Posted on 07/03/2013 5:56:34 AM PDT by kristinn
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 were “unacceptable.”
The army, in turn, posted a message to its Facebook page saying: “We swear to God that we will sacrifice even our blood for Egypt and its people, to defend them against any terrorist, radical or fool.”
In his speech, Morsi acknowledged that he had made mistakes during his year in office as Egypt’s first democratically elected president. But he appealed to Egyptians to give him more time to deal with the country’s problems.
Link to originial FR thread from Friday with many amazing photos.
July 4th is breaking out all over!
Anyone know what he is saying!?????
Wish I knew what they were saying!
PEOPLE OF EGYPT.
Army statement:
All of #Egypt called upon us and we heard, understood, and took action.
Minster of Defense Al-Sisi is reading out the Armed Forces statement
Hey Shep, here's five bucks. Go and buy a clue.
AMEN!
21:02 Here we go. Chief of Egyptian armed forces, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, is speaking live on Egyptian television.
20:55 Another statement by an opposition group, clearly anticipating an announcement that meets their demands.
The 30 June Coordinating Committee, a coalition of anti-Morsi groups, releases a statement refusing any foreign pressures exerted on the armed forces to pull it away from the popular movement and portray its stance as a coup. It also rejects attempts by the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies to abort the “popular revolution” which went to the streets by the millions.
The statement declared its rejection of what it describes as the US standing by the Muslim Brotherhood for its own interests.
The current unprecedented popular movement is a continuation of the January 25 revolution, the statement asserted, and “will achieve its goals of justice and dignity by the struggle of its people”.
“We call on national forces to remain united in its path in the face of any attempt to divide” the statement read.
20:50 A presidential source tells Ahram Arabic that President Mohamed Morsi was informed by the army at 7pm that he is no longer president.
20:45 The Watan Party, a Salafist grouping which is part of the pro-Morsi National Alliance for Supporting Legitimacy, seem to be sticking with the president. The Brotherhood’s news site, Ikhwan Online, reports that head of the Watan Party and Morsi aide Emad Abdel-Ghafour has said that the people “will not allow any coup against the legitimacy of the president.”
20:40 The moderate Islamist grouping the Strong Egypt Party, led by former Muslim Brotherhood figure Abdel-Moneim Abu-Fotouh, said on its official Twitter page that it rejects any attempts by the army to interfere in managing the political process and that it also rejects the exclusion of any political faction from public life.
20:35 Several rights organisations in Egypt have released a statement on Wednesday declaring their respect for the 30 June uprising and urging that the law must be the basis for resolving the current political situation.
The organisations hailed the “overwhelming uprising of the Egyptian people who on 30 June set out to boldly challenge the political despotism which had taken on a religious guise, in the same way they challenged Mubarak’s regime and his police state.”
The statement criticised the Muslim Brotherhood for undermining rights and liberties, and said that the organisation’s speech had “inflamed political and ideological polarisation, stigmatised opponents of their political project as ‘infidels’ and made them the targets for violence.”
The statement also criticised the violence used against the Brotherhood over recent days, including the attacks on their supporters and offices, but said that these violent acts would not have been committed if the Brotherhood and their allies had not attempted to “suppress their political opponents” and maintained “an utter lack of accountability for acts of violence, torture, and murder committed by Muslim Brotherhood supporters.”
The statement also called on security forces, including the military, to protect demonstrators and “act decisively” with any person attacking demonstrations regardless of political affiliation.
Finally, the groups demanded that any new political roadmap should guarantee civil liberties, and should lead to constitutional amendments.
The statement’s signatories include the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, the Hisham Mubarak Law Center, and a number of others.
20:30 Maha Abou Bakr, a senior member of the anti-Morsi ‘Rebel’ campaign, tells Ahram Arabic that the group has suggested Mohamed Ghoneim, a founding member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, to head the national coalition government that they expect to be formed following Morsi’s ouster.
Bakr further added that the movement has nominated leftist politician Hossam Eissa to be one of two deputy prime ministers, suggesting that the second deputy be a member of the Islamist current.
20:20 Egypt’s military spokesman Ahmed Ali has said on his official Facebook page that the meeting between the army’s commander-in-chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the religious and national groups has ended. A statement revealing meeting’s outcome will be coming within the hour.
20:15 Fireworks are lighting up the sky in the streets near to Ittihadiya presidential palace, reports Ahram Online’s Bel Trew.
“People are singing and dancing, and some are holding posters of military figures chanting ‘the heroes are here,’ ” adds Trew.
20:10 Mohamed El-Beltagy, deputy head of the Freedom and Justice Party, gave an angry statement to Al Jazeera English from the pro-Morsi rally Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square.
“This is nothing short of a coup. A coup against legitimacy, against the will of the people, against the ballot box, and the democratically approved constitution. Everyone knows that we have never initiated violence. Our offices and our leaders were attacked; many of our supporters were killed amid silence from army and police.”
El-Beltagy condemned the military’s statement and rejected the army’s interference in the political crisis.
“These masses [in Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square] are not seeking a confrontation with the army, but they refuse to see the army siding with one faction of the people against another, re-entering the political arena and being part of this division. We will not seek violence but we will not surrender our right to fight attempts of subverting people’s will.”
19:50 More on the US: AFP reports that US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke to Egyptian defence minister and head of the armed forces, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, yesterday. AFP says that:
“Pentagon press secretary George Little is refusing to release any details about the content of the calls. He says U.S. officials at various levels of government have been very clear that America remains committed to the democratic process in Egypt and hopes the tensions there can be resolved peacefully.”
The US State Department press conference is still ongoing. Spokesperson Jen Psaki says that the US is “on the side of the Egyptian people” and that Morsi should call for an end to violence.
12:04 PM
TwitterMarquardtA @MarquardtA
Sissi: We are committed in all our duties and our responsibilities in a truthful way. #EgyptABC
12:04 PM
TwitterMarquardtA @MarquardtA
Sissi: This is the msg the Armed Forces received from all parts of Egypt, all cities, all villages. And we understood this call. #EgyptABC
12:04 PM
TwitterMarquardtA @MarquardtA
Head of SCAF Sissi: Will stay away from political life....Egyptian people are calling us for public service and for protection. #EgyptABC
The military statement is being read live on Egypt state TV right now.
Beat Islamic Nutjobs!
Presidential elections coming soon.
Now we need to get busy deporting Huma Abedin and her MB fellow travelers.
Thanks. Amazing developments!
Suspended constitution. Chief Supreme Court judge temporary president.
Parliament dissolved!
IT’S OVER BUT THE KILLING!
And Obama is out of country!
General Al-Sissi announces Mohd Morsi departure.
“Egypt Suspends Constitution.... Election will happen.”
And FNC is calling this CRISIS in Egypt.. like an earthquake or something.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EGYPT!
The Egyptians showed all how to do it. No dictators.
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