Egypt is on high alert after clashes between Coptic Christians and security forces following the New Year's Day bombing of a Coptic Church in Alexandria that killed more than twenty people. Senior Fellow Steven Cook says rumors about an Egyptian woman being forced to convert from Islam to Christianity and held against her will may have prompted threats by al-Qaeda-linked groups against the sect and could have been "a contributing factor" in the Alexandria bombing. Still, says Cook, "it is in [Egypt's] regime's interest to say this is the work of foreign elements." He notes that as components of al-Qaeda have ties in Egypt, and there are often sectarian flare-ups in the country, "it is entirely possible this could be a homegrown phenomenon."