"The group which says it was behind the temple massacre, the Gamaat al-Islamiya, sent a statement to news agencies in Cairo blaming goverment security forces for the carnage. It said the intention of the attackers had been to abduct the largest possible number of foreign tourists in order to use them as hostages in an effort to secure the release of their leader, Sheikh Omar Rahman. The blind Sheikh is serving a prison sentence in the United States in connection with the bombing of the World Trade Centre. The group said that security forces at the temple had opened fire with live ammunition, rashly and without regard for the lives of the tourists. It's account is strongly at odds with official versions of events and the version of survivors who said the gunmen opened fire at random on the tourists. In its statement the group repeated its warning to foreigners to stay out of the country, saying its attacks would continue as long as the government failed to meet its demands for the release of prisoners and an end to the crackdown against the militants. The Gamaat will undoubtedly be delighted with the news that its attacks succeeded in bringing about the resignation of the Interior Minister, General Hassan al-Alfi. He's been under a cloud for some time for his inability to finish off the radicals. The writing was on the wall when a very angry President Mubarak visited Luxor in the aftermath of the massacre. He publicly criticised the security measures there describing them as laughable."