Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: Egypt’s Emergency Law, in effect since
1981, expired on May 31, 2012. State emergency courts continued to adjudicate those arrested
for Emergency Law violations that occurred prior to its annulment. Officially, after that date,
terrorism suspects were supposed to be investigated by civilian prosecutors for trial in regular
civilian courts. In some cases, involving attacks on military personnel and facilities, however,
military prosecutors and courts continued to function and assert jurisdiction.
Egypt continued its incremental efforts to improve border security with U.S. assistance and
maintained its strengthened airport and port security measures and security for the Suez Canal,
though the country’s political transition and change in government delayed further
progress. Egyptian border officials maintained a watch list for suspected violent extremists.
The United States provided technical assistance to Egypt to ensure the peaceful and legal
movement of people and goods through the Rafah border crossing with Israel. To combat Sinai-
Gaza frontier smuggling, installation was completed for Omniview scanners at the Peace Bridge
on the Suez Canal at El Qantara. In addition, five Egyptian officers travelled to the United States
in September to visit U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) headquarters, and the U.S. Port of Entry along the U.S.-Mexico border in
California. CBP worked with Egyptian Customs Authority in Alexandria, Egypt to identify its
customs-specific training needs.
On October 24, Egyptian security services raided a Cairo apartment in the Nasr City
neighborhood and arrested a number of Egyptians, Libyans, and Tunisians associated with AQ
aspirants in Egypt. On October 30, they arrested Sheikh Adel Shehato, an Egyptian Islamic Jihad
official who is accused of founding and financing the Nasr City cell. The Egyptian security
services subsequently arrested group leader Muhammad Jamal al Kashef. Authorities seized
weapons, some of which may have been smuggled from Libya, and claimed that the cell planned
attacks on Egyptian and international targets in the country. These actions appeared to indicate
an increase in security officials’ willingness to enforce existing laws.
The Department of State’s Antiterrorism Assistance program provided training and equipment
grants designed to meet needs and objectives specific to Egypt amid the country’s evolving
political landscape.
Countering Terrorist Finance: Egypt is a member of the Middle East and North Africa
Financial Action Task Force, a Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-style regional body. Egypt's
terrorist finance regulations were in line with relevant UNSCRs, though compliance with FATF
international standards remained lacking. Egypt regularly informed its own financial institutions
of any individuals or entities that are designated by the UN 1267/1989 and 1988 sanctions
committees. Egypt’s Code of Criminal Procedures and Penal Code adequately provides for the
freezing, seizure, and confiscation of terrorism-related assets. With regard to implementation of
UNSCRs 1267/1989 and 1988, however, the Egyptian notification process falls short of the
requirements of FATF standards, particularly the use of measures and procedures for competent
authorities to be able to freeze or seize terrorist-identified assets without delay. In Egypt,
implementation requires a series of steps for actions by the relevant agencies and entities
throughout the Egyptian government. Authorities have explained that according to current
procedures, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs receives the UN lists and sends such lists to the
Egyptian Money Laundering Combating Unit, which then directs concerned agencies to take the
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