Back to 1919: Egypt Revolution Leaves Sinai Increasingly Lawless

by - Tim Whewell (BBC News) Twice during the few days I spent in el-Arish, roads were blocked by armed Bedouin intent on avenging the kidnap of members of their clan by a rival tribe. After several days, I was allowed to visit the border with Gaza, but I went a little further, travelling down back roads, to visit an arms dealer.    Between 2000 and 2007, he says, he was one of five smugglers in charge of the arms trade in Sinai, each of them making four or five deals a month, each involving between 200 and 400 guns. The main source was Sudan, the main market Gaza. Now, he says, it has all changed. Gaza has all the guns it needs, and Hamas can manufacture its own rockets. The market now is internal, within Sinai. "Because of the revolution," he says, "there are no police anymore." Back to 1919, when TE Lawrence was assisting the Arab Revolt(against it's Turkish masters) Permanent inter-tribal warfare.It's probably truer to say back to 719AD