Egypt - key items as the country move forward post- revolution.......... So is this a Re-revolution to the Coup/ Revolution now ? Death and injury count really starting to jump too ....
Washington remains silent over Egypt coup
Sat Jul 6, 2013 12:1AM
Supporters of the ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi carry a protester who was shot during clashes next to the headquarters of the Republican Guard in Cairo.
The United States remains silent about the ongoing chaos in Egypt, ignoring clashes between opponents and supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
The administration of President Barack Obama did not issue any statement on Friday.
Neither the State Department nor the Pentagon held any briefings. Congress was also out of session following the Fourth of July holiday.
The lack of any public statement by Washington has provoked criticism by certain regional leaders.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said “those who rely on the guns in their hands, those who rely on the power of the media cannot build democracy" and blasted the West for "double standards," The Guardian reported.
On Thursday, Washington asked Egyptian officials to stop clamping down on the members of the Muslim Brotherhood one day after the government of Mohammed Morsi was overthrown in a military coup.
Obama did not even criticize the military for taking power, calling on the military to hand it over to a "democratically elected civilian government."
Members of Obama’s national security team pressed the Egyptian officials to avoid “the arbitrary arrests” of Morsi and his supporters and called for a "quick and responsible return" to elected civilian government.
The American officials have cautiously avoided using the word “coup” when referring to the military’s toppling of Morsi, as they know that under the laws, the U.S. government is not allowed to give aid to "the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup d'état or decree or… a coup d'état or decree in which the military plays a decisive role."
Egypt is the second largest recipient of U.S. aid. The United States has lavished more than $70 billion in military and economic aid on Egypt since 1948.
Meanwhile, Muslim Brotherhood supreme leader Mohammed Badie says the military coup against Morsi is illegal and millions will remain in the streets until he is reinstated as president.
At least 30 people were killed and hundreds of others injured on Friday during clashes between tens of thousands of opponents and supporters of the ousted president, Egyptian Health Ministry officials said.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/07/06/312450/30-killed-300-injured-in-egypt-clashes/
30 killed, 300 injured in Egypt clashes
Egyptian protesters carry an injured supporter of ousted President Mohamed Morsi after he was shot by security forces outside the headquarters of the Republican Guard in Cairo on July 5, 2013.
Sat Jul 6, 2013 1:26AM
Last Update
Thirty people have been killed and over 300 injured across Egypt in clashes between opponents and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi and in clashes between pro-Morsi protesters and security forces, according to Egyptian Health Ministry officials.
In the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, the fierce clashes between rival protesters erupted after Friday prayers over this week’s ouster of Morsi in a military coup, the official MENA news agency reported.
Twelve people were killed and at least 200 injured in the Alexandria violence.
In the capital Cairo, security forces shot dead three pro-Morsi demonstrators on Friday outside the headquarters of the Republican Guard that provoked deadly clashes between the protesters and the forces.
Pro- and anti-Morsi protesters also clashed in running street battles in the capital, leaving several more people dead and scores of others injured.
The demonstrators hurled fireworks and stones at each other across a bridge near Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
In separate incidents in the North Sinai town of El Arish, five policemen were shot dead by unidentified gunmen.
In the southern city of Assiut, at least one more person died from gunshot wounds.
The Egyptian Army later restored order in Cairo and in some other cities, but the nationwide violence left at least 30 dead and 318 injured, security officials said.
Earlier in the day, Muslim Brotherhood supreme leader Mohammed Badie said the military coup against Egypt’s first democratically elected president is illegal and millions will remain on the street until Morsi is reinstated as president.
Badie made the remarks during a speech to tens of thousands of Brotherhood supporters gathered at Rabia al-Adawiya Mosque in Cairo.
He vowed to "complete the revolution" that toppled the Western-backed regime of former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Badie repeatedly referred to Morsi as the president, who was removed from power after millions of people protested over his leadership, saying Morsi "is my president and your president and the president of all Egyptians."
He vowed Morsi would return to the office soon. "God make Morsi victorious and bring him back to the palace," Badie stated. "We are his soldiers we defend him with our lives."
On Wednesday, Egypt's army chief ousted Morsi, who took office in June 2012, and dissolved the country's constitution in a move aimed at resolving the country’s political crisis.
General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also said that new parliamentary elections will be held, and declared head of Supreme Constitutional Court Adli Mansour as the caretaker leader.
The Egyptians launched the revolution against the pro-Israeli regime on January 25, 2011, which eventually brought an end to the 30-year dictatorship of Mubarak on February 11, 2011.
Twelve people were killed and at least 200 injured in the Alexandria violence.
In the capital Cairo, security forces shot dead three pro-Morsi demonstrators on Friday outside the headquarters of the Republican Guard that provoked deadly clashes between the protesters and the forces.
Pro- and anti-Morsi protesters also clashed in running street battles in the capital, leaving several more people dead and scores of others injured.
The demonstrators hurled fireworks and stones at each other across a bridge near Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
In separate incidents in the North Sinai town of El Arish, five policemen were shot dead by unidentified gunmen.
In the southern city of Assiut, at least one more person died from gunshot wounds.
The Egyptian Army later restored order in Cairo and in some other cities, but the nationwide violence left at least 30 dead and 318 injured, security officials said.
Earlier in the day, Muslim Brotherhood supreme leader Mohammed Badie said the military coup against Egypt’s first democratically elected president is illegal and millions will remain on the street until Morsi is reinstated as president.
Badie made the remarks during a speech to tens of thousands of Brotherhood supporters gathered at Rabia al-Adawiya Mosque in Cairo.
He vowed to "complete the revolution" that toppled the Western-backed regime of former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Badie repeatedly referred to Morsi as the president, who was removed from power after millions of people protested over his leadership, saying Morsi "is my president and your president and the president of all Egyptians."
He vowed Morsi would return to the office soon. "God make Morsi victorious and bring him back to the palace," Badie stated. "We are his soldiers we defend him with our lives."
On Wednesday, Egypt's army chief ousted Morsi, who took office in June 2012, and dissolved the country's constitution in a move aimed at resolving the country’s political crisis.
General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also said that new parliamentary elections will be held, and declared head of Supreme Constitutional Court Adli Mansour as the caretaker leader.
The Egyptians launched the revolution against the pro-Israeli regime on January 25, 2011, which eventually brought an end to the 30-year dictatorship of Mubarak on February 11, 2011.
17 dead, over 200 injured in clashes between Egyptian protesters - Health Ministry
Published time: July 05, 2013 18:11
Edited time: July 05, 2013 20:40
Edited time: July 05, 2013 20:40
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/07/05/egypt-morsi-rally/2491035/
CAIRO — At least 10 people were killed and more than 210 injured Friday as gunfire and running battles erupted at several locations in Cairo Friday during a day of protests called by Islamists angered by the military ouster of President Mohammed Morsi.
The bloodiest confrontation came as troops opened fire on protesters outside the Republican Guards military barracks where the ousted president is being held. Egypt's health ministry announced the revised casualty figures.
Hundreds of demonstrators had marched to the site following afternoon prayers, chanting, "After sunset, President Morsi will be back in the palace."
Morsi, the country's first democratically elected president, was removed from office two days ago by the military, which also ordered the suspension of the constitution and parliament.
At nightfall, a crowd of Islamists surged across the October 6 Bridge over the Nile River and clashed with Morsi opponents near Tahrir Square and outside the state TV building. One witness reported gunfire and stone throwing, according to the Associated Press. At least one car atop the bridge was set on fire.
Adham AbdelSalam, an Egyptian television and radio presenter, tweeted reports and photos from the square showing injured civilians and a bullet casing in his hand.
"At #tahrir now... sounds of machine / automatic gun fire from pro #morsi supporters shot at protesters now," AbdelSalam tweeted. "Live from #tahrir... one more dead... by pro #morsi bullets.."
As central Cairo descended into chaos Friday night, the country appeared to severely lack leadership as security forces failed to protect citizens.
Neither police or military intervened in clashes that broke out along the Nile, while security remained largely absent on streets across the capital, except in strategic locations.
Helicopters flew over the capital as anti-Morsi demonstrators rallied in Tahrir Square, which is not far from where clashes broke out and is several miles away from Nasr City, where Morsi supporters gathered.
Clashes, some involving police, erupted in cities of southern Egypt, along the Suez Canal and in the Nile Delta as Morsi supporters marched on local government buildings.
Khaled el-Khatib, a Health Ministry official, said four people were killed in Cairo and two elsewhere, with 180 wounded.
There were conflicting reports regarding the shooting outside the Republican Guards barracks. Reporters for several news organizations reported seeing Egyptian troops open fire on the crowd, while Reuters quoted a military spokesman as saying the army fired only blank rounds and tear gas at the protesters, not live ammunition..
BBC reporter Jeremy Boven, who was hit above the ear by shotgun pellets, said he saw the soldiers fire on the protesters.
Gehad El-Haddad, the spokesman for Muslim Brotherhood, said it was military police nearby — not the Republican Guards — who opened fire. He said on a Twitter post that he did not know whether the shots were fired "under panic or by order."
The protests, called by Islamists as a "Friday of Rejection," broke out in several locations in the city, including Cairo University and in front of state TV, as well as on the October 6 bridge.
In the midst of the violence, parliament was formally dissolved by interim President Adly Mansour, who was appointed by the military.
* * *
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-07-05/egypt-re-coups-and-cairo-violence-escalates-us-secretary-state
As Egypt Re-Coups And Cairo Violence Escalates, The US Secretary Of State Is...
As the escalation in violence between members of the pro-Mursi Muslim Brotherhood and the military-backed victors of this week's coup gets worse with at least 6 dead now according to Al Arabiya, the US Secretary of State is busy...
a) Getting debriefed and preparing for a diplomatic statement
b) In the air between point A and point B promoting US domestic and foreign interests abroad
c) Informing Warren Buffett about the aphrodisiac benefits of ketchup
d) Spending a (second consecutive) exhausting afternoon on his sailboat.
And the correct answer is... D
From the Weekly Standard
John Kerry, whose State Department office denied he had been out on his boat until picture proof emerged, is back out there today. A CBS producer catches him aboard Isabel:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-07-05/egyptian-troops-maximum-alert-suez-sends-oil-over-102
Egyptian Troops On 'Maximum Alert" At Suez Sends Oil Over $102
After a few hours of calm yesterday, crude oil prices are once again surging back over $102 as the commander of the Third Field Army stated that troops deployed in Suez and South Sinai saw their "state of readiness" raised to "Maximum Alert." The announcement came after Cairo's airspace was closed for 40 minutes and flights were diverted to other airports because of air force drills. The'state of emergency' has sent stocks sliding and put a modest bid into precious metals amid a call by Islamist allies of ousted Egyptian Prwsident Morsi to "take to the streets" and express their outrage.
Via Reuters,
Islamist allies of Egypt's ousted president, Mohamed Mursi, called on people to protest on Friday to express outrage at his overthrow by the army and to reject a planned interim government backed by their liberal opponents.
http://www.juancole.com/2013/07/brotherhood-secularists-provinces.html
Egypt: One Soldier Dead, 3 Wounded, as Muslim Brotherhood Clashes with Army, Secularists in Provinces
Posted on 07/05/2013 by Juan Cole
The markets in Egypt reacted with sheer joy to the Egyptian Revolution 3.0, with the Egyptian stock market rising 7% and adding billions to the economy. Deposed president Muhammad Morsi was considered a poor steward of the economy, and tourism, electricity and services had deteriorated in the year he was president.
But whether the transitional government can address those economic problems and bring stability is still very uncertain. Even as Supreme Constitutional Court chief justice Adly Mansour was sworn in as interim president on Thursday, the military crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood continued, with the army and police tracking down and arresting a number of important figures, including the Supreme Guide, Muhammad Badie, his no. 2, his predecessor, and the former speaker of the lower house of parliament, Saad al-Katatni. The charge against the some 300 Brotherhood figures being sought is apparently instigation to violence. Morsi and the others have called on their fundamentalist followers to resist the deposition of the elected president, which the minister of defense, Brig. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, sees as a thinly veiled appeal for them to take up arms.
The military also continued to ban some television channels, including Aljazeera Egypt and two channels belonging to the hard line Salafi fundamentalist movement. Aljazeera demanded that staff members who had been detained be released. One of the Salafi channels had been involved in whipping up anti-American violence last summer.
The civilian coalition of major civilian political parties that had opposed Morsi, the National Salvation Front, denounced the arrest of Morsi and the others as “a mistake.” Spokesman Munir Fakhri Abdel Nour told the BBC that that while the behavior of a few Brotherhood officials had been reprehensible, they had done nothing to merit arrest, and he said he hoped that they would be freed shortly. (The military is clearly detaining them to ensure they don’t try to launch a rebellion against the new transitional government, which the military has appointed).
Whereas Muslim fundamentalist crowds supporting deposed president Muhammad Morsi in Cairo continued to protest peacefully on Thursday, and to prepare for large rallies on Friday, in provincial Egypt there were a number of large demonstrations and, in places, some violence between pro- and anti-Mursi forces. It is not clear in some cases whether the violence came from anti-Morsi groups attacking the Brotherhood supporters, or vice versa, but in El Arish there appeared to be an armed insurrection by fundamentalists.
El Arish, the door to the Sinai, went into armed rebellion, with pro-Morsi guerrilla groups using heavy weaponry in an attempt to take the airport. Al-Arabiya TV reported that pro-Morsi groups in the city had decided to form a war council.
One Egyptian soldier was killed and three injured in fighting in North Sinai, where pro-Brotherhood guerrillas sues rocket propelled grenades to attack a military checkpoint at Gura.
One Egyptian soldier was killed and three injured in fighting in North Sinai, where pro-Brotherhood guerrillas sues rocket propelled grenades to attack a military checkpoint at Gura.
The USG Open Source center gives some of these other items from the Egyptian press (my arrangement):
‘Egypt: ‘Violent Clashes’ Between Mursi’s Followers, Opponents in Al-Sharqiyah Governorate. Al-Arabiyah Television cited its correspondent saying that violent clashes are taking place between Mursi’s followers and opponents in Al-Zaqaziq in the Al-Sharqiyah Governorate.‘Thousands’ of MB Supporters March in Al-Buhayrah Governorate Against Mursi’s Ouster — Al-Shuruq al-Jadid, an independent, pro-reform liberal daily, supporting revolution youth groups, At 1248 GMT reports that”Al-Buhayrah — Thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members and supporters of former President Muhammad Mursi in Al-Buhayrah denounced the 3 July decision of General Abd-al-Fattah al-Sisi, the defense minister, to let the head of the Constitutional Court assume the position of the president of the republic”Mursi Supporters Take Control of Bani Suwayf Governorate Building — At 1400 GMT, Ankara-based, state-funded Anadolu News Agency in Arabic reports: “Several members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Freedom and Justice Party have taken control over the building of the Bani Suwayf Governorate in the center of the country after they raided the building and forced the military adviser of the governor to leave it”Egypt: ‘Dozens’ of Mursi Supporters Demonstrate in Suez, Hoist Black, Al-Qa’ida Flags — – Al-Shuruq al-Jadid, an independent, pro-reform liberal daily, supporting revolution youth groups, at 1348 GMT reports that “dozens of supporters of former President Muhammad Mursi, who belong to religious groups and the Muslim Brotherhood in Suez, this afternoon staged a sit-in opposite the Hamzah Mosque calling for the return of the former president. They hoisted black and Al-Qa’ida flags”Commander: Peace Restored in Suez Governorate Following Army Deployment — At 0832 GMT, Al-Shuruq al-Jadid, an independent, pro-reform liberal daily, supporting revolution youth groups, cites Major General Usamah Askar, commander of the Third Field Army, saying that “peace has been restored in the Suez Governorate and that the army forces are currently deployed throughout the governorate to continue and preserve its security” ‘
The military pledged to allow peaceful demonstrations on Friday (the ones in Cairo and Alexandria could be quite large), but said it would intervene in cases of violence or if attempts were made to block major thoroughfares to to damage property and facilities. The military, a little puzzlingly, said it wasn’t taking any extraordinary measures against any particular political group, in the interests of reconciliation going forward. It seemed to deny targeting the Brotherhood in general, though that is clearly what it is doing. My guess is that the officers mean that Brotherhood leaders who go quietly and do not call for resistance to the coup/revolution won’t be arrested.
Egypt is on a knife edge.
Egypt braces for pro-Morsi protests |
Demonstrations expected after Friday prayers by supporters of ousted president against military coup.
Last Modified: 05 Jul 2013 09:22
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| Mass protests are expected in the Egyptian capital Cairo after a coalition of Islamist groups led by the Muslim Brotherhood called for demonstrations in response to the military coup that led to theouster of Mohamed Morsi as the country's president. The coalition on Thursday urged people to take part in a "Friday of Rejection" protest following weekly prayers. The call is being seen as a test of whether Morsi still has a support base in the country, and how the army will deal with it. Morsi, who was Egypt's first democratically elected president, belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood movement. While the military coup came in the wake of mass protests seeking Morsi's dismissal, the ex-president's supporters are angry and have denounced the army's intervention. Dozens of people were wounded in clashes in Morsi's home city Zagazig on Thursday, raising fears of more violence. Military appeal Meanwhile, Egypt's military has appealed for conciliation and warned against unrest, as police rounded up senior Islamists ahead of the planned Brotherhood protests on Friday.  Army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, released a statement later on Thursday on its Facebook page, saying that everyone had a right to peaceful protest, but that right should not be abused. Excessive protests, the army warned, could lead to civil unrest, while reiterating that it was not targeting any political group. "Wisdom, true nationalism and constructive human values that all religions have called for, require us now to avoid taking any exceptional or arbitrary measures against any faction or political current," the statement said. Even the newly sworn-in interim leader Adly Mansour, who replaced Morsi as the president, used his inauguration on Thursday to heal the relationship with the Brotherhood. "The Muslim Brotherhood are part of this people and are invited to participate in building the nation as nobody will be excluded, and if they respond to the invitation, they will be welcomed," he said. Brotherhood arrests Among the top Brotherhood leaders arrested were the group's supreme leader, Mohamed Badie. He, and his powerful deputy, Khairat el-Shater, were wanted for questioning on their role in the killing this week of eight demonstrators in clashes outside the Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters. A judicial source said the prosecution would on Monday begin questioning members of the group, including Morsi, for "insulting the judiciary" as the charges began to pile up. Morsi is reportedly being held at a military detention centre. Other Brotherhood leaders would be questioned on the same charges, including the head of the group's political arm Saad al-Katatni, Mohammed al-Beltagui, Gamal Gibril and Taher Abdel Mohsen. Morsi and other senior leaders have also been banned from travel pending investigation into their involvement in a prison break in 2011. |
Post-Coup, Egypt’s Junta Looks to Assemble an ‘Interim’ Government
New President Sworn In as Egypt Seeks to Maintain the Appearance of Civilian Govt
by Jason Ditz, July 04, 2013
Following up on yesterday’s coup, Egypt has sworn in its “interim” president, Judge Adly Mansour, and is setting about to assemble an interim cabinet to maintain the pretense of civilian leadership after the military secured power.
Initial indications were that the junta would piece together a civilian council across the political spectrum, but the mass arrest of members of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the former ruling party, suggests that pro-Western factions that had little political support will get the high profile spots, while Mubarak-era bureaucrats will make up the rest.
Mohammed ElBaradei would’ve been a choice addition, despite his relatively minor political support. He has enthusiastically supported the coup, but declined the position ofInterim Prime Minister, likely in part because the position seems entirely honorary.
Instead of ElBaradei, the position is expected to fall to Farouq el-Oqda, the long-time head of Egypt’s Central Bank. He resigned shortly after President Morsi was elected, and left the job in December.
ElBaradei would’ve been a key figurehead for the junta, someone Western nations could and likely would embrace. The installation of Mubarak-era figures like Oqda may not be a big concern in the West, but could fuel domestic opposition to the coup.
Israel Fears Egypt’s Coup Could Threaten US Military Aid
US Funding for Junta a Key Part of Israel-Egypt Peace Deal
by Jason Ditz, July 04, 2013
Israel’s peaceful relationship with its neighbors in Egypt comes at a high price: the deal obliges the US to provide massive amounts of unconditional military aid to Egypt.
And that’s where things get dicey. A military coup normally obliges the US to suspend military aid, which is why the US is avoiding calling this coup a “coup” in so many words, hoping to gloss over that fact.
But Egypt is a big deal, and a coup there is a little hard for the US to just write off as no big deal, which has Israeli officials fretting the prospect that the US might eventually be obliged to revoke aid to the new junta and “violating” the Egypt-Israel treaty in doing so.
Not that this means a serious risk of war, as both nations have been be getting billions from the US for decades and are both armed to the teeth. The US money buys Israel a lot of influence however, like the right under the treaty to dictate Egypt’s military policy in Sinai.
Israel is also expressing concern that jihadistswill use the “power vacuum” to carry out attacks along the border, though Egypt has heavily deployed its military along the Gaza frontier, so this also seems unlikely.
In the end, the first impact the coup may have for Israel is weakening Hamas and strengthening Fatah, as Hamas had close ideological ties with President Morsi and was even in the process of ditching its long-standing alliance with Syria and Iran in favor of Egypt.
International reactions to Morsi's removal |
World leaders weigh in after Egypt's army commander announces that president had been removed.
Last Modified: 04 Jul 2013 21:00
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| The Egyptian army's suspension of the constitution and removal of President Mohamed Morsi has drawn mixed responses from world leaders: European Union The EU has called for a rapid return to democracy in Egypt. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said: "I urge all sides to rapidly return to the democratic process, including the holding of free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections and the approval of a constitution, to be done in a fully inclusive manner, so as to permit the country to resume and complete its democratic transition," "I strongly condemn all violent acts, offer my condolences to the families of the victims, and urge the security forces to do everything in their power to protect the lives and well-being of Egyptian citizens." Saudi Arabia Saudi King Abdullah sent a message of congratulations to Adly Mansour ahead of his appointment as interim president. "In the name of the people of Saudi Arabia and on my behalf, we congratulate your leadership of Egypt in this critical period of its history. We pray for God to help you bear the responsibility laid upon you to achieve the ambitions of our brotherly people of Egypt," the message said. Turkey Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted government, which had formed an alliance with Morsi, spoke out in favor of the ousted leader. Turkey's foreign minister slammed the overthrow as "unacceptable" and called for Morsi's release from house arrest. Turkey itself was hit last month by a wave of protests against Erdogan's perceived authoritarianism and attempts to impose his conservative views on secular society. Iran Iran was disappointed at the fall of Morsi, with a prominent legislator saying the leader failed to reshape Egypt's powerful military and other security agencies. After Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, the new leadership formed military and security forces loyal to the clerics and others. Morsi's government had ended more than three decades of diplomatic estrangement with Iran dating back to the revolution, when Egypt offered refuge to Iran's deposed shah. Tunisia The ruling Islamists in Tunisia, the cradle of the Arab Spring, condemned the overthrow as a "flagrant coup". Ennahda party leader Rachid Ghannouchi expressed astonishment, saying the overthrow undermined democracy and would feed radicalism. Iraq Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expressed support for the Egyptian people's choices and congratulated Egypt's interim president, a spokesman said. The spokesman, Ali al-Moussawi, added that Iraq is "looking forward to boosting bilateral relations" and is "certain that the new president will move on with the new plan in holding elections and safeguarding national reconciliation". Syria Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday praised Egypt's protests against their leader and said his overthrow by the military means the end of "political Islam". Assad, who is seeking to crush a revolt against his own rule, said Egyptians have discovered the "lies" of the Muslim Brotherhood. He spoke in an interview with the state-run Al-Thawra newspaper. "What is happening in Egypt is the fall of so-called political Islam," Assad said. "This is the fate of anyone in the world who tries to use religion for political or factional interests." United Arab Emirates The UAE welcomed the change in Egypt, according to state news agency WAM, and praised the Egyptian armed forces. "His Highness Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the foreign minister of the UAE, expressed his full confidence that the great people of Egypt are able to cross these difficult moments that Egypt is going through," WAM said in a statement. "Sheikh Abdullah said that the great Egyptian army was able to prove again that they are the fence of Egypt and that they are the protector and strong shield that guarantee Egypt will remain a state of institutions and law," it added. Qatar Qatar's new emir congratulated Egypt's Adli Mansour after he was sworn in as an interim leader. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, "sent a cable of congratulations" following the swearing in. The foreign ministry said: "Qatar will continue to respect the will of Egypt and its people across the spectrum," the source said. Qatar was alone among Gulf Arab states in celebrating the 2011 Arab Spring revolt that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak. United Kingdom The UK urged for calm in Egypt, but stopped short of calling the military intervention a coup. "The situation is clearly dangerous and we call on all sides to show restraint and avoid violence," said Foreign Secretary William Hague. "The United Kingdom does not support military intervention as a way to resolve disputes in a democratic system." The UK called on all parties to move forward and "show the leadership and vision needed to restore and renew Egypt's democratic transition". "It is vital for them to respond to the strong desire of the Egyptian people for faster economic and political progress for their country," stressed Hague. This must involve early and fair elections and civilian-led government, he said. United States The US State Department expressed concern over the military intervention. The US ordered the mandatory evacuation of its embassy in Cairo, just hours after the army deposed Morsi. A later travel advisory confirmed that "the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and family members from Egypt due to the ongoing political and social unrest." US President Barack Obama released a statement saying he was deeply concerned by the decision by Egyptian military to depose Morsi, and called for a swift return to civilian government. "No transition to democracy comes without difficulty, but in the end it must stay true to the will of the people. An honest, capable and representative government is what ordinary Egyptians seek and what they deserve," Obama said. "The long-standing partnership between the United States and Egypt is based on shared interests and values, and we will continue to work with the Egyptian people to ensure that Egypt’s transition to democracy succeeds.” However, the US also stopped short of calling the military intervention a coup. Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane, reporting from Washington, noted that any country involved in a coup was not entitled to aid from the US. Germany
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the military intervention was "a major setback for democracy in Egypt" and called for "dialogue and political compromise".
"This is a major setback for democracy in Egypt," Westerwelle said during a visit to Athens. "It is urgent that Egypt return as quickly as possible to the constitutional order... there is a real danger that the democratic transition in Egypt will be seriously damaged." "We call on all sides to renounce violence. We will watch developments in Egypt very closely. And then make our political decisions. "Political detentions and a political wave of repression must be avoided at all cost. Now this is about returning to the path of democratic order." France French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Paris took note that elections had been announced in Egypt following a transition period after the army ousted president Mohamed Morsi. "In a situation that has worsened seriously and with extreme tension in Egypt, new elections have finally been announced, after a transition period." France hoped a timetable would be drawn up respecting "civil peace, pluralism, individual liberties and the achievements of the democratic transition, so that the Egyptian people can freely choose their leaders and their future", he added. |
Groups condemn raids on Egypt TV channels | ||||||||
Al Jazeera is demanding the release of staff detained by authorities as Mubasher Misr channel shutdown by army.
Last Modified: 05 Jul 2013 00:43
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| Al Jazeera has demanded the release of a top staff member who was detained when Egyptian security officials raided the Mubasher Misr channel, shortly after Mohamed Morsi was ousted as president. Three other television channels, all deemed to be pro-Morsi by Egyptian authorities, were also shut down on Wednesday in a move condemned by rights groups and journalists. Mubasher Misr's managing director Ayman Gaballah remains in custody. Four other staff members have been released. Al Jazeera Media Network's acting Director General Mostafa Souag condemned the actions, saying "regardless of political views, the Egyptian people expect media freedoms to be respected and upheld." "Media offices should not be subject to raids and intimidation. Journalists should not be detained for doing their jobs." Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr, was prevented from broadcasting from a pro-Morsi rally in northern Cairo and its crew there was also detained. Authorities claim it was operating without a proper licence, despite having been a live channel for several years. Al Jazeera's Egyptian station began broadcasting after the 2011 revolution that topped President Hosni Mubarak and has been accused by critics of being sympathetic to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt's military-led authorities also shut down a station operated by the Muslim Brotherhood after former President Mohamed Morsi was toppled. Muslim Brotherhood-owned Egypt25 was forced off air and its managers arrested shortly after General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, head of Egypt's armed forces, announced a plan for a new political transition, the state news agency MENA reported. Dark ages The authorities also shut down two other Islamist-run stations, Al-Hafiz and Al-Nas, security sources said.
"We are concerned by reports that authorities are shutting down television coverage based on political perspective," said Sherif Mansour of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. "We urge the military not to deprive Egyptians of information sources at this important juncture." In a statement, the Brotherhood said the shutdowns were a return to the "repressive" policies of Egypt's "dark ... ages." The London-based Amnesty International called the shutdowns a "blow to freedom of expression." Speaking to Al Jazeera English, National Salvation Front spokesman Khaled Dawoud defended the move. "I hope this is an exceptional measure that will last only for a few days," he said "When you have a critical time of change like this and you have some other people who are trying to incite supporters to go and fight I don't think it is useful to have these channels working at these critical hours."
http://www.debka.com/article/23090/Saudis-Gulf-emirates-actively-aided-Egypt%E2%80%99s-military-coup-settling-score-for-Mubarak-ouster
The lightening coup which Wednesday, July 3, overthrew President Mohamed Morsi put in reverse gear for the first time the Obama administration’s policy of sponsoring the Muslim Brotherhood movement as a moderate force for Arab rule and partner in its Middle East policies. DEBKAfile reveals that the Egyptian military could not have managed their clockwork coup without the aid of Saudi and Dubai intelligence and funding.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE threw their weight and purses behind Egypt’s generals aiming to put their first big spoke in the US-sponsored Arab Revolt (or Spring), after they failed to hold the tide back in Libya, Egypt and thus far Syria.
To learn the name of the Egyptian politician designated to lead his country when the army bows out, read the coming issue of DEBKA Weekly due out Friday.
To subscribe to DEBKA Weekly, click here
The coup leader, Defense Minister and army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, had two more Saudi-Gulf commitments in his pocket, say DEBKAfile's Middle East sources:
1. Should the Obama administration cut off the annual US aid allocation of $1.3 billion, Saudi Arabia and the UAE would make up the military budget’s shortfall;
2. The Saudis, UAE and other Gulf nations, such as Bahrain and Kuwait, would immediately start pumping out substantial funds to keep the Egyptian economy running. The Egyptian masses would be shown that in a properly managed economy, they could be guaranteed a minimal standard of living and need not go hungry as many did under Muslim Brotherhood rule.
According to our sources, the Saudis and the UAE pledged to match the funds Qatar transferred to the Muslim Brotherhood’s coffers in Cairo in the past year, amounting to the vast sum of $13 billion.
This explains President Barack Obama’s caution Thursday morning, July 4, in his expression of deep concern over the ousting of the Egyptian president and the suspension of its constitution. He urged the military to restore government to civilian hands - without accusing them outright of a coup d’etat - and to “avoid arresting President Moris and his supporters.”
The US president refrained from cutting off aid to Egypt, now under military rule, only ordering his administration “to assess what the military's actions meant for US foreign aid to Egypt.”
Thursday morning, Washington ordered US diplomats and their families to leave Cairo at once, leaving just a skeleton staff at the embassy for emergencies. DEBKAfile: This step is only one symptom of the broad gulf developing between the Obama administration and Egypt’s post-coup administration headed by Defense Minister and coup leader Gen. El-Sisi
By means of the successful military putsch in Cairo, Saudi King Abdullah had his revenge for the toppling of his friend Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, for which he has never forgiven President Obama whom he held responsible.
The Saudi-Gulf intervention in Egypt’s change of government also ushers in a new stage of the Arab Revolt for the Middle East. For the first time, a group of traditionally pro-US conservative Arab governments has struck out on its own to fill the leadership vacuum left by the Obama administration’s unwillingness to pursue direct initiatives in the savage Syrian civil war or forcibly preempt Iran’s drive for a nuclear bomb.
The removal of Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt has far-reaching ramifications for Israel. In the immediate term, it gives Israel some security relief – especially, easing the dangers posed from Sinai to its southern regions. The radical Palestinian Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood offshoot which rules the Gaza Strip, has suffered the most damaging political and military setback in its history with the loss of its parent and patron in Cairo.
The big question facing Egypt’s still uncertain future is: Will Riyadh and the UAE follow through on their backing for Gen. Fattah El-Sisi, the most powerful man in Egypt today, and release the promised funds for rehabilitating the Egyptian economy?
Judge Will Be 'Interim President,' but Army Holds All the Power
by Jason Ditz, July 03, 2013
Egypt’s coup sidelines President Mohammed Morsi and has put two other figures, Army Chief Gen. Abdelfattah El-Sisi and Supreme Constitutional Court Justice Adly Mansour.
Mansour is almost entirely unknown, even in Egypt. A career bureaucrat who held several posts several posts under dictator Hosni Mubarak, Mansour was appointed to his most recent post by Morsi himself. His personal beliefs are unclear, and his career has centered around not making waves.
Which might be exactly why he was a good choice for Sisi, who served as both the nation’s army chief and defense minister after the retirement of post-Mubarak junta leader Field Marshal Tantawi.
Sisi was long groomed for military command and is seen as very close to the US military. In a nation with a long history of military rule and huge US aid on the line, this combination could set the stage for him remaining dominant in Egypt’s post-coup power structure.
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Morsi arrested on charges of ‘insulting the judiciary’
MAHMOUD KHALED/AFP/Getty ImagesAn egyptian man talks on his phone and another looks on behind a bricks wall as Muslim brotherhood members and ousted egyptian president Mohammed Morsi supporters rally in his support at Raba Al Adaawyia mosque on July 4, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt.
Egypt’s new military leaders tightened their grip on the country last Thursday, arresting the Muslim Brotherhood’s leader and throwing other Islamists in the same jail where the deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak is being held.
To the shock of Egypt’s backers in the West, the army showed no sign of compromise after its decisive move to depose President Mohammed Morsi.
Pro-Brotherhood television stations were taken off the air, and the organisation said state-owned printers had refused to publish the newspaper of the its Freedom and Justice Party.
Amr Moussa, the former Arab League head and one of the leading liberal politicians backing the army, admitted that General Abdulfattah al-Sisi, the defence minister, was leading discussions on appointing a new government, not the newly sworn interim president, Adly Mansour.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he confirmed that Mohammed ElBaradei was one of a number of names being considered as an interim prime minister.
Meanwhile, the army handed down a list of 200 Brotherhood leaders to police for arrest. Mohammed Badie, the organisation’s Supreme Guide, was detained in the Mediterranean town of Mersa Matrouh and flown to Cairo. The state news agency said those already seized were being held in the capital’s Torah Prison, currently home to Mr Mubarak and his sons Gamal and Alaa.
There was no immediate sign that street support for military intervention had diminished, but some opposition leaders who had backed the army expressed veiled concern. “We totally reject excluding any party, particularly political Islamic groups,” the opposition coalition of which Mr. Moussa is part, the National Salvation Front, said.
Fighter jets swooped in Red Arrows-style formation over the capital. At one stage they playfully drew hearts in the sky with their tail-fumes in response to the popular chants of “The army and people are one hand” with which crowds in Tahrir Square welcomed Mr Morsi’s dismissal from the president’s office on Wednesday.
But across the country, the authority of the military state was imposed in a manner not seen since the darkest days of the Mubarak era.
His military dictatorship alternately fought and tolerated the Muslim Brotherhood, the only other institution with the army’s popular base and organisational skills, for six decades. But it never arrested its Supreme Guide.
Mr. Badie’s retired predecessor, Mahdi Akef, 84, was also detained.
The crackdown extended to pro-Islamist media. The newspaper of the Freedom and Justice Party, set up to be the Brotherhood’s political arm, did not appear on the streets after the state-run printers refused to publish it.
Misr 25, the main Brotherhood television station, was shut down and its staff arrested. At least two other stations were stopped, while the army raided the local affiliate of the Al-Jazeera network, owned by the Qatari royal family which is perceived to be the Brotherhood’s most important international backer.
There were widespread reports of clashes. At the pro-Morsi encampment in Cairo, full of despondent Muslim Brotherhood supporters, shots rang out immediately after General Sisi appeared on Wednesday night to confirm Mr Morsi’s removal.
Witnesses said a burst of semi-automatic gunfire rained down on the crowd from a military building nearby, killing at least one person. “I saw a man running past bleeding from the abdomen,” one journalist present said. “There are now bloodied stones near the gate of the building. I don’t think there’s any doubt it was fired down into the crowd from above.”
There had been a taste of what was to come the night before when a large Brotherhood rally was fired on with 18 dead near Cairo University, the perpetrators either plain clothes police themselves or at least defended by police vehicles. After the announcement, there were 10 more deaths around the country. There was shock even among those who crossed swords with the Muslim Brotherhood over its own alleged abuses of power.
“Arrests of Muslim Brotherhood leaders take us back to the dark Mubarak days where political opposition parties were banned and the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested en masse,” said Heba Morayef, of Human Rights Watch.
Liberal politicians who had backed the military action defended what was happening. Mr Moussa said they were “precautionary measures”.
“I believe the circumstances require some caution,” he said. “But it will be a democracy for sure. I don’t think closing the television stations will be the order of the day.”
He said it was natural for General Sisi “after all he has done” to take the leading role in appointing a new interim government, which he said would focus on restoring the Egyptian economy, while security was left in the hands of the army and the police.
He said that the military action was a response to Mr. Morsi’s speech on Tuesday night, which he said contained veiled threats of violence.
However, the military indicated that the arrests were not likely to be short-term. Mr Badie and Khairat al-Shater, his deputy, were said to be under investigation for “inciting violence” at its headquarters on Sunday night, where eight men died in clashes.
AFP PHOTO / KHALED DESOUKIKHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty ImagesSupporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi are prevented from gathering outside the Supreme Constitutional Court building by Egyptian police special forces after the swearing in ceremony of newly appointed interim president Adly Mansour on July, 4, 2013 in Cairo. Egypt's new caretaker president Mansour had been head of the Supreme Constitutional Court for just two days when the army named him leader of the Arab world's most populous state.
Mr Morsi was said to be facing charges of “insulting the judiciary”, an institution with which he repeatedly clashed during his brief tenure. He accused it of being a stronghold of supporters of Mr Mubarak.
The head of the judiciary, the chief justice of the constitutional court, Mr Mansour, was sworn in to replace Mr Morsi. He suggested that all parties, including the Muslim Brotherhood, would be invited to rejoin the political process. But it said it would boycott the new arrangements.
Western leaders expressed concern but the Arab world was united in its support for the army. Many governments fear the rise of political Islam, but the support of Qatar, which helped fund the Muslim Brotherhood government to the tune of billions of dollars, was a surprise.
Elsewhere, there was deep division on the effect it would have on the broader Islamist movement. The Egyptian opposition believes Mr Morsi’s unpopularity with the street shows that the power of Islamism has peaked, and that the army’s action will speed its decline.
Western analysts fear that removing a democratically elected Islamist government will send the message that militant means are the only ones that can succeed. The Brotherhood rejects the use of violence, but it is in alliance with former terrorist groups like Gamaa al-Islamiya.
Ed Husain, who helped to found Quilliam, an Islamist monitoring group, and is now Senior Fellow at the Council for Foreign Relations, said the arrests would be watched around the world. He said arrests of Islamist figures in the 1960s gave birth to the Egyptian jihadist phenomenon.
He said: “The Brotherhood’s Salafi and other more extreme cousins are on standby to say, ’We told you. Western democracy does not work for us. We must return to jihad and armed struggle to change society’. Most Egyptians will reject this, no doubt, but it sets an ideological ball in motion.”
AFP PHOTO/GIANLUIGI GUERCIAGIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty ImagesEgyptian youths join hundreds of thousands in a demonstration against President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt's landmark Tahrir square on July 3, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt. Cheers erupted, firecrackers ignited and horns were honked as soon as the army announced President Mohamed Morsi's rule was over, ending Egypt's worst crisis since its 2011 revolt
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