Murder on the Sinai

Mass murder of off-duty cops:

Islamic militants on Monday ambushed two mini-buses carrying off-duty policemen in the northern region of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing 25 of them execution-style in a brazen daylight attack that deepens the turmoil roiling the country and underscores the volatility of the strategic region.

The killings, which took place near the border town of Rafah, came a day after 36 detainees were killed in clashes with security forces. In all, nearly 1,000 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi since last Wednesday.

Deteriorating conditions on the Sinai have had me worried for months. Somebody around here joked that maybe the Israelis should take it back, but that’s sounding less and less amusing and more and more like a dreadfully good idea.

Sigh.