Three days prior to the February 5 explosion near the Arish-Ashkelon gas pipeline in Egypt, the SITE Intelligence Group advised its subscribers that jihadists were discussing targeting the pipeline on the jihadist Shumukh al-Islam forum, a password-protected website affiliated with al-Qaeda.
The explosion, which conflicting reports have attributed to both natural causes and sabotage, has disrupted the flow of gas to Israel and Jordan.
Writing in Arabic, jihadists had suggested that Muslims in Sinai take advantage of Egyptian unrest and strike the Arish-Ashkelon gas pipeline, arguing that it would have a major impact on Israel. Discussion about this target began on the Shumukh al-Islam forum on January 31, 2011, with a jihadist calling for bombings on the pipeline and providing information about its ownership. Other jihadists expressed their pleasure with the idea and offered incitement. One wrote, for example: “To our brothers, the Bedouins of Sinai, the heroes of Islam, strike with an iron fist, because this is a chance to stop the supply to the Israelites.” The jihadist who opened the discussion added that in addition to the financial costs that would be incurred by Israel, it would sow fear and panic within the country “especially in these sensitive times in which Egypt is going through a new phase.”