Flames rise over the al-Sabil natural gas terminal after an explosion near the town of El-Arish (Photo: AP)
The visit of interim Prime Minister Essam Sharaf to Sinai is one of the reasons behind the second bombing of the pipeline supplying gas to Israel and Jordan, an eyewitness believes.
Unknown saboteurs blew up the pipeline that runs through North Sinai at the crack of dawn Wednesday, an incident that is widely expected to escalate tensions between Egypt and Israel.
Eyewitness, Mohamed Sabri, an Egyptian living in Sinai, cited several reasons why the pipeline was once again attacked, including Sharaf’s meeting with Sinai tribes’ chiefs last Saturday.
“The second bombing of the pipeline that took place after nearly three months of the first was instigated by frustration caused by three main problems,” he told Ahram Online.
“The first is Premier Essam Sharaf’s visit to Sinai a week ago during the 29th Liberation Festival.
“He went to South Sinai and not the North, while the figures of the toppled regime were the ones who picked the 30 tribes’ chiefs who actually sat down with him.
“All of these chiefs were disciples of that regime.
“Some Sinai residents are still detained although the government has repeatedly vowed to release them, and that’s another problem.
“Moreover, others were sentenced to long time in jail without being able to defend themselves in court and, as a result, cannot leave Sinai. They have been long calling for a pardon.”
Speaking of the same issue, Selim Dahmash, one of Bedouin Sawarka tribe’s chiefs, believes frustration could result in more dire ramifications.
He also believes the remnants of the dismantled State Security are still hunting Sinai’s inhabitants.
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