El-ARISH, North Sinai — Every road leading to North Sinai's only remaining church was blocked by an armored vehicle, a light tank or a Humvee surrounded by several military and special operations personnel. High-caliber machine guns were pointed in all directions, a police dog sniffed around, and the heavily armed, masked officers ushered everyone to go through the security gate set up some 100 yards from the church's entrance.
Despite the massive militant threats, El-Arish's Coptic Christian diocese insisted on holding the Jan. 7 Christmas Mass led by North Sinai Bishop Father Kuzman; it was attended by the governor, Gen. Abdelfattah Harhour, the security chief, Gen. Samih Bashadi, and several representatives of Egypt's Religious Affairs Ministry.
