Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis (ABM) has now been designated as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) by the US State Department on Wednesday according to a press release.
The group has attempted various terrorists attacks and assassinations in Egypt, such as against Egyptian Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim and the head of the his technical office. ABM also claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing targeting the South Sinai Security Directorate with a death toll three and at least 45 injured.
In a first reaction, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision. Spokesperson Badr Abdel Aaty said this move comes within the recent framework of positive communication and intensive sustained efforts by foreign and Egyptian embassies, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Abdel Aaty told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the Foreign Ministry has been communicating with both the United States, United Kingdom and other countries to give a clear vision about the severity of international terrorism and how it threatens Egypt and the whole world and needs speedy movements to combat these groups and dry up their funding sources.
"ABM attacked a military helicopter in a missile attack five soldiers on board, and claimed responsibility for four attacks involving car bombs and hand grenades in Cairo, which left six people dead and over 70 wounded, many of them civilian bystanders. The group claimed responsibility for the bombing of a tour bus in the Sinai Peninsula too, killing the Egyptian driver and three South Korean tourists in February 2014," the statement reads.
The statement also noted that claimed that the group declared responsibility for a rocket attack In August 2012 on the southern Israeli city of Eilat, and in September 2012 they have attacked an Israeli border patrol, killing one soldier and injuring another.
The press release read that the consequences of the designation include a prohibition against knowingly providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide, material support or resources to, or engaging in transactions with this organization, and the freezing of all property and interests in property of the organization that is in the United States, or come within the United States or the control of US persons.
The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.
Salah El-Din Hassan a researcher in Islamist movements affairs told Egypt Independent that the decision is odd as the United States usually makes such decisions in the case of a militant group threatening international security but the ABM now is only threatening Egyptian security. The group did, however, attack Israel years ago but US government did not respond with a terrorist designation.
Hassan wondered why the Egyptian government speedily declared Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization but yet to to date, has not designated ABM.
In March 2014, the Cairo Court for Urgent Matters announced that a ruling will be issued on 14 April on whether the Egyptian government will consider ABM terrorist organisation.
“The Jihadist Salafis groups are the security arm of ABM but still the leaders of the Sinai-based terrorist group are anonymous,” he pointed out.
Hassan expected that maybe the Egyptian diplomats imposed pressure on the US authority to make the decision as most the terrorist attacks recently took place in Egypt after the overthrown of the former president Mohamed Morsy.
“ABM issued threats of terrorist attacks ahead of 30 June not because it's a loyalist to MB, absolutely it is not. the ABM were criticizing the Morsi’s rule and they both have different ideologies, but when Morsi took rule they were looking forward to new Islamic regime in Egypt and a good era to well- gun themselves,” Hassan noted.
Hassan believed that the US decision will not have further drawbacks because so far the terrorists attack of ABM still inside Egypt.
Meanwhile security expert General Fouad Allam is very skeptical of the US statement, claiming it is merely “camoflauge” to hide true US intentions of funding terrorist groups in Egypt.
Allam claims the US secretly backs the AMB and this announcement is a delusion to keep their country away from a terrorist attack by the group.
Allam said he does not think any further terrorist attack will be committed by ABM because of the US designation.
