ISIL expanding into Egypt?

ISW:

Recent statements by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, and an alleged new group called the “Soldiers of the Caliphate in the Land of Egypt” has given rise to speculation that ISIS may be seeking to expand beyond Iraq and Syria into new territories such as Egypt. This fear is compounded by the recent arrest of an individual at the Cairo airport, allegedly seeking to travel to Syria for training with ISIS. He is also accused of recruiting Egyptians to train in Syria for the purpose of returning to Egypt to carry out attacks against security forces. It is possible that Egyptian authorities are falsely associating individuals or groups with ISIS in an attempt to legitimize harsh security measures. At this time it does not appear that ISIS is operating in Egypt or actively seeking to gain an operational footprint there, although recent events suggest viable routes for expansion by the Islamic State should it choose to pursue them. A new group calling itself Soldiers of the Caliphate in the Land of Egypt released its first statement on jihadist forums September 23, 2014. In the statement the group pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and stated that their aim is to target the Egyptian army, foreign embassies, and foreign nationals, especially Americans. It praised the Salafi-jihadist Sinai-based group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM), while at the same time denouncing the Muslim Brotherhood as not truly Islamic. This statement places them squarely on the more radical end of the Islamist spectrum in Egypt, alongside ABM, a more radical group that has conducted suicide attacks against Egyptian security forces. This is the second group to take the name Soldiers of the Caliphate, following a group in Algeria, and comes only two days after ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammed al-Adnani called for continued attacks against security forces in Egypt by unspecified insurgent groups in the Sinai.

Earlier last month on September 12, a communiqué was published on several jihadist forums and Twitter announcing the split of the al-Huda Battalion and other jihadi brigades from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) to form “Soldiers of the Caliphate in the Land of Algeria.” The group renewed its pledge of allegiance to Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State which several in the group had previously sworn individually. The communiqué announced that Gouri Abdel Malik, a commander from AQIM’s central region, better known by his nom de guerre Khalid Abu Suleimane, would lead the new group.

The similarity of the two groups’ names as “Soldiers of the Caliphate” followed by each group’s regional locality (e.g. “in the Land of Algeria” or “in the Land of Egypt”) is of interest. This could be the beginning of a franchise-type name adopted by groups loyal to al-Baghdadi but separated in different theaters of jihad....
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There is more.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Egypt is under siege and is actively looking for allies.  It apparently cannot depend on the US because of the position of the Obama administration despite the strategic interest in keeping the radical Islamist out of power.  Egypt is dealing with infiltration from Libya and Sudan and in the Sinai.

This is a strategic area that should not be subjected to Obama pique about the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood.