Page 171 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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When claiming responsibility for the attack,
GAMA’A AL-ISLAMIYYA Gama’a maintained that it had intended only to take
aka Islamic Group, IG the tourists hostage, in an attempt to secure the release
from prison of the group’s spiritual leader, blind cleric
Omar Abdel Rahman. (Rahman was convicted of
Gama’a al-Islamiyya, Egypt’s largest militant
group, seeks to overthrow the Egyptian government involvement in a broad terrorist conspiracy that cul-
minated with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
and replace it with an Islamic theocracy. The organi-
He had fled Egypt and lived in exile in Brooklyn
zation, formed in the late 1970s, carried out terrorist
before his conviction.) However, witnesses reported
attacks on foreigners and police officers. Because so
no attempt at hostage taking, just unprovoked gunfire.
many of the attacks targeted tourists, Egypt’s tourism
The flood of travel cancellations following the attack
industry had been severely affected.
caused an estimated $500 million in lost revenue.
The U.S. State Department reports that at its
Egypt immediately cracked down on Gama’a,
height, Gama’a boasted membership of several thou-
sentencing those convicted of participating in terror
sand as well as thousands of sympathizers. The group
attacks to death in military courts. Defendants in the
claimed responsibility for the 1995 attempted assas-
trials accused the state of torture and, in support of
sination of Egypt’s president Hosni Mubarak in
their claims, displayed injuries to the press.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as well as many attacks on
According to the U.S. State Department, Gama’a,
tourist buses and a Nile cruise ship. While Gama’a
currently led by Mustafa Hamza, has become frac-
operates primarily in southern Egypt, the group has
tured as jailed and exiled members vie for influence
support in Cairo, Alexandria, and other cities, as
and leadership. In a break with Hamza’s leadership,
well as a presence in Sudan, the United Kingdom,
Rifa’i Taha Musa, a former senior member of Gama’a,
Afghanistan, Austria, and Yemen. The Egyptian gov-
signed bin Laden’s 1998 fatwa against the United
ernment has said that Gama’a received financial sup-
States. The fatwa called for attacks against U.S. civil-
port from Osama bin Laden as well as from Iranian
ians. Taha Musa appeared in late 2000 with bin Laden
and Afghan groups.
and his second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in
In November 1997, Gama’a members killed 58
an undated video threatening retaliation against the
foreign tourists and four Egyptians near the Valley of
United States for Rahman’s continued imprisonment.
the Kings in Luxor. The tourists were entering the
Gama’a has publicly denied supporting bin Laden and
ancient Hatshepsut Temple when six gunmen dis-
has not broken the unilaterally declared cease-fire,
guised as police officers fired automatic rifles into the
despite Taha Musa’s call to arms. However, from his
crowd. The international press reported that some
prison cell in the United States, Rahman withdrew his
of those killed had been stabbed after they were shot.
support for the cease-fire in June 2000.
In the gun battle, all of the terrorists were killed by
Egyptian security forces. See also OMAR ABDEL RAHMAN
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