Posted on 07/03/2013 7:36:02 AM PDT by Jeff Head
Latest Egypt News: July 3, 2013 10:00 AM EDT
Egyptian Military Occupies TV Stations
10:05 EDT
CAIRO, Egypt -- Egypt's military moved to tighten its control on key institutions Wednesday, even putting officers in the newsroom of state TV, in preparation for an almost certain push to remove the country's Islamist president when an afternoon ultimatum expires.
Mohammed Morsi has vowed not to step down in the face of millions of protesters in the streets in the biggest anti-government rallies the country has seen.
His Islamist supporters have vowed to resist what they call a coup against democracy, and have also taken to the streets by the tens of thousands. At least 39 people have been killed in clashes since Sunday, raising fears the crisis could further explode into violence
The clock was ticking on the military's deadline, expiring around 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (11 a.m. ET).
The military beefed up its presence inside the mammoth headquarters of state television on the banks of the Nile River in central Cairo. Crack troops were deployed in news-production areas. Officers from the army's media department moved inside the newsroom and were monitoring output, though not yet interfering, staffers said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the arrangements.
The state TV is run by the information minister, a Muslim Brotherhood member put in the post by Morsi, and its coverage had largely been in favour of the government. But already in the past two days, the coverage saw a marked shift, with more balanced reporting showing the anti-Morsi protests along with pro-Morsi ones. State radio has seen a similar shift.
The authoritative, state-run Al-Ahram newspaper -- which also seemed to be following a military line -- reported that the military had placed several leaders of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood under surveillance and issued a foreign travel ban on the Islamist group's top leaders.
The head of the army, Defence Minsiter Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, held a group meeting with leading reform advocate Mohammed ElBaradei, Egypt's top Muslim cleric -- Al-Azhar Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb -- and Coptic Pope Tawadros II to discuss its political road map, a spokesman for the senior opposition National Democratic Front, Khaled Daoud, said on state TV.
Also attending the meeting were a representative of the new youth movement behind this week's protests and some members of the ultraconservative Salafi movements, a defence ministry official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The Egyptian military has been very smart in how they have done things. 1st, last Thursday, they announced they were moving troops into the vicinity of all the major cities but would take no action unless there were massive civil violence. Morsi thought they were doing so to help support his government...but it became apparent that the troops were actually there to prepare for Morsi's deposing when, on Monday, after reveiwing the size of the protests, the military issued an ultimatum to Morsi to step down...with troops already deployed across the country to enforce it.
Now, in the face of Morsi's refusal, the military is occupying the State run TV and newspaper, and is meeting with all of the opposition, the leading reform advocate Mohammed El Baradei, Egypt's top Muslim cleric, the Coptic Christian Pope, the leader of the new youth movement behind Sunday's protests and members of the conservative Salafi movement. Clearly, a coalition that will help the nation be governed in the absence of Morsi and the Musilm Brotherhood.
THOSE POSTERS would make GREAT campaign posters for any conservative candidates in the USA.... coming up!!!
The military has moved with great discretion in all of this. And they appear to be the one constitutional institution operating in Egypt.
I’m curious where these “youth groups” stand in terms of the Muslim Brotherhood, and if they have any sort of coherent political philosophy.
This may well be the start of a new Spring/Summer that will embrace the world as they reject the empty promisses of socialism.
CNN: 11:15 EDT
CAIRO: Egyptian Military leaders have told Arab media that they plan to suspend the constitution, dissolve the parliament and sideline Morsy.
In his place, they would install a civilian interim council until a new constitution can be drafted and a new president elected.
The military's ultimatum was intended to push all factions toward a national consensus, not to seize power through a coup, a spokesman, Col. Ahmed Ali, said Monday in a written statement.
The military appears to be pressuring Morsy to restructure his government to reduce the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and include opposition members, a source close to highly placed members of Egypt's leadership told CNN.
Five of Morsy's ministers resigned this week, including Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr.
And former Prosecutor General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud will meet Thursday with the Supreme Judicial Council to be officially confirmed in the job.
Mahmoud had originally been installed in the job by Mubarak, shortly before he left. Mahmoud's return appeared to signify a shrinking of Morsy's power and a tilt toward Mubarak-era officials over Muslim Brotherhood loyalists.
Many of the democratic reformists and moderates who have accused Morsy's government of moving in an authoritarian direction now support former Mubarak supporters and others fed up with the nation's direction in calling for the restoration of order through the military.
Together they are pushing to oust Morsy and his Muslim conservative government, whose leaders were drawn primarily from the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood. They say they have collected more than 20 million signatures on a petition to remove him -- millions more than the number who voted Morsy into the presidency.
In recent days, anti-Morsy demonstrators have ransacked Muslim Brotherhood offices all over the country.
Egypt's military is meeting Wednesday with religious, national, political and youth leaders to address the crisis, Egyptian military spokesman, Ahmed Ali, said through his Facebook page.
An opposition spokesman accused the United States of propping up Morsy out of concern for neighboring Israel.
"The hour of victory is coming," said Mahmoud Badr of the Tamarod opposition group. He predicted that the "illegitimate president" would be gone by the end of the day.
"Not America, not Morsy, not anyone can impose their will on the Egyptian people," Badr said.
It would appear a primary lesson is how to deal with ABC/CBS/NBC/CNN/MSNBC/NPR
Obama will not read the signs, most likely. Better to “lead from behind”, let the coup play out, and then issue a statement about getting along with the new regime (and hope the Egyptians forget about his support of Morsi and the MB.)
I think I could strategize for Obama: just pick the policy that is “wait and see”, write a speech with platitudes, read the speech, then go play golf. When the SHTF, say you read it in the paper, like everybody else.
“Some of Dr. Jefferson’s miracle elixir. The “natural manure” of Liberty”
There is no Jeffersonian democracy blooming in Egypt. You are watching a third world military coup. They had an election. They chose the Islamists. What they learned was that the Islamists have no economic plan and only bring repression and starvation. But I wouldn’t bet that anyone there will celebrate the return of the iron fist that kept them fed for the last sixty years.
Morsi is apparently under house arrest per Egyptian TV
Why did Obama give Egypt more F-16s and tanks? He was trying to buy off the Egyptian military. I think they just told him to shove an F-16 up his donkey.
Oh my, where’s the “love” gone for Omuslim?
Reuters: Egypt President’s National Security Adviser says military coup under way
AFP: Travel ban placed on Egypt’s President Morsi and top Islamists
Morsi and the MB removed. WH will be in mourning.
This should be interesting!
I’ll fix some popcorn and pop a brewski!
Glenn Beck’s take is that in terms of the Russian revolutionary period in 1917 - this would be Bolshevik coup that overthrew the moderate socialist government of Kerensky - thus the “moderate” Islamalists will be kicked out to make way for the “radical” Islamists.
Maybe...but it looks like to me that the Egyptian Army is going to appoint the next “civilian” government.
An American De-Coup.
Thank you. This is amazing to witness.
Just wait until Zimmerman walks out a free man. Our tree will have to bear a flashflood when "The Great ObamaNation" calls forth it's menions.
Isaiah 19:1-2
19 The burden against Egypt.
Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.
2 “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom.
As the Good Book says, so goes this sorry world. The Bible warns. People refuse to listen. Here, it is telling us exactly what is going on and what is happening in these last days of a dying world.
Pretty much. Expect it to go something like "the United States has consistently supported the legitimate government of Egypt, whether it was Mubarak, Morsi, or whoever will head the government in the future. We have, and will continue to have, respect for the wishes of the Egyptian people."
Meanwhile, he'll be fuming to himself over the loss by the MB.
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