The Arab Spring revolutions are a significant turning point in Egyptian history. After the January 25th Revolution in 2011, which toppled Mubarak’s regime, terrorist organizations exploited the government and security vacuum to increase their influence in Sinai and attacked security forces. Furthermore, after overthrowing the Muslim Brotherhood regime in the June 30th Revolution in 2013, the violence rose as these organizations tried to engender or benefit from the chaos within the country. The security forces carried out several campaigns over the past years, eliminating most extremist elements and regaining control over Sinai. But the roots of the problem and the threat still exist, so this thesis seeks to address fundamental challenges of terrorism through a strategic estimate of the terrorism in Sinai. It asks: How can we counter terrorism in Sinai? Neglecting Sinai for long periods has made it a fertile environment for extremism and terrorism. Therefore, the government must speed up the development of Sinai and address various grievances. By understanding the dynamics of these terrorist organizations, the Egyptian government can develop an appropriate strategy in the face of the threat using all instruments of national power to defeat terrorism in Sinai.

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Colonel, Egyptian Army