Just from hours ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the suspension of all Russian passenger flights to Egypt until the cause of the Russian plane crash in Sinai is revealed.
He also gave his orders to the Russian government to work on the return of the Russian tourists in
Egypt.
In other words, Putin orders the evacuation of Russian tourists from all over the country.
The decision comes hours after the decision of UK and what it caused.
According to Russian media, there are not less than 70,000 Russian tourists in Egypt.
This decision was issued after the meeting of Putin with security and aviation officials in Moscow.
Before that meeting, the head of the Russian Federal Security service called for the suspension of all Russian flights to Egypt.
Of course, a man like him for sure presented what was enough to convince the Russian president to take such decision without talking to the Egyptians.
This is even a bigger blow to the Egyptian government because this is Russia, the so-called Sisi’s faithful friend.
Well, the faithful friend suspended the flights to Egypt not only Sharm El-Sheikh in clear direct words.
Russia is one of the main members in the investigation team when it comes to the Russian Plane crash along with France and Ireland, Egypt and surprisingly Germany.
It turned out that Germany was involved in the investigation by the request of Egypt.
Of course today was one hell of a day in Sharm El-sheikh airport with a lot of drama and scandals of real.
More countries are issuing travel warning about Egypt. We got now UK, France, Russia, Spain, South Korea ,Belgium and Holland.
According to Reuters, 7 countries including UK and Turkey send delegations to check on security procedures in Egypt.
Egyptian news reports say that the two Black boxes are being examined in Russia and not in Egypt.
Despite the Russians as well the British and the Europeans officials are speaking, we have not heard anything official from Egypt for real aside that the investigations.
Egypt is going to pay a huge price for this. Tourism is already recovering and Sharm El-Sheikh was from the few places that were not affected by what is happening in the Nile Valley or even in North Sinai
I do not recall this hysteria or this fiasco happening in this way during the true terrorism years where tourists were a target for terrorists.
Of course, we are speaking about a plane crash where over 200 people were killed. There has been a lot of controversy about the Malaysian airplane that went missing in the pacific ocean as well the Malaysian airplane that was shot down in Ukraine but back in Egypt we have a short memory.
What is worse in our case, which is similar to the incident in Ukraine unfortunately that there are politics involved.
This plane could be bombed by a local terrorist group and by this we could have the biggest airplane bombing since 11 September 2001.
After 2001 and what followed it, there have been maximum airport security measures to stop air flights hijacking and that’s why there are concerns about the security measures at Sharm El-Sheikh airport.
The most popular theory “the worst case” now is that a bomb was planted on the board of the Russian flight among the luggage and that Sharm El-Sheikh airport was infiltrated in a way or another by Islamic group affiliated group “Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis”, which is active in North Sinai.
That’s why all those countries are sending their security delegations to check on the airport.
Now if it is proven to be a bomb, it will be a blow to both Egypt and Russia.
For Russia, this would be the first attack on Russian civilians because of Russia’s involvement in Syria.
For Egypt, this would be the ultimate failure for El-Sisi internationally and local in his war on terrorism.
First, his administration or government could not secure flights as required and second his strategies to fight a terrorist organization like Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis proved to be a failure to the level that he could not stop an attack against foreigners like that.
Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis aka Sinai Province which pledge allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2014
Now there are more sources including those working in the investigation team telling international reports that they heard sounds of explosions recorded near the cockpit.
One thing for sure , Egypt will recover this crisis as we have done, but it will be hard.
The Egyptian economy is suffering big time already. Despite this is not a seasonal time in Sharm El-Sheikh but the Egyptian tourism sector is thinking about the Christmas and holiday seasons coming within weeks.
Even if the airplane crash is proved to be caused by a technical failure in the engine or the tail as claimed in the media as well, the damage has done after those two crazy days.
We will have to wait for months till we compensate for real what we lost in those few days.
He also gave his orders to the Russian government to work on the return of the Russian tourists in
Egypt.
 |
| Tourists departing Sharm El-Sheikh airport early Friday "Reuters" |
The decision comes hours after the decision of UK and what it caused.
According to Russian media, there are not less than 70,000 Russian tourists in Egypt.
This decision was issued after the meeting of Putin with security and aviation officials in Moscow.
Before that meeting, the head of the Russian Federal Security service called for the suspension of all Russian flights to Egypt.
Of course, a man like him for sure presented what was enough to convince the Russian president to take such decision without talking to the Egyptians.
This is even a bigger blow to the Egyptian government because this is Russia, the so-called Sisi’s faithful friend.
Well, the faithful friend suspended the flights to Egypt not only Sharm El-Sheikh in clear direct words.
Russia is one of the main members in the investigation team when it comes to the Russian Plane crash along with France and Ireland, Egypt and surprisingly Germany.
It turned out that Germany was involved in the investigation by the request of Egypt.
Of course today was one hell of a day in Sharm El-sheikh airport with a lot of drama and scandals of real.
More countries are issuing travel warning about Egypt. We got now UK, France, Russia, Spain, South Korea ,Belgium and Holland.
According to Reuters, 7 countries including UK and Turkey send delegations to check on security procedures in Egypt.
Egyptian news reports say that the two Black boxes are being examined in Russia and not in Egypt.
Despite the Russians as well the British and the Europeans officials are speaking, we have not heard anything official from Egypt for real aside that the investigations.
 |
| Leaving Sharm El-Sheikh airport early Friday "Reuters" |
I do not recall this hysteria or this fiasco happening in this way during the true terrorism years where tourists were a target for terrorists.
Of course, we are speaking about a plane crash where over 200 people were killed. There has been a lot of controversy about the Malaysian airplane that went missing in the pacific ocean as well the Malaysian airplane that was shot down in Ukraine but back in Egypt we have a short memory.
What is worse in our case, which is similar to the incident in Ukraine unfortunately that there are politics involved.
This plane could be bombed by a local terrorist group and by this we could have the biggest airplane bombing since 11 September 2001.
After 2001 and what followed it, there have been maximum airport security measures to stop air flights hijacking and that’s why there are concerns about the security measures at Sharm El-Sheikh airport.
The most popular theory “the worst case” now is that a bomb was planted on the board of the Russian flight among the luggage and that Sharm El-Sheikh airport was infiltrated in a way or another by Islamic group affiliated group “Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis”, which is active in North Sinai.
That’s why all those countries are sending their security delegations to check on the airport.
Now if it is proven to be a bomb, it will be a blow to both Egypt and Russia.
For Russia, this would be the first attack on Russian civilians because of Russia’s involvement in Syria.
For Egypt, this would be the ultimate failure for El-Sisi internationally and local in his war on terrorism.
First, his administration or government could not secure flights as required and second his strategies to fight a terrorist organization like Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis proved to be a failure to the level that he could not stop an attack against foreigners like that.
Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis aka Sinai Province which pledge allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2014
Now there are more sources including those working in the investigation team telling international reports that they heard sounds of explosions recorded near the cockpit.
One thing for sure , Egypt will recover this crisis as we have done, but it will be hard.
The Egyptian economy is suffering big time already. Despite this is not a seasonal time in Sharm El-Sheikh but the Egyptian tourism sector is thinking about the Christmas and holiday seasons coming within weeks.
Even if the airplane crash is proved to be caused by a technical failure in the engine or the tail as claimed in the media as well, the damage has done after those two crazy days.
We will have to wait for months till we compensate for real what we lost in those few days.