Free Republic

As I have said since the Egyptian Revolution, the United States supports a set of core principles, including opposition to violence, protection of universal human rights, and reform that meets the legitimate aspirations of the people. The United States does not support particular individuals or political parties, but we are committed to the democratic process and respect for the rule of law. Since the current unrest in Egypt began, we have called on all parties to work together to address the legitimate grievances of the Egyptian people, in accordance with the democratic process, and without recourse to violence or the...

Egypt’s top generals summoned civilian political leaders to an emergency meeting Wednesday just hours before the deadline they have set for President Mohamed Morsi to leave power. President Mohammed Morsi addressed the nation in a televised speech on Tuesday. Among those called to the meeting was Mohamed ElBaradei, the former United Nations diplomat protesters demanding Mr. Morsi’s ouster have tapped as one of their negotiators over a new interim government, Reuters reported, citing unnamed official sources. Mr. ElBaradei has been an outspoken critic of Mr. Morsi and his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood, the Constitution they pushed to a referendum...

The Egyptian army has set a deadline of 4 p.m. Cairo time for the Muslim Brotherhood government of President Morsi to compromise with the people of Egypt (by stepping down.) Morsi refuses. 18 people were killed and 200 were wounded in clashes at Cairo University last night.A Washington Post report from Cairo on dueling statements from Morsi and the army: Waving his hands and shaking his fists in a 45-minute speech on national television late Tuesday, Morsi swore that he was committed to the democratic process that brought him to power and said that any attempts to subvert the constitution...

CAIRO - Egypt's army has plans to push President Mohamed Morsi aside and suspend the constitution if he fails to strike a power-sharing deal with his opponents within 24 hours, military sources told Reuters on Tuesday. Egypt's first freely elected leader was still clinging to power with tens of thousands of people on the streets from rival factions. There were some clashes between Morsi's Islamist supporters and those who want him forced out after only a year in office. Military sources told Reuters that once a two-day deadline set by the head of the armed forces expires at 5 p.m....

The State Department is denying reports that the U.S. is calling on Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to schedule early elections. "The reports that we have been urging early elections are inaccurate," State spokesman Jen Psake said at her briefing on Tuesday. She said the U.S. has called for Egypt to allow protests and to respect democracy, both publicly and in private, but that the U.S. had not called for early elections, The Hill reported. Psaki's statement follows a report by CNN that the U.S. had called on Morsi to hold early elections. "We are saying to him, 'Figure out a...

Mercury News reports, fearing a political-military implosion that could throw its most important Arab ally into chaos, the Obama administration has abandoned its hands-off approach, delivering pointed warnings to the three main players in the crisis, according to Mercury News: Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi, protesters demanding his ouster and the powerful Egyptian military. U.S. officials said Tuesday they are urging Morsi to take immediate steps to address opposition grievances, says Mercury News, telling the protesters to remain peaceful and reminding the army that a coup could have consequences for the massive American military aid package...

The withdrawal of support for Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi by President Obama is the latest bit of bad news for Egypt's leader and the Muslim Brotherhood movement that catapulted him to power as the country's first freely elected head of state. The US hasn't publicly abandoned Mr. Morsi, whom the State Department has repeatedly hailed as a democratically elected leader. But via anonymous spokesmen it's done everything but, and the distancing has come in record time – just three days since mass protests broke out. When protests against President Hosni Mubarak broke out in January 2011, the US struggled mightily...

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's armed forces would suspend the constitution and dissolve an Islamist-dominated parliament under a draft political roadmap to be pursued if Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and his opponents fail to reach a power-sharing agreement by Wednesday, military sources said. The sources told Reuters the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) was still discussing details of the plan, intended to resolve a political crisis that has brought millions of protesters into the streets. The roadmap could be changed based on political developments and consultations. Chief-of-staff General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called in a statement on Monday for Mursi...

Opponents and supporters of Egypt's president have gathered in the capital, Cairo, as the deadline set by a protest group for him to leave power passed. Tamarod (Rebel) had given Mohammed Morsi until 17:00 (15:00 GMT) to resign or face a civil disobedience campaign. The ultimatum was issued on Monday, hours before the military itself warned it would intervene unless he reached an agreement with the opposition. Mr Morsi criticised the statement, saying it "might cause confusion". The president met the head of the armed forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, for the second day in a row on Tuesday. They...

Egyptian media reported Sunday that a Dutch journalist was raped by several men in Cairo's Tahrir Square a few days ago.   Dina Zakaria, a journalist reporting for the "Egypt 25" news channel affiliated with the January 25 revolution, shared the incident on her Facebook page Sunday: "A Dutch journalist in Tahrir was raped by men who dub themselves revolutionists. Her condition is severe and she is hospitalized." Meanwhile, a state hospital issued a statement that the journalist was admitted after being raped by five men several days ago. She underwent surgery and has been released. It was also reported that...

July 1, 2013 US Embassy to Remain Closed Tuesday; Obama Says Protecting US Missions Top Priority by Patrick Goodenough (CNSNews.com) – As Egypt’s turmoil continued overnight the U.S. Embassy in Cairo said it will remain closed for a third consecutive day on Tuesday, and President Obama said that ensuring U.S. diplomatic facilities there are protected is his “number-one priority.”Demonstrators who are calling for President Mohammed Morsi to step down by Tuesday celebrated after the military leadership threatened to intervene if Egyptian politicians did not “meet the people's demands” in 48 hours. The statement was viewed by many as an ultimatum...

Egypt's presidency has indicated that it will not give in to the threat of a military coup, just hours after the Egyptian army gave Mohamed Morsi 48 hours to placate the millions who have taken to the streets calling for his departure. The head of Egypt's armed forces, General Abdel Fattah Sisi, threatened direct military involvement in the political process "if the demands of the people are not realised", in a statement implying that Morsi should either step down or at least call early elections. The presidency indicated that it viewed the statement as a coup d'etat, and implied that...

The Egyptian Military just made a publc statement on Egyptian TV and it appears the country is close to another military coup: EGYPTIAN MILITARY SAYS WON'T BE PART OF POLITICS EGYPT MILITARY SAYS NATIONAL SECURITY SUBJECTED TO GRAVE DANGER EGYPTIAN MILITARY SAYS PROTESTS 'UNPRECEDENTED' EGYPTIAN MILITARY SAYS HOMELAND FACING DIRE SITUATION EGYPT'S MILITARY SAYS WILL NOT BE PARTY TO POLITICS OR POWER EGYPT MILITARY SAYS CALLS FOR MEETING THE DEMANDS OF THE PEOPLE EGYPT MILITARY MAY HAVE TO OFFER ROADMAP AFTER 48 HOURS In other words, do as the people want, calm this down now, or we will step in...

• Army gives politicians 48 hours to settle crisis • Up to five ministers resign from Morsi's government • Health ministry says 16 killed and hundreds wounded • Muslim Brotherhood's offices targeted as police stand by • Defiant Morsi dismisses call for his removal

Millions of protesters filled streets across Egypt on Sunday, loudly calling for Mohamed Morsy to resign on the one-year anniversary of his presidency. The turnout in the capital far exceeded the large demonstrations of the 2011 revolution that ousted Morsy's predecessor, Hosni Mubarak. People filled Tahrir Square, epicenter of the 2011 uprising, and jammed Nile River bridges leading into it. They converged from all areas of Cairo — from poor to upper-class — chanting and waving Egyptian flags. Column after column of marchers passed the presidential palace with a deafening roar of “Leave!” Many waved red cards, symbolizing those used...

Anti-government protesters attacked the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Cairo after dark Sunday, as part of the largest demonstrations that Egypt has seen in two-and-a-half years of turmoil. SNIPIn a potentially volatile confrontation after nightfall, several dozen youths attacked the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters on a plateau overlooking the capital. They threw rocks and firebombs at the walled villa, and people inside fired at the attackers with birdshot, according to an Associated Press Television News cameraman at the scene. Southern Egypt saw deadly attacks on anti-Morsi protests. A protester was shot to death in Beni Suef outside the offices of the Brotherhood's...

Egypt's main opposition coalition on Sunday urged hundreds of thousands of protesters demanding the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi to stay on the streets until their goals are achieved, AFP reports. In a statement entitled "Revolution Statement 1", they urged "all the revolutionary forces and all citizens to maintain their peaceful (rallies) in all the squares and streets and villages and hamlets of the country... until the last of this dictatorial regime falls." Meanwhile, Egypt's presidency held a press conference on Sunday night at the presidential palace in Cairo, where spokesman Omar Amer stressed the presidency's respect for the demands...

In highly anticipated protests to mark the first anniversary of President Mohammed Morsi’s inauguration, millions of Egyptians took to the streets across the country in unprecedented numbers Sunday to demand his removal from office, three years before his term expires. The protests were largely peaceful after days of worries that they would unleash violence between pro- and anti-Morsi camps. But in those places where they came together, the two sides kept their distance, with Morsi’s supporters vastly outnumbered by the president’s opponents. This normally bustling city set aside its usual business what in Egypt is the first day of the...