Senior British MP defends Cairo embassy closure as 'sensible precaution'

A British senior member of House of Commons tells  that the dramatic decision to close the UK embassy in Egypt came in "difficult time"



UK embassy in Cairo suspends public services last week for security reason

 A senior member of the UK House of Commons has defended the decision to closing the British embassy in Cairo as a necessary precaution.

On Sunday, the British embassy suspended its work until further notice “for security reasons,” without giving further details. It has remained closed since.

Sir Richard Ottaway, chairman of the Foreign Affairs select committee in the House of Commons, said that the closure was a “sensible precaution.”

Responding to questions, the Conservative MP for Croydon South constituency, said that he believed that the move came at “a difficult time”, referring to heightened security in Egypt and the Middle East.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed that there were discussions between the UK authorities and Egyptian officials on ways to reopen the embassy as soon as possible.  

On Monday, the Canadian diplomatic mission took a similar decision, prompting speculation in the Egyptian media as to whether the missions have received militant threats.

It has been reported that the embassies have asked the Egyptian authorities for tighter security measures around their premises.

But Egyptian diplomats have voiced skepticism about the missions’ security fears.

“Security procedures in this area were reinforced … We expect these embassies to reconsider their decisions," Badr Abdel-Atti, the Egyptian foreign ministry’s spokesman said, adding that the embassies’ demands for more security measures “are exaggerated”.

The FCO did not amend its travel advice on Egypt following the closure of the embassy

Several embassies in Cairo close their doors, update security status

British and Canadian embassies close their doors; Australian embassy issues travel warning to citizens



British Embassy in Cairo

A number of diplomatic missions in Cairo have either closed their doors or updated their travel advice to citizens over the last few days, citing "security reasons."

Sources at the American, British and Canadian embassies, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Ahram Online that two possible scenarios underlie these measures.

The first scenario, sources said, is that the embassies are closed due to "possible political tensions that might cause turmoil," a reason that was not mentioned in the official statements.

The second scenario sources gave mirrors the embassies' official explanations: the closures are due to "security threats."

Meanwhile, sources at the Italian and Belgium embassies told that they were functioning as usual but assessing security conditions.

The British embassy closed its doors on Sunday for what was meant to be one day but extended its closure to Monday and no date was given for reopening.

However, the British Consulate-General in Alexandria is operating as normal.

Similarly, the Canadian embassy closed on Monday citing "unsettled security conditions."

Meanwhile, the Australian embassy in Cairo updated its travel advice, warning of reports indicating terrorists may be planning attacks against embassies in the capital. 

The reports, according to the last travel update issued by the Australian embassy on Saturday, also warn of attacks against tourist and government sites.

The embassy maintained its advice to Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Egypt, while continuing to advise against all travel to North Sinai governorate, due to ongoing terrorist attacks targeting police and army personnel.

The Australian embassy in Cairo, however, is operating normally, an embassy spokesman told.

The American embassy issued a warning to its nationals on Thursday, saying "in light of the heightened tensions and recent attacks on Westerners in the region" embassy staff were advised to stay close to their residences.

Americans in Cairo were also advised to avoid locations which witness regular protest activity, citing reported clashes at several universities and neighborhoods in the greater Cairo area.

Despite its warnings, the US embassy remains open.

The British, Canadian, Belgium and American embassies in Cairo are located in Garden City near downtown Cairo, while the Australian and Italian embassies are located downtown Cairo.

The embassies have always maintained tight security arrangements with roads to the embassies cordoned off by the police.

No official statements were issued by Egypt on the Canadian decision to close its Cairo embassy on Monday.

However, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Sunday that the suspension of services by the British embassy in Cairo was "just a precautionary measure."

In response to the British embassy's closing, Head of Cairo's Security Directorate Ali El-Demerdash said on Sunday that security was tight around all embassies and consulates in the capital.

El-Demerdash added that securing embassies and consulates is the responsibility of Egypt's security forces, in light of terrorist attacks.

Terrorist attacks in Egypt have targeted army and police personnel and institutions mainly in North Sinai governorate, but attacks have extended to Cairo and nearby governorates. Although they were not the target of these attacks, civilians were also harmed.

The last terrorist attack against tourists in Egypt took place in February, when unknown assailants targeted a tourist bus in the Red Sea resort town of Taba, killing three Korean tourists.

Many western countries imposed travel warnings to Egypt at the time, but almost all warnings were lifted over the summer.

(GRAPHIC PHOTO) : Woman Attacked After Telling Stranger To Quit Groping Her

A woman in the UK was severely injured Monday after she asked a stranger to stop groping her and he punched her in the face.

Mary Brandon, 22, was attending the Notting Hill Carnival in West London when she says a man in the crowd assaulted her, the Telegraph reports. Brandon described the incident in a Facebook post Tuesday:

At Notting Hill Carnival yesterday a man in the crowd grabbed my arse. When I told him not to he did it again. I pushed him away, exercising my right to tell a man to stop touching my body without my permission, so he took a swing at me and punched me in the face.

She also posted a photo of her injuries, which she said landed her in the hospital for nine hours.

mary

“A woman should be able to leave the house without fear of being sexually assaulted,” Brandon’s Facebook post continued. “And she should be able to defend herself without being put in hospital.”

Brandon’s friend, 22-year-old Rebecca Hammerton, attended the Carnival with Brandon and said her friend had only been at the event for 15 minutes when the assault occurred.

“After she pushed him away he started walking off and then a couple of people were laughing, which we think damaged his ego,” Hammerton told the Evening Standard. “He walked back and swung round and punched her in the face with a right hook punch, using the force of his whole body.”

Hammerton also noted that the man didn’t seemed “really calm” as he made the punch.

Scotland Yard is investigating the incident. No arrests in the case had been made as of Wednesday.

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علق اللواء طلعت مسلم الخبير العسكري، على تصريح مسؤول شركة صناعات الصواريخ والفضاء الروسية "إنيرجيا"، من استعداد روسيا لإطلاق قمر صناعي لصالح مصر في نهاية العام، بأنه ليس هناك مبرر لكي تصدر الشركة بيانًا أو تصريحًا غير حقيقي، مشيرًا إلى أن مصر تبحث عن مصلحتها مع أي دولة غربية كانت أم شرقية، وأنه لا يعني التعاون مع روسيا قطع للعلاقات العسكرية بين مصر والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وأكد مسلم، أن مسألة التعاون العسكري ترتبط بالمصالح مع جميع الجهات وليس لطرف واحد فقط، وأن مصر تتعاون مع الولايات المتحدة في نفس الوقت التي تتعاون فيه مع وروسيا أو البرازيل أو فرنسا، مشيرًا إلى أن ذلك التنوع في التعاون العسكري في غاية الأهمية حتى لا تتعرض لضغوط من أي جهة تهددها بقطع التعاونات المتبادلة.

كما رجح مسلم أن يكون للقمر الصناعي الروسي المزمع إطلاقه لصالح مصر القدرة على التجسس وفقًا لقدرته الفائقة على التصوير من الارتفاعات الشاهقة، مشيرًا إلى أنه من الضروري إرسال عدد من المصريين إلى روسيا للتعلم على كيفية استخدام كافة قدرات القمر الصناعي، موضحًا أن الشركة المنتجة سترحب بتدريب المصريين على كيفية إدارته واستخدام كافة ميزاته في المراقبة والتصوير، ولفت أن هذا القمر مهمته الحصول على معلومات عن طريق التصوير.

من ناحية أخرى، أشار الخبير العسكري إلى أن القمر الصناعي يدور حول الأرض في 90 دقيقة، وأنه إذا كان القمر يهدف لمراقبة إسرائيل فقط فستكون مهمته أقل من قدرته، بقوله "إذا كان الهدف من إطلاق القمر مراقبة إسرائيل فسيكون كثير عليها، لأن القمر يدور حول الأرض في ساعة ونصف، وإذا احتاج أن يمر على سماء إسرائيل فقط فلن يستغرق سوى ثوان أو دقيقة واحدة"، لافتًا إلى أن مصر لن تحتاج إلى مراقبة إسرائيل فقط بل مراقبة المنقطة بأكملها ومراقبة الأسطول الأمريكي والغواصات الإسرائيلية والسفن الروسية والجيش البريطاني وأي تحركات عسكرية في المنطقة، وتحتاج إلى مراقبة المنطقة بأكملها من المغرب إلى الخليج العربي، موضحًا أن تلك المهمة قد تستغرق منه قرابة 20 دقيقة فقط.

كما أكد أن التعاون العسكري مع روسيا يعد من أهم التعاونات العسكرية، معللًا ذلك بأنها إحدى الدول الكبرى في العالم ولها دور في النظام العالمي سواء من الناحية العسكرية أو من نواحٍ أخرى، ولها العضوية الدائمة في مجلس الأمن واستطاعت أن تتصدى لأي قرار باستخدام القوة ضدها أو إدانتها.

كان مسؤول شركة صناعات الصواريخ والفضاء الروسية "إنيرجيا"، قد صرح خلال لقائه في معرض الطيران والفضاء الدولي الحادي عشر MAKS 2013، والذي أُقيم في ضاحية زوكولسكي بالعاصمة الروسية موسكو، في الفترة ما بين 27 أغسطس الماضي حتى الأول من سبتمبر الجاري أن روسيا تستعد لإطلاق قمر صناعي لصالح مصر شديد التطور وله قدرة عالية على التصوير من ارتفاعات شاهقة، وصرح موقع "إنترفاكس" الإخباري الروسي أن عملية التصميم والتصنيع تم دفع قيمتها بالكامل.

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