Powerful bombing at Egypt police station kills 12

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By MOHAMMED WAGDY and MAGGIE MICHAEL

MANSOURA, Egypt (AP) - A powerful explosion believed to be caused by a car bomb ripped through a police headquarters in a Nile Delta city north of Cairo early on Tuesday, killing 12 people and wounding more than 100, leaving scores buried under the rubble.

The country's interim government accused the Muslim Brotherhood of orchestrating the attack, branding it a "terrorist organization."

It was the first major bombing in the Nile Delta, spreading the carnage that has marked Egypt's turmoil over the past months to a new area and bringing it closer to Cairo. Previous deadly violence has mostly taken place in the volatile Sinai Peninsula and in Suez Canal-area cities east of the Egyptian capital.

The 1:10 a.m. blast struck at the security headquarters in the city of Mansoura, 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Cairo in the Nile Delta province of Daqahliya, collapsing an entire section and side wall of the five-floor building, incinerating dozens of cars outside and damaging several nearby buildings.

FULL strot at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20131224/DAASKAU01.html

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Egyptians gather after a powerful explosion believed to be caused by a car bomb rocked a police headquarters in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura, 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Cairo north of Cairo early on Tuesday, killing more than a dozen people and wounding dozens, according to the state news agency and a security official. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, which came a day after an al-Qaida-inspired group called on police and army personnel to desert or face death at the hands of its fighters. (AP Photo)

[onager]

1. I worked in the Nile Delta from 2005-09

Even in those days, before the 2011 uprising, we could see the wheels coming off the Mubarak-mobile. Food riots, strikes, etc. were fairly common but weren't reported much in the West, probably.

And I'm sorry to see that EVERYTHING moderate/liberal Egyptians predicted back then has come true. They warned repeatedly that the Muslim Brotherhood were wolves in Armani clothing, playing nice until they could seize power and create a theocracy.

Weird fact: the Muslim Brotherhood was founded by Hassan al-Banna, who was executed by Nasser in the 1950s for trying to overthrow the Egyptian govt. And replace it with you-know-what.

But al-Banna's brother, Gamal, was one of Egypt's best-known liberals. He was a firm believer in separation of Mosque and State, freedom of speech etc. Gamal died earlier this year, at the age of 94 IIRC.

Long as I'm here...Mansoura is an interesting town. Lots of Egyptians who live there have blue/green eyes, light hair and skin. Some Egyptians blame Napoleon's soldiers for that, others blame King Louis X and his Crusaders.

Louis made the classic mistake of underestimating his enemy when he invaded Egypt. He was captured alive and returned to France, after paying Egypt a literal king's ransom. Most of his soldiers didn't have that choice - like Napoleon's troops later - and stayed in Egypt.

[Comrade Grumpy]

2. Good thing the generals are back in control, eh?

Like they ever left.

[jessie04]

3. I'm against these attacks...

But no one can be THAT surprised .