FWIW:
I was in Egypt in December/January. I was astonished by the level of
security present. Granted, most of this was directed toward the
protection of tourists, but I could easily believe that similar levels
operate to protect strategic resources. Every site I visited was
cordoned off, all people entering subject to search, including passage
through metal detectors. The same applies at hotels, banks, etc. On
the main streets of Cairo, there are armed sentries about 100m apart,
and often vehicles containing a number of armed soldiers can be seen
at intersections. Travel between, for example Cairo and Alexandria,
usually involves a convoy or an escort. The trains carry a squad of
armed tourist police.
I'm not sure if these precautions made me feel more safe, or less. |
