Egypt Identifies the Suicide Bomber

from The Associated Press:

Investigators have identified a suspected suicide bomber in the weekend attacks that killed scores in this Red Sea resort, saying he was an Egyptian with Islamic militant ties, officials said Tuesday as dozens more people were questioned in the probe.
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Police using DNA tests identified one of the bodies found at the Ghazala site as Youssef Badran, an Egyptian Sinai resident who they said has links to Islamic militants, security officials said. Those links led the officials to suspect he was the bomber in the attack, they said.

Police held members of Badran's family for questioning and were trying to determine his associates, the officials said. Across Sinai, security forces took in 70 people for questioning Tuesday, bringing to 140 the number held since Saturday's pre-dawn blasts.

Also Tuesday, an Egyptian diplomat said Pakistanis were not involved in the bombings, despite police circulating photographs of five Pakistani men a day earlier.

It looks like Al Qaeda, according to the Counterterrorism Blog:

"Analysts: Al-Qaeda behind attacks: London, Egypt blasts mirror group's tactics" - The back-to-back nature of the attacks in Egypt and London, as well as similarities in the methods used, suggests that al-Qaeda might have ordered both operations and is a clear sign Osama bin Laden and his deputies remain in control, according to counterterrorism analysts and government officials in Europe and the Middle East."-Craig Whitlock, Washington Post. Courtesy of the OrlandoSentinel.com

Why go after a resort in Egypt? "In looking for a motive, note that the trial of the October 2004 suspects is scheduled for July 24". Here's an excerpt from Xinhua News (English):

Egypt's Supreme State Security Courton Saturday put off to July 24 trial of three suspects inconnection with three bombings which rocked Sinai resorts lastOctober, the official MENA news agency reported.

The trial of the suspects, Mohammed Ahmed Flefeil, MohammedJaber Sabah and Mohammed Abdullah Rubaa, was scheduled to begin onJuly 2 in Ismailia, 120 km northeast of Cairo, said MENA.

Mohammed Gaber Sabah and Mohammed Abdullah Rubaa are in custody,while Mohammed Ahmed Flefeil is still at large and will be tried inabsentia.

The suspects are facing charges of premeditated murder of anumber of tourists in north Sinai last October and attempted murderof others.

Hat tip Andrew Cochran of the Counterterrorism Blog again. The bombing has several ominous implications. First, Al Qaeda proves that it's still formidable enough to coordinate multiple bombing campaignes through a diffuse and de-centralized network of affiliate operatives. Second, the terrorists sent a message to Egypt: leave the islamists alone and don't even think about forging a democracy. Egypt may offer the first uncontested election in its history. While no one seriously believes that this will ensure democracy in Egypt, it's symbolism could not be more clear. Or more dangerous for the islamo-fascists' ideology. As long as Egypt is perceived as another puppet-state propped up by American foreign aid, then the terrorists can continue to push their pathology on the Arab street. Third, Al Qaeda has disrupted the Egyptian economy while terrorizing the West simultaneously. Tourism remains Egypt's number one industry, and the targeted resort served Egyptians and foreigners, in particular Britons and Israelis.

The islamo-fascists will not stop until they have ignited their war between civilizations. If Osama Bin Laden is still alive, he will stop at nothing short of the Caliphate. Fools must not allow him to succeed. There must be no war between the West and muslims of good will. There's already a war between the West and islamo-fascist extremists that only practice suidicidal murder. None of us can allow that war to broaden into the international conflaguration that the extremists want. We must never allow them that victory!