Cairo and Alexandria, so as to provoke conflict between Cairo, and Washington and London – except that the terrorists were exposed and brought to trial.
"But half a century later, instead of Israel closing this chapter of blood and terrorism, the Sharon government declares that it honors these terrorists, and considers them heroes – which reveals [Israel's] intentions that are hidden from no one - that is, that it does not forget its agents who will repeat this deed [also] in the future."
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Sudan is Being Attacked and Divided… to Besiege Egypt
"The third piece is the cruel attack on the Sudan because of the events in Darfour. During this time, we are hearing and reading about the demand from outside Sudan to try those involved [in the events in Darfour], and about the threat of sanctions on Sudan, based on Chapter Seven of the charter of the U.N. Security Council. What is strange is that Washington is leading this act, while it refuses to implement the same law and the same criteria for itself, its citizens, or its soldiers everywhere in the world! And this is while Israel does as it wishes without any accountability, and the American officers and soldiers still do as they wish in Iraq, with no oversight!
"The [actual] aim is to attack and divide the Sudan, because it is considered the Arab heart in Africa and the African heart in the Arab nation, and in order to besiege Egypt – the base of the [Arab] nation from the south – and to tighten the noose around it, as Israel is situated northwest of it!"
A Plan to Attack Strong Arab Countries
"The fourth piece is what is happening in Syria, and I am not talking about Lebanon, when the world was in an uproar, and calmed down only after the Syrian forces began to withdraw from Lebanon. Although the Syrian forces entered Lebanon in order to maintain security and order, the threats and accusations against Syria are still continuing. This is happening when no one has done a thing in light of the continued Israeli occupation of the Syrian heights, and there have been no demands that the Israeli government withdraw from Lebanon's Sheba'a Farms – which Syria confirmed and declared to be part of Lebanon, not Syria… This is compatible with the plan to attack the strong Arab countries, or those that raise their voices and defend Arabism!"
Israel Seeks to Realize its Expansionist Aspirations through Bombings, Like That at Al-Azhar
"If we place these four [puzzle] pieces next to each other, and read the events, beginning with Al-Aqsa, through Darfour, and to the [terror] incident at Al-Azhar [in Cairo], it appears that the aim is to intimidate, shock the stability, and distract the Arab countries from defending themselves and building themselves. It is so they won't notice the division of the region, and so Israel will be able to turn its attention to realizing its aspirations of expansion, using all means including carrying out heinous operations such as setting death traps of explosive charges, such as happened at Al-Azhar, and half a century ago…
"In light of the above, can it be said that the [terror] operation on Gowhar Al-Siqqili street [2] is far from [being linked] to the Mossad? Wasn't its aim to intimidate and distract Egypt so that it wouldn't notice what is happening at Al-Aqsa, and would ignore what is being plotted against Syria, and would not focus on its neighbor Sudan in its terrible distress[?]…"
