Egypt

May 2005 | Risk Summary

Two attacks on tourists in Cairo in April have added to concerns about security risks. Islamist militant networks had generally been weakened by a government crackdown in the aftermath of the 1997 Luxor tourist massacre, but, after seven years of calm, militants killed 34 tourists in the Sinai last October. The government has responded with a wave of arrests, now likely to intensify; there are also reports of torture. We are concerned that a heavyhanded crackdown may be a short-termist measure; militant recruiters will find reports of torture to be valuable propaganda for their cause.

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