BEYOND SYRIA IRAQ

MUHAMED SABRY
revolution and thrived afterward because of the subsequent chaos and lack
of security. Most militants smuggled weapons to the Gaza Strip, in part as
a religious duty to help their brothers in Gaza confront Israel. These acts
also generated large sums of money from smuggling arms, fuel, and goods
through the tunnels. Others participated in the human trafficking circles
that generated ransom money.
Profits from these ventures buy the arms and ammunition used to confront
the Egyptian security forces. They are often bought from neutral Bedouin,
who, while not adhering to extremist ideologies, resent the Egyptian
security forces’ having destroying their smuggling businesses. Because gun
ownership is part of life in the rugged landscape of Sinai, the presence of
government forces actively attempting to dismantle the already arduous Bedouin
lifestyle only reifies this perceived need for armed protection. Some of
the top Bedouin smugglers are among the main elements funding the Sinai’s
militant groups because their business dried up after the destruction of tunnels,
repeated raids on smugglers, and the demolition of their villas in the
desert. Some smugglers have even fled to the Gaza Strip for fear of being
arrested in Sinai. Besides incurring fear, this potential threat has caused severe
resentment and indignation among otherwise neutral Bedouin against security
forces, giving them incentive to facilitate the missions of radical militant
and terrorist organizations with money and weapons.
These organizations also receive funding from the main IS organization
in Syria and Iraq in return for their allegiance. Egyptian security forces have
broadcast a recording of an armed element in Sinai discussing funding with
one of the elements in Syria. The latter individual asked for recent news and
commended the province’s operations—most notably, the killing of twentyfive
soldiers from the central security forces. He offered to facilitate travel to
Syria by sending the Sinai-based affiliate a Syrian passport. The core IS member
also claimed he had met Emir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and told him about
the effort of the brothers in Sinai, so Baghdadi gave him $10,000 to pay for a
video declaring allegiance from the land of Egypt to IS and its caliph, Baghdadi
himself.
This phone call potentially marked the beginning of IS’s financial assistance
to Ansar Beit al-Maqdis after the pledge of allegiance. The influx of
cash has been clearly visible in the strength and number of weapons used following
the announcement, as well as the antitank and antiarmor launchers,
antiaircraft weapons, IED manufacturing workshops, and dozens of SUVs
now in play.
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