I read with interest your recent coverage of the situation for tourists in Egypt (“Terrorism’s vigor killing Egypt tourism,” Main news, April 5), but I must disagree with the suggestion that the sum and substance of the extensive new security measures amounts to flooding tourist areas with “young, ill-trained and poorly paid police recruits.”
When our experienced multilateral delegation visited Egypt in February, we did note an increased police presence at key tourist sites and that these police are better trained, better paid, more alert and more dedicated than their predecessors. We also found better surveillance, state-of-the-art communications systems and liaison with anti-terrorism agencies worldwide to try to prevent future attacks.
There has been unprecedented integration of Egypt’s security services– tourist, state and district police forces–at key tourist sites. And the public-private partnership that has tackled security issues head-on is admirable.
No single solution or combination of measures is a panacea, but our group came away convinced that Egypt has acted responsibly and aggressively to prevent future incidents. Terrorist threats will no doubt continue, as they do in this country and elsewhere. Tourists, however, will have a high degree of protection should threats become actual attempts.
