Egypt unrest

[Minskaya]

The US State Department has advised Americans to avoid Egypt due to continuing unrest and violence. A 21 year old American college student (Andrew Pochter) was killed photographing clashes between rival factions. The US says it will beef up security at its embassy in Cairo. Tomorrow (30 June) millions of Egyptians are expected to turn out and protest against the Muslim Brotherhood government of Mohammed Morsi. If violence escalates, this could be the beginning of another period of Egyptian anarchy.

Edit: The slain American college student is from Chevy Chase MD. and was teaching English to Egyptian children and improving his Arabic. He was stabbed to death during unrest in Alexandria, Egypt.

[Minskaya]

Egypt protest: Crowds gather for big anti-Morsi rally
30 June 2013

Crowds have been gathering in Cairo's Tahrir Square ahead of a mass rally to demand the resignation of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Thousands spent the night the square, focus of the protests which brought down former leader Hosni Mubarak. Sunday is the first anniversary of Mr Morsi's inauguration as president. His opponents accuse him of failing to tackle economic and security problems. Tension has been high ahead of the rally. Supporters of the president also plan to hold their own rallies. At least three people, including a US citizen, died in unrest on Friday.

Washington has warned Americans not to travel to Egypt. The UK urged its citizens to "avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings" while France said citizens should "limit movements to those strictly necessary". Protesters are unhappy with the policies of the Islamist president and his Muslim Brotherhood allies. Opposition activists say more than 22 million people have signed a petition seeking a snap election. They have urged the signatories to come out on Tahrir Square. The grassroots movement Tamarod (Rebellion) is behind the petition, which has united liberal and secular opposition groups, including the National Salvation Front.

However, many ordinary Egyptians - angered by Mr Morsi's political and economic policies - are also taking part in the rally. Flags and tents form a base camp on the square from where protesters plan to march the presidential palace. Amr Riad, 26, told Reuters news agency: "We're peaceful but if those who come at us are violent we'll defend ourselves."

Source: BBC

The potential for violent confrontations is exceedingly high.

[Double Edge]

Hope this sets the stage for early elections. The MB has been sitting on their hands and letting the economy slide. Their inexperience with governance is only going to come back and bite them.

[Minskaya]

It is in the 90's today in Cairo. I look for a correlation between street density and cooler early evening temps.

[zraver]

Would love to see the MB forced from powwr. They are jihadis in sheeps clothing.

[Minskaya]

Millions flood Egypt streets to demand Morsi ouster

Muslim Brotherhood Cairo HQ Stormed in Protest Aftermath

Egypt's military chief gives Morsi 48 hours to answer people's demands
July 01, 2013

The head of Egypt's armed forces gave politicians 48 hours on Monday to answer demands made by the Egyptian people or the military would offer its own "road map for the future." In a statement read on state television, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called mass protests on Sunday, which called for Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to resign, an "unprecedented" expression of the popular will. If protesters maintain their pressure, the spotlight will be on the army, which displayed its neutrality on Sunday, making goodwill gestures to the protesters after urging feuding politicians last week to cooperate to solve the nation's problems. It warned last week it could intervene if violence got out of control but said it would defend the "will of the people."

Source: Haaretz

I think Morsi is finished.

[lwarmonger]

Would love to see the MB forced from powwr. They are jihadis in sheeps clothing.

But who is there to take their place?

This is where Mubarak's suppression of so much of civil society is now manifesting itself in all sorts of negative ways.

[snapper]

The army has issued an ultimatum I hear... plus ca change plus c'est la meme chose.

[Parihaka]

Egypt army gives president Mohammed Morsi 48-hour ultimatum to share power

Egypt's armed forces have handed Islamist president Mohammed Morsi a 48-hour deadline to share power.

A dramatic military statement broadcast on state television declared the nation was in danger, after hundreds of thousands of Egyptians took to the streets on Sunday to demand Mr Morsi quit.

Key points

Armed forces declares nation in danger, urges compromise
If no political deal in 48 hours, army will present plan
Muslim Brotherhood HQ ransacked, police absent
Five cabinet ministers quit in sympathy with protests
Biggest protests since Hosni Mubarak toppled


At least eight people were killed, hundreds more were wounded and the headquarters of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood was ransacked.

The military has given feuding politicians 48 hours to compromise or have the army impose its own road map for the country.

"If the demands of the people are not realised within the defined period, it will be incumbent upon (the armed forces)... to announce a road map for the future," chief-of-staff General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said.

General Sisi said the people had expressed their will with unprecedented clarity in the mass demonstrations, and wasting more time would only increase the danger of division and strife.

Mr Morsi's backers were furious at the statement.

"The age of military coups is over," Yasser Hamza, from the Brotherhood parliamentary wing, said.

But it provoked delight among liberal leaders and crowds in Cairo's Tahrir Square, who cheered when a flight of military helicopters swooped overhead trailing national flags.

Silhouetted against the sunset, it was a powerful illustration of the military's desire to be seen in tune with the people.

The army said it would oversee the implementation of the roadmap it sought "with the participation of all factions and national parties, including young people", but it would not get directly involved in politics or government.


Mr Morsi's office later said the president met General Sisi and prime minister Hisham Kandil, releasing a picture of them seated together smiling, but did not respond to the military statement.

The main opposition National Salvation Front, which has demanded a national unity government for months, applauded the military's move.

The army is held in high regard, especially after it helped topple former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak two years ago.

On Cairo's Tahrir Square, thousands celebrated the army's move.

"We want a new armed forces council to govern until new elections," accountant Mohamed Ibrahim said.

"The army alone supports the legitimate revolutionary will of the people."

Amr Moussa, a liberal politician and former foreign minister who stood in last year's presidential election, said: "The invitation to meet the demands of the people within the next few hours is a historic opportunity which should not be lost."

Pressure mounts for 'consensus' government

It was the second time in just over a week that the armed forces had issued a formal warning to the politicians, piling pressure on Mr Morsi to concede power-sharing with the liberal, secular and left-wing opposition.

The armed forces have played an important role in Egyptian politics since army officers staged the overthrow of the monarchy in 1952.

Since the fall of Mubarak when the Arab Spring revolutions took hold, the Arab world's most populous nation has remained in turmoil, arousing concern among allies in the West and in neighbouring Israel, with which Egypt has had a peace treaty since 1979.


VIDEO: Professor Bob Bowker discusses Egypt unrest (ABC News)
Sunday's mass rallies were bigger than anything seen since the Arab Spring uprising.

Protest organisers, who declared Mr Morsi ousted by people power on Sunday, said they hoped people would stay in the streets until Mr Morsi left.

The United States and the European Union have urged Mr Morsi to share power with the opposition, saying only a national consensus can help Egypt overcome a severe economic crisis and build democratic institutions.

US president Barack Obama renewed a call for Mr Morsi and his adversaries to cooperate, just as General Sisi's statement was made.

The Pentagon, which funds the Egyptian army heavily, said it could not speculate on what was about to happen in Egypt.

Source

[tankie]

Watching this unfurl on the BBC now m8 .

[Parihaka]

threads merged

[tbm3fan]

The army has issued an ultimatum I hear... plus ca change plus c'est la meme chose.

Protests grow against Morsy amid military challenge - CNN.com

Just read that. I was wondering how long the military would sit by before getting involved especially since I don't think they were big supporters of Morsi. Will be interesting to see how his more militant Islamic supporters react to this.

Does anyone think he would be re-elected if the vote was today? I suspect many voted for him because he wasn't the same old. Then they find out he too has his priorities and they are more oriented towards his most vocal supporters rather the the general public.

[zraver]

I really, really hope the people of Egypt are able to send the MB packing. there will be no more clear message for the jihadists that they are failures than to be rejected wholesale by the worlds largest conservative sunni country.

[Minskaya]

Egypt’s army plans to suspend constitution

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s military has drawn up a plan to suspend the Islamist-backed constitution, dissolve the Islamist-dominated legislature and set up an interim administration headed by the country’s chief justice if President Mohammed Morsi fails to reach a solution with his opponents by the end of a Wednesday deadline, the state news agency reported. The report Tuesday provided the first details on the road map that the military has said it will implement if Morsi fails to meet its ultimatum, as millions of protesters returned to the streets for the third straight day in their drive to force the Islamist president out of office.

The army has underlined that it has no intention to take power. But the reported army road map showed it was ready to replace Morsi and make a sweeping change in the ramshackle political structure that has evolved since the 2011 fall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak. A retired army general with close ties to the military confirmed the news agency report on the road map. Hossam Sweilam said a panel of experts would draft a new constitution and the interim administration would be a presidential council led by the Supreme Constitutional Court’s chief justice and including the defense minister, representatives of political parties, youth groups, Al-Azhar Mosque and the Coptic Church. He said the military envisaged a one-year transitional period before presidential elections are held. The military spokesman, Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali, declined to confirm the details. ‘‘It is too early and we don’t want to jump into conclusions,’’ he said.

Morsi faced fissures from within. Three government spokesmen — two who spoke for Morsi and one who spoke for Prime Minister Hesham Kandil — were the latest to quit as part of high-level defections that underscored his increasing isolation and fallout from the military’s ultimatum. Five Cabinet ministers, including the foreign minister, resigned Monday, and sixth, Youth Minister El-Amry Farouq, quit Tuesday.

Source: Boston.com

The proverbial writing is on the wall.

[Agnostic Muslim]

I really, really hope the people of Egypt are able to send the MB packing. there will be no more clear message for the jihadists that they are failures than to be rejected wholesale by the worlds largest conservative sunni country.

Didn't the 'people of Egypt' vote the current MB led government to power?