EGYPT-VIOLENCE/PM Egyptian PM reassures after tourist site bombing

Record ID: 151009

  • Title: EGYPT-VIOLENCE/PM Egyptian PM reassures after tourist site bombing
  • Date: 12th June 2015
  • Summary: LUXOR, EGYPT (JUNE 11, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** AREA OF BLAST VARIOUS OF DEBRIS QUEEN HATSHEPSUT TEMPLE VARIOUS OF STRUCTURES AT QUEEN HATSHEPSUT TEMPLE VARIOUS OF LUXOR TEMPLE COLUMNS LUXOR TEMPLE STRUCTURES EXTERIOR OF LUXOR TEMPLE MINISTERIAL GROUP INSPECTING TEMPLE EGYPTIAN PRIME MINISTER, IBRAHIM MAHLAB, WALKING THROUGH TEMPLE MAHLAB
  • Embargoed: 27th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADVK66SSZ1UWIJNR7OTPIDQZD2
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: One day after an attack near an Egyptian tourist site in Luxor, Egyptian Prime Minster Ibrahim Mahlab made a late night visit to the temples and sites of the ancient city on Thursday (June 11).
    A suicide bomber blew himself up on Wednesday (June 10) near the ancient Karnak temple in Luxor, wounding four Egyptians. A week earlier, two police officers were killed in an attack near the Giza Pyramids, hundreds of miles to the north.
    Mahlab toured the city and visited every major temple including Queen Hatshepsut's temple, Luxor, and the nearest temple to the blast, the Karnak temple. He urged international solidarity to fight "terrorism".
    "Can you make sure that anywhere in the world is safe 100 per cent? No place is safe 100 per cent. Without real solidarity no place is safe, no place in the world but we are taking all measures, everything is controlled and now it is a question of international solidarity against terrorism," he said.
    Mahlab was accompanied by members of his cabinet including tourism minister, Khaled Ramy, antiquities minister Mamdouh Al Damaty among others. The interior minister Magdy Abdel Gaffar visited the site Thursday morning.
    After a violent campaign directed at security forces, Egyptian militants appear to be zooming in on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's most vulnerable point: the economy.
    Attacks on two prime tourist sites in the space of eight days are deeply worrying for a government which has staked much of its credibility on reviving the economy after years of political turmoil.
    While the attacks did not kill or harm any tourists, they raise concerns that Islamist insurgents have opened a new, economic front.
    Egyptian officials from Sisi to the Luxor governor were at pains to say that all was well, that this week's foiled attack showed security forces were on alert and would protect tourists.
    But providing reassurances that some of the world's most spectacular tourist attractions are safe may prove difficult.
    Despite this a Canadian tourist couple said that even though they felt nervous initially they are now reassured.
    "We were very nervous and also a little concerned and confused but we just waited to get more information and once we got that we decided to continue with our vacation and we feel that if others have plans they should stick with it," said Kurt.
    Another tourist, Molly Arkens, said that she does not feel less safe and will visit the Karnak temple.
    "No I don't feel any less safe than I did two days ago. We're going to Karnak tomorrow we have the visit scheduled for a week and we haven't changed our plans - we are still going. We're not worried," said Arkens.
    Egypt's economy has been battered since 2011, when a popular uprising forced autocrat Hosni Mubarak from power. Sisi has announced several mega-projects, garnered billions of dollars in aid from Gulf allies and enforced painful subsidy cuts to try to jump-start the economy and boost foreign investment.
    But a direct attack on tourism, a top foreign currency earner, would inflict major damage and could undermine any confidence in Egypt that Sisi has generated.
    A campaign by militants against tourism in the 1990s under Mubarak dealt a major blow to tourism. Fifty-eight tourists and four Egyptians were killed in an attack in Luxor in 1997.
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