There can be no doubt whatsoever that security will be the top priority issue during the official opening of the Suez Canal on Thursday 9 August 2015.
According to Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar, the security plan is extended to cover not only the Suez Canal region but all of Egypt, with round the clock security granted to public utilities and vital establishments. General Abdel-Ghaffar said that both the Egyptian police and army have joined hands to make sure no terrorist attacks spoil Egypt’s joy.
Some 15,000 military men belonging to the air force, navy, and special forces, are working with the police to secure the opening ceremony from air, land, and sea. A military airport has been erected close to the site for military aircraft to provide full air cover and secure the site against any terrorist elements sneaking in. Modern watchtowers fully equipped with state-of-the-art night vision technology were erected all along the canal banks, as were also radar and warning apparatuses to alert to any unusual activity or movement.
The banks of the Canal are now fitted with ultra-sensitive cameras connected to a central operations room that viewed the entire length of the canal.
The Egyptian security apparatus has imported 1400 Belgian Malinois dogs trained to detect explosives and aid in anti-terror activity. They have been handed to the security squads in charge of securing the Canal site and other vital establishments.
Watani International
4 August 2015