Politics and terrorism: An assessment of the origin and threat of terrorism in Egypt

This paper will attempt to shed light into the historical development of the threat of terrorism to Egypt.

The threat of terrorism is not new to Egypt. This paper will attempt to shed light into the historical development of this phenomenon: since the founding of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928 till the latest bombings in Dabah in April 2006. In addition to a reflection on the three cycles of terrorism, the paper will also focus on the primary role-players, the reasons and an evaluation of government’s reaction to the threat. In addition of Egypt being a target of terrorism it is equally important is to recognize the influence of Egyptian nationals in the development of transnational terrorism.

About the author

Anneli Botha is a senior researcher on terrorism at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria. After completing an Honours Degree in International Politics she joined the South African Police Service, Crime Intelligence in 1993 during which she inter alia focused on terrorism and religious extremism. She holds a MA (Political Studies) degree at the Rand-Afrikaans University obtained in 1999 that focused on the historical development of terrorism, religious extremism and PAGAD. She has a specific interest in research on the underlying causes of terrorism, including the stages in the development of terrorism and counter-terrorism strategies.