organization, attempting to undermine the organization's July 1997 "Nonviolence Initiative", to devastate the Egyptian economy and provoke the government into repression that would strengthen support for anti-government forces. However, the attack led to internal divisions among the militants, and resulted in the declaration of a ceasefire. In June 2013, the group denied that it was involved in the massacre. Reaction The attack took place an hour before the state visit of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Prince-Consort Claus. Following the attack, then president Hosni Mubarak replaced interior minister General Hassan Al Alfi with General Habib al-Adly. The Swiss Federal Police "later determined that bin Laden had financed the operation". The tourist industry in Egypt, and particularly in Luxor, was seriously affected by the resultant slump in visitors and remained depressed until sinking even lower with the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001, the 2005 Sharm el-Sheikh attacks, and the 2006 Dahab bombings. The massacre marked a decisive drop in Islamist terrorists' fortunes in Egypt by turning public opinion overwhelmingly against them. Terrorist attacks declined dramatically following the backlash from the massacre. Organizers and supporters of the attack quickly realised that the strike had been a massive miscalculation and reacted with denials of involvement. The day after the attack, al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya leader Refa'i Ahmed Taha claimed the attackers intended only to take the tourists hostage, despite the immediate and systematic nature of the slaughter. Others denied Islamist involvement completely. Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman blamed Israelis for the killings, and Ayman Zawahiri maintained the attack was the work of the Egyptian police. See also Terrorism in Egypt List of massacres in Egypt References External links Tourists massacred at temple. 17 November 1997 (BBC News) Bin Laden 'behind Luxor massacre', 13 May 1999 (BBC News) 1997 in international relations 1997 mass shootings in Africa 1997 murders in Egypt 20th-century mass murder in Africa Attacks on tourists Egypt–Switzerland relations Hijacking Islamic terrorism in Egypt Islamic terrorist incidents in 1997 Massacres in 1997 Mass shootings in Egypt Massacres in Egypt Murder–suicides in Africa November 1997 crimes November 1997 events in Africa Terrorist incidents in Africa in 1997 Terrorist incidents in Egypt in 1997 Theban Necropolis