Highlights from Egypt, Dec 8 2012 (Part 1) Martial Law

[Catherina]

Last edited Sat Dec 8, 2012, 03:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Highlights from Egypt, Dec 8 2012 (Part 1) Martial Law

Previous thread, Highlights from Egypt, Dec 7 2012 (Part 4), here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021942792

shaimaa khalil ?@Shaimaakhalil

1st statement since protests,#Egypt army calls for dialogue to end crisis over #Morsi's powers,warning it will intervene to stop violence


@SultanAlQassemi

Egyptian President Said to Prepare Martial Law Decree http://goo.gl/dODke by @kirkpatrickNYT #2011

...

In a statement read on state television, a military spokesman warned Saturday of “disastrous consequences” if the crisis gripping Egypt was not resolved and he urged new dialogue as "the best and only way" to overcome the standoff. The military also pledged to protect state institutions, according to media reports.

“President Morsi will soon issue a decision for the participation of the armed forces in the duties of maintaining security and protection of vital state institutions until the constitution is approved and legislative elections are finished,” the state newspaper Al Ahram reported, suggesting that the martial law would last until at least February. Parliamentary elections are expected to be held two months after the constitutional referendum, which is scheduled for next Saturday.

The paper reported that the defense minister would determine the scope of the military’s role. Military officers would be authorized to act as police and “to use force to the extent necessary to perform their duty,” the newspaper said.

A need to rely on the military to secure a referendum to approve the new charter could undermine Mr. Morsi’s efforts to present the documents as an expression of national consensus that might resolve the crisis.

...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/world/middleeast/egypt-protests.html?_r=1&

[Catherina]

1. "And let’s be honest: The Obama administration has been Morsi’s main enabler."

"And let’s be honest: The Obama administration has been Morsi’s main enabler."

View profile
سلطان سعود القاسمي ?@SultanAlQassemi

"And let’s be honest: The Obama administration has been Morsi’s main enabler." - @IgnatiusPost http://goo.gl/4gyuu #Egypt


Our man in Cairo

...

And let’s be honest: The Obama administration has been Morsi’s main enabler. U.S. officials have worked closely with him on economic development and regional diplomacy. Visiting Washington last week, Morsi’s top aides were touting their boss’s close contacts with President Obama and describing phone calls between the two leaders that led to the Gaza cease-fire.

Morsi’s unlikely role as a peacemaker is the upside of the “cosmic wager” Obama has made on the Muslim Brotherhood. It illustrates why the administration was wise to keep its channels open over the past year of post-revolutionary jockeying in Egypt.

But power corrupts, and this is as true with the Muslim Brotherhood as with any other group that suddenly finds itself in the driver’s seat after decades of ostracism. Probably thinking he had America’s backing, Morsi overreached on Nov. 22 by declaring that his presidential decrees were not subject to judicial review. His followers claim that he was trying to protect Egypt’s revolution from judges appointed by Hosni Mubarak. But that rationale has worn thin as members of Morsi’s government resigned in protest, thousands of demonstrators took the streets and, ominously, Muslim Brotherhood supporters began counterattacking with rocks, clubs and metal pipes.

...

“You need to explain to me why the U.S. reaction to Morsi’s behavior is so muted,” one Arab official wrote me. “So a Muslim Brotherhood leader becomes president of Egypt. He then swoops in with the most daring usurping of presidential powers since the Pharaohs, enough to make Mubarak look like a minor-league autocrat in training by comparison, and the only response the .?.?. Obama administration can put out is Nuland’s statement.” This official wondered whether the United States had lost its moral and political bearings in its enthusiasm to find new friends.

...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-mohamed-morsi-our-man-in-cairo/2012/12/07/14bb707e-409f-11e2-bca3-aadc9b7e29c5_story.html

[leveymg]

7. Taking sides in Intra-Muslim wars and alliances has been the undoing of US power and policy in MENA.

Last edited Sat Dec 8, 2012, 02:18 PM - Edit history (9)

The policy of regime change has forced the US into untenable set of alliances in the Mideast that are unsustainable and strategically destabilizing. The U.S. is being drawn ever-deeper into an intra-Muslim conflict that is both ancient and far-reaching, the outcome and consequences of which are not controllable and not substantially foreseeable by us.

The Sunni-Shi'ia conflict is an overarching factor in the violent internal politics of each country across the region where once firmly established regimes have been overthrown during the past two years, some with U.S. and NATO military intervention. This sets up an inherent regional instability, one that has turned into a disaster for millions in the Mideast who've seen the Arab Spring disintegrate into a series of failed states, false pretense revolutions, and civil wars from Libya to Syria, and now resulting to the outbreak of factional violence in Egypt.

The US relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood has traditionally been covert, largely conducted as a hedge against regimes and national figures in MENA that for decades the US managed to control and counter-balance. In the process, the US has developed long-term clandestine partnerships with groups and actors who have otherwise been either very much at arms length, if not officially condemned as terrorist. These once-hidden relationships with actors who are at best ambivalent and often hostile are now the makeshift basis for efforts to influence events inside Egypt over which the U.S. no longer has any effective control.

The Brotherhood is a distinct entity from the Saudi Wahaabi institutions, like al-Qaeda, but it shares some similar doctrines and goals with the Salaafists. The loosely defined Brotherhood -- which started as a secular, pan-Arab political movement -- now mixes easily with radical Islamists, while all enjoy overlapping funding bases and support networks among factions of the free-spending Saudi Royal family and the Gulf emirs who are not very particular about who gets their money, so long as they believe it buys influence and security for the elites in Jeddah and Dubai.

Highest on the list of current objectives is a shared strategy of Jihad against the Shi'ia and elimination of Iran, the principal Main Enemy, and its allies in Syria and Lebanon. This intra-Islamic Jihad has largely superceded the more familiar struggle against Israel, and indeed -- with the active urging of the U.S. and Europeans -- the Saudis and wealthy Arabs states have reached a functional entente with Israel.

This also accompanies the declining regional power and role of the U.S., which has fallen from that of post-War commercial and military overlord to that currently as a secondary customer for oil, one supplier among several for expensive arms, and an increasingly venal security contractor which must now compete with privatized mercenaries that perform the same functions without demanding nearly so much control over operations and outcomes.

Egyptian-Iranian Relations After January 25: Quick Thaw and Refreeze

http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/5647/post-january-25-iranian-egyptian-relations_a-new-d

Initial Egyptian Foreign policy overtures post-25 January were favorable towards Iran. After the appointment of Nabil al-Arabi as Egyptian Foreign Minister in February 2011, a range of new policy directives were proposed, such as supporting the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and moving to de-thaw relations with Iran. In February 2011, Egypt allowed two Iranian naval vessels to pass through the Suez Canal, something that was prohibited during Mubarak’s rule. In a meeting in April 2011, al-Arabi met with Mogtabi Amani, the head of the Iran’s Interest Section in Egypt, and announced that Cairo and Tehran should have relations that reflect their cultural and civilizational ties, declaring “Iran is our neighbour and we have long-standing historical ties throughout different eras.” Al-Arabi added that Egypt is ready to turn over a “new leaf” in its relations with other countries, including Iran. However, since al-Arabi left the post of Foreign Minister in May 2011 to become Secretary-General of the Arab League, official Egyptian approaches toward Iran have gone silent.

Sectarian Divides and Political Ties: The Egyptian Domestic Context

The domestic political context within Egypt may have influenced the official position on rapprochement between Iran and Egypt. Egyptian Islamists, now a dominant force in Egyptian politics, have taken largely similar positions regarding Iran. The Salafists take a hard line position, similar to that of the former Mubarak regime and the military, namely that Egypt should seek relations with Iran, but not at the expense of Egypt’s relations with the GCC states, especially Saudi Arabia.

Al-Nour, the leading Salafist party, took an even more hardline position accusing Iran of attempting to spread Shi'isim in Egypt. These accusations seem to have gathered traction within official religious circles in Egypt. In May 2012, The grand Shiek of Al-Azhar, Ahmad al-Tayeb chaired an extraordinary meeting between Azhar scholars, Salafist figures, Muslim Brotherhood members, al-Ashraaf (descendants of the Prophet Muhammad), and Sufi clerics to "lead the fight" against the apparent “spread” of Shi‘ism in Egypt. The meeting was in response to the recent visit by Lebanese Shi‘ite Cleric Ali al-Korany who gave several lectures in Egypt, and participated in the inauguration ceremony of a Shi‘ite mosque. Korany’s visit ignited a storm in Egypt, leading a member of the Egyptian parliament to submit a motion demanding that the Egyptian government report on its efforts to curtail the threat of Shia influence in Egypt.

This hardline, anti-Shi‘ite position enunciated by a number of Egyptian Islamist groups raises the question of how much influence Saudi Arabia and the other GCC states have in shaping the domestic Egyptian political discourse, particularly among Islamist groups. In recent months a number of Egyptian Salafist groups have been accused of receiving significant amounts of financial support for their election campaigns from Saudi Arabia, and are viewed by a number of Egyptian commentators as a conduit for Saudi influence and views. Such suspicions are not misplaced. In many respects the anti-Iranian, pro-Gulf line pursued so strongly by a number of Egyptian Salafist groups is almost identical to that of the position of the Saudi regime, which has made no secret of its disdain for the Iranian regime, due to a range of sectarian, political, and geopolitical factors, and has on a number of occasions called on the United States government “to cut the head off the snake.”

[socialist_n_TN]

17. With imperialism, the second verse is same as the first......

Remember bin Laden was an ally in the 80s against the Soviets in Afghanistan. This is ALWAYS the way it goes. We back a grouping that's bad because they temporarily side with us and allow capitalist expansion. Then a few years later, they're enemies.

[leveymg]

18. The term that's used for the unwelcome consequences of that is "blowback".

The randomizing element of terrorism carried out by these erstwhile "allies" creates a whole new cycle of warfare, covert operations, and reassertion of power in destabilized regions where the U.S. and the west are trying to reestablish aspects of the old colonial relationship.

Unfortunately for ordinary Americans, the approach hasn't worked well. Reassertion of U.S. military power in the Mideast since 9/11 has been largely a self-destructive policy that has nearly exhausted the United States, and demonstrated its vulnerabilities, to the relative benefit of the principal global competitor (China) and insurgent regional powers (Saudi/GCC, Israel). In the familiar terms of American politics, it has made us "less safe" than ever.

[babydollhead]

2. thank you for keeping us updated.

[Catherina]

4. Thank you for reading them :) n/t

[Catherina]

3. So there was a meeting with Morsi today

Most other political parties boycotted the meeting. I don't know who finally went but the last list I saw was mostly parties friendly to Morsi and there were only 6 of them.

Apparently even that didn't go well

Nancy Messieh ?@nfm

So much for "dialogue" MT @virtualactivism: Hehh Morsi leaves the meeting of the 'political movements' abruptly after giving a speech.

[Catherina]

6. Major opposition players did not attend

shaimaa khalil ?@Shaimaakhalil

#Egypt state TV reports:#Morsi in meetings w/ political figures+opposition.Major opposition players like @ElBaradei #NSF not attending #Egypt

[Catherina]

9. Morsi has left the national dialogue session, left it to the VP to manage.

Bassem Sabry باسم ?@Bassem_Sabry

Morsi has left the national dialogue session, left it to the VP to manage. AMAY

[Catherina]

11. Prominent writer, often described as moderate islamist, Fahmi Howeidi has left after minutes

Bassem Sabry باسم ?@Bassem_Sabry

1- #Egypt: Prominent writer, often described as moderate islamist, Fahmi Howeidi has left the president's national dialogue after minutes

[Catherina]

12. reports claim he left due to "prior engagements," which is quite strange....

Bassem Sabry باسم ?@Bassem_Sabry

2- reports claim he left due to "prior engagements," which is quite strange. Howeidi has been critical of both sides of the recent crisis.

[Starry Messenger]

5. I'm finally catching up on this!

Thank you Catherina, great to see you on the story.

[Catherina]

8. And I'm falling totally behind today

due to a friend's emergency. I'll stay on top of it though. Today seems a bit calmer. I hope it really is. Solidarity

[Zorra]

10. I'm sooooo dreaming that the military stands down and honors the will of the secular democrats. nt

[Catherina]

13. MB claiming dead protesters were MB members

Ahmed Ateyya ?@Ateyya

One of the most underreported stories is how the MB falsified the identity of the deceased in ithadiya clashes to make them all MB members!



I posted some stuff about this in previous threads. There was 1 MB member killed and 6 protesters. The MB tried to bribe the families of the 6 protesters to say they were MB members. Some of the families went public.

Also the Ministry of the Interior had announced the dead and everyone knew who they were. The MOI only claimed 1 dead for the MB. 2 days letter, the MB was claiming all of them.

[Catherina]

14. MB: we'll not allow revolution to be hijacked again, have tapes that show regional & global conspir

marlyn ?@virtualactivism

AlShater says 'we'll not allow the revolution to be hijacked again'. Excuse me?? Says he has tapes that show regional & global conspiracy.

[Catherina]

15. Apparently it's no longer "Israel and the US" but the Gulf States and Mubaratchiks

Egypt Photographer ?@degner

So the Muslim brotherhood claims the gulf states are working with old regime to bring down Morsi? What happened to Israel and the US?




You know if you're going to lie and make up conspiracy theories, best to stick to the same one. First it was Zionists and their pals in the US, now it's the Gulf States. How long before they acknowledge the truth that it's the Egyptian people who are angry?

[leveymg]

21. Perhaps, the Saudis/GCC are in partial alignment with the US and Israel? Isn't that the Old Regime?

It seems more likely that there are several factions in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates who are working at cross-purposes in Egypt, while the USG largely doesn't know what the hell is going on, and the Israelis aren't telling. Wouldn't be the first time things have come unraveled because of this familiar dynamic.

[Catherina]

25. Well what makes no sense is that Morsi's their man

imo... but yes, this is a familiar dynamic.

the US and Israel have everything to lose if Morsi comes down. So do the Gulf emirates and SA. All of these players have been financing and supporting him.

I think Morsi's only opponents here are the Egyptian people who are sick of being subjugated to other countries' interests.

Thoughts? Because I value yours.

[leveymg]

50. We would attempt to coopt Mohammed himself. But the efforts to coopt Morsi are not coherent

and are at cross-purposes, being pulled simultaneously from Jerusalem, Washington, and Riyadh. I think the latter probably has the most influence and money in the game at this point.

Past a very narrow common ground, these purposes diverge, so that while it's certainly in the mutual interest of all to see Morsi in effective control of the country, and to see that Egypt doesn't go the way of Libya and Syria into civil war, which direction he goes in with all that power is an open question.

BTW: The idea of getting rid of Mubarek originated with the Israelis, who feared (one of the cables from a couple years ago revealed) Hosni had grown too weak to continue to effectively rule Egypt. Jerusalem wanted a coup with the Army Chief of Staff to take control. That wasn't the outcome, of course. The outside parties have differing ideas about where they want to take Egypt. None of the three parties trusts or supports the Egyptian people to rule themselves.

If I had to guess, I'd say that what we are seeing now is an effort to gauge Morsi's response and efficacy in dealing with the opposition. If he's an effective ruler, they'll probably agree to keep him in place, and the referendum will go his way. If not, there's not much in Egypt other than the Army to keep the place from blowing up. Not clear what the outcome would be of civil war, except that it would gravely strain the tripartate running things.

[Catherina]

56. Thank you. I agree with what you wrote

What scares me is that none of those powers are representing their citizens and the Egyprian people will pay the highest initial cost while the rest of us are left holding the bag for what's being done in 'our' name? Our name? Someone show me where citizens of those countries requested this.

[leveymg]

66. More oil off the world market, spot prices rise, it's good for the Saudis and bad for us.

Last edited Sat Dec 8, 2012, 04:12 PM - Edit history (1)

They can't lose with greater instability and threats of a wider Mideast war. If political crisis in Egypt adds to the risk premium built into the price of oil, the Saudis will make money. Same thing goes for embargoes of Iranian crude, and the growing threat of war with Iran. The worse MENA violence rises (so long as it doesn't take out the Saudi pipeline terminals), and the more nervous Americans are about it, the better.

Basically, the same dynamic favors the Israelis - if the Sunnis take out the Shi'ia, splendid. If Egypt is all tied up in internal political strife, the less energy and focus the Egyptians have on Israel.

Wars and threats of war make unnatural allies. Americans are the ones who pay, and pay, and pay . . . which makes foreign acquisitions here cheaper. A virtuous cycle, for some.

[Catherina]

67. seriously depressing n/t

[Catherina]

36. See post 35

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1946868

what a mess

[leveymg]

54. The Saudis are always so damn obvious. They're helpless without Bushies to show them how to do it.

In the good old days, Fox News Channel Cairo would be delivering the Vote Yes message between episodes of The Simpsons.

Fox-Cairo would be broadcasting stories filled with lurid graphics and phony documents: "Israeli Embassy Says Vote No", and "CIA plans Assassination of Morsi if Referendum Passed." It's hard to keep such good help these days.

[Catherina]

55. I was really expecting more finesse. I guess they're in too much of a rush n/t

[Catherina]

16. Egypt's army will not allow violence, says armed forces spokesperson

Hani Shukrallah ?@HaniShukrallah

Egypt's army will not allow violence, says armed forces spokesperson http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/60052.aspx via @ahramonline

Egypt's army will not allow violence, says armed forces spokesperson

Egypt's armed forces urge political forces to begin national dialogue, saying violence will not be permitted
Ahram Online, Saturday 8 Dec 2012


...

Ali added that polarisation would only lead the country down "a dark tunnel that will have disastrous results." "The Armed Forces have always ensured the security and safety of the nation and its people, and will continue to do so," added Ali.

In response to the Armed Forces statement, Abdel-Khalq Al-Sherif, a senior official in the Muslim Brotherhood, told Reuters that the statement was balanced and is a "step in helping to end a political crisis that did not take sides."

Al-Sharif added that it was right for the military "not to engage in political manoeuvres."

On Friday, Al-Ahram daily reported that a decree would soon be issued by the president authorising the army to arrest civilians.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/60052.aspx

[Catherina]

19. VIDEO: Marches converge at Presidential Palace (today)

Hani Shukrallah ?@HaniShukrallah

VIDEO: Marches converge at Presidential Palace http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentMulti/60023/Multimedia.aspx … via @ahramonline

December 8

Marches from across Cairo converge at the Presidential Palace in Heliopolis, where crowds chant against the Muslim Brotherhood and President Mohamed Morsi

Opposition to President Mohamed Morsi shows no sign of letting up as the recent wave of protests against his rule continue.

On Friday, marches from all across Cairo converged at the Presidential Palace in Heliopolis, Cairo.

Demonstrators chanted against President Mohamed Morsi and against the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group from which he hails.

Ahram Online filmed this march which set off from the Cairo neighbourhood of Nasr City and ended up at the Presidential Palace.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentMulti/60023/Multimedia.aspx

[Catherina]

20. MB posts video torturing protesters, then confesses to spying on opposition & secretly recording

Ahmed Ateyya ?@Ateyya

After the MB posted video of themselves torturing protesters,they confessed today on spying on opposition &secretly recording their meetings



Ahmed Ateyya ?@Ateyya

Khairat Al Shater said today that they have records of opposition figures conspiring against the president. How did he obtain them?

[Catherina]

22. Morsy bows out of national dialogue to ensure neutrality

Egypt Independent ?@EgyIndependent

Morsy bows out of national dialogue to ensure neutrality http://dlvr.it/2c0qws

Morsy bows out of national dialogue to ensure neutrality
Al-Masry Al-Youm
Sat, 08/12/2012 - 17:42


President Mohamed Morsy has left the “national dialogue” meeting, delegating it to Vice President Mahmoud Mekky, in order to ensure its neutrality.

Sources from the president’s office told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Morsy will not take part in the meting in order“to ensure neutrality and freedom of discussion between representatives of political forces without the embarrassment of the president’s presence.”

...

Dialogue attendees include Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, Ghad al-Thawra Party head Ayman Nour, Constituent Assembly head Hossam al-Ghariani, Wasat Party President Abul Ela Mady and Vice President Essam Sultan, prominent lawyer Montasser al-Zayyat, former presidential candidate Mohamed Selim al-Awa, Islamist writer Fahmy Howaidy and preacher Amr Khaled.

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/morsy-bows-out-national-dialogue-ensure-neutrality?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[oberliner]

23. How do you see this all ending up?

Do you have any sense of where this is going?

[Catherina]

29. I don't see this going anywhere good sadly

I don't have a crystal ball but I just don't see this ending up well.

Too many players don't want Egypt to change and a lot has to do with the peace treaty with Israel which the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, see as "stability" for their own needs. The Egyptian people are up against major world powers here and also major organizations like the IMF. Economic and geopolitical interests trump people's freedom in this sad new world.

I see a bloody, blood fight and major unrest coming to the entire region. I hope I'm wrong.

Where do you think this could head?

[oberliner]

32. Thank you for sharing those insights

I don't really feel like I know enough to speak intelligently on the subject.

I did always believe that Mubarak was going to fall (especially after what happened in Tunisia) and that his POV was far from representative of the people of Egypt.

Folks in the West always had this idea that Egyptians were generally more moderate and less religious than others in the region because of Mubarak, but survey after survey demonstrated that not to be the case.

I think there is a significant percentage of people in Egypt who would like to see the country become an Islamic state, but there are also those who would prefer a more secular government.

And, as you say, a lot of outside actors have a keen interest in how things turn out as well and may use their influence in overt and covert ways.

[Catherina]

37. My gut feeling and observations

after following this so closely for years is that most Egyptians do not want an Islamic state. Ironically, at the time the MB has external support to pursue one, MB members, especially younger ones, are bailing on MB because of their tactics.

I am only hoping for one thing, an illogical desperate fantasy dream, that people learn to live in peace and that countries stop interfering in the affairs of citizens of other countries because citizens don't want war and hate... They just want to live in peace, raise their families, get married, live normal lives and most of them couldn't care less where borders are; they just want to live and enjoy the one life we all have. But it is a dream.

[Catherina]

39. Another sad answer to you

because even as I'm trying to keep up, your question is swirling though my mind.

We're fucked. This is what PNAC wanted- regional chaos so we and our allies could swoop in and capture the grand prize Iran.

It's not going to happen. We are in no shape to capture anything. Israel is in no position to capture anything either. So I think it's going to be bloody and dirty and hard and the World War Einstein warned about that will be fought with sticks and stones.

The people of the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia etc are sick of this too so I don't see these governments getting much honest support (some fear-based support yes but not honest, bloodthirsty war support). If the governments involved in all this meddling don't back down, I foresee nothing good.

That's just all my uneducated opinion.

[oberliner]

40. That is, indeed, a sad answer

Let's hope your more optimistic fantasy scenario comes true instead.

[Catherina]

49. I'd really like that too!

But the key word there is fantasy. People have killed each other for a dollar, imagine what governments will stoop to when billions, trillions are at stake.

On a side note, I hope you comment more throughout these threads. We both know we view the I/P crisis/solution differently but we manage to care enough, why can't governments do the same?

[polly7]

42. Thank you for this Catherina.

Last edited Mon Dec 10, 2012, 04:13 PM - Edit history (1)

I wish them well and hope for a miracle.

[Catherina]

43. I hope for one too but I'm not holding my breath

I wish I could.

[Catherina]

24. VIDEO - Army builds concrete wall in front of the presidential palace

Hossam عمو حسام ?@3arabawy

VIDEO - Army builds concrete wall in front of the presidential palace

[Catherina]

26. Ex-MP accuses Muslim Brotherhood of assaulting him

Hani Shukrallah ?@HaniShukrallah

Ex-MP accuses Muslim Brotherhood of assaulting him http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/60043.aspx via @ahramonline

Ex-MP accuses Muslim Brotherhood of assaulting him
Mohamed Abou Hamed, a former MP, was allegedly beaten by supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood
Ahram Online, Saturday 8 Dec 2012



Ex-MP Mohamed Abou Hamed accuses supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood of assaulting him (Photo: Internet)

Former parliamentarian Mohamed Abou Hamed filed a report Friday accusing President Mohamed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and several Salafist preachers of inciting violence against him.

"Badie and his people are the ones who attacked me, they are supporters of the president," said Abou Hamed, who is widely known for his critical stance on the Muslim Brotherhood, in a video showing his face bruised and cut and his head wrapped with bandages.

Abou Hamed added that several religious preachers have issued religious edicts calling for his killing, accusing him of abandoning Islam.

...

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/60043.aspx

also mentioned in the article is an MB attack against another official

[Catherina]

27. Saudi official: Gulf cannot 'tolerate' unrest

Hani Shukrallah ?@HaniShukrallah

Saudi official: Gulf cannot 'tolerate' unrest http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/60056.aspx via @ahramonline

Saudi official: Gulf cannot 'tolerate' unrest
Saudi Arabia's deputy foreign minister says the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council cannot tolerate instability that could lead to challenges to the Western-allied leaders from Kuwait to Oman
AP , Saturday 8 Dec 2012


Angry protesters in the Bahraini capital Manama ( Photo: Reuters)

A senior Saudi official says Gulf Arab states must quash any Arab Spring-inspired unrest or risk threats to their leadership across the oil-rich region.
...

His remarks also seek to justify the intervention last year in Bahrain by a Saudi-led Gulf military force after an uprising by the kingdom's Shiite-led majority. Bahrain remains the Gulf's main flashpoint.

Prince Abdulaziz says Gulf states "cannot tolerate instability" that could lead to challenges to the Western-allied leaders from Kuwait to Oman.

He spoke Saturday at an international security summit hosted by Bahrain.


http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/60056.aspx

[PufPuf23]

28. Good AM PST Catherina - Union Scribe re-opened the closed thread??

Now and during the initial flush of the Arab Spring your OPs were the most informative source of on the streets in th ME.

[Catherina]

30. Egyptian Demonstration in Toronto Blasts U.S. for Supporting “Dictator Morsi”

MEDIAinEGYPT ?@MEDIAinEGYPT

#Egyptian Demonstration in #Toronto Blasts U.S. for Supporting "Dictator Morsi" http://fb.me/sRwcySLv @JournalistTO #ows @min_reyes

Egyptian Demonstration in Toronto Blasts U.S. for Supporting “Dictator Morsi”

?w=810

Toronto, ON (JournalistTO) — Some 200 Egyptian Canadians gathered in downtown Toronto on Dec. 7, chanting against U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for supporting Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi whom the protesters described as “a dictator”.

“Obama! Your bitch is our dictator,” one placard read. Protesters chanted “tweet, tweet, tweet, our revolution’s incomplete,” and “We will not leave our country to the U.S. and Israel.”

The two-hour gathering outside the Old City Hall was called for by the “Egyptian Canadians for Democracy” in solidarity with massive demonstrations spread across Cairo, the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and a string of other cities, protesting the Islamist leader’s seizure of nearly unrestricted powers and the adoption by his allies of a controversial draft constitution.

Posters read “Morsi! You lost your legitimacy, you have blood on your hands” and “U.S.! Stop dirty deals with Muslim Brotherhood” and “U.S.A. and MB are destroying Egyptian identity.”

...

http://journalistto.com/2012/12/08/egyptian-demonstration-in-toronto-blasts-u-s-for-supporting-dictator-morsi/

[oberliner]

33. Is Mursi Obama's "b-tch" in that placard?

Is that what the protestors is saying?

[Catherina]

41. Yes... it's a sign that's been seen a lot in Egypt too

It all goes back to the peace deal with Israel. In my opinion, it's not that people don't want it, it's that they don't like the US dictating their internal affairs to ensure it.

[oberliner]

45. So the people protesting against Morsi do not want to keep the peace deal with Israel?

I am just trying to keep track of who stands where in all of this.

[Catherina]

61. No, that's not what I meant. I can't speak for them

and I never read or saw any such thing. What I mean is that for the US, Israel, Saudi, etc... the peace deal with Israel, for economic and geopolitical reasons, is enough to keep them propping up Morsi the same way they propped up Mubarak. And no good can come of this.

I apologize for being so unclear. I've got about 40 windows open and a, lol, personal crisis of a friend to deal with with now. I'll try to be more clear getting conveying my thoughts.

[oberliner]

74. OK - got it

Some of the articles posted here have been very helpful in getting a handle on things.

[Catherina]

75. That means a lot. Thanks O n/t

[Catherina]

31. New public prosecutor: keep 'arrested' in jail after morsi speech so as not to "embarrass him".

marlyn ?@virtualactivism

New public prosecutor had given orders to prosecutors to keep those 'arrested' in jail after morsi speech so as not to "embarrass him".

[Catherina]

34. Egypt's president in national dialogue, opposition attendance feeble

Hani Shukrallah ?@HaniShukrallah

Egypt's president in national dialogue, opposition attendance feeble http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/60078.aspx via @ahramonline

Egypt's president in national dialogue, opposition attendance feeble

President Morsi and Vice President Mekki sat down with over 40 national figures in an attempt to reach agreement following this week's intense protests against the draft constitution and Morsi's latest decree

Ahram Online, Saturday 8 Dec 2012

The national dialogue between Egypt President Mohamed Morsi with public figures got underway Saturday with both side attempting to reach an agreement amid amplifying disputes over the draft constitution and Morsi's recent constitutional declaration, announced presidential spokesperson Yasser Ali.

Morsi attended briefly, along with Vice President Mahmoud Mekki, sitting down with over 40 figures. However, the majority of opposition political forces refused the president's overtures made Friday as mass protests congregated at the presidential palace.

Among those in attendance were Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, former Islamist presidential candidate Mohamed Selim El-Awa, the Salafist Nour Party chairman Emad El-Din Abdel-Gafour, founder of the Ghad El-Thawra Party Ayman Nour, the moderate Islamist Al-Wasat Party leaders Abul-Ela Madi and Essam Sultan, and Gamal Gebril, chairman of the System of Government Committee of the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting the constitution.

Also attending were Islamic preacher Amr Khaled, Al-Ahram columnist Fahmy Howeidy, Montasser El-Zayat, a well-known lawyer for Islamist groups in Egypt, Egypt's top publisher Ibrahim El-Moalem, and former head of the Legislative Committee of the now-dissolved People's Assembly, Mahmoud El-Khodairy.

It is not yet known if the meeting yielded any agreements.

....

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/60078.aspx

[Catherina]

35. Saudi Embassy distributing pamphlets with draft constitution written on saying 'VOTE YES'

marlyn ?@virtualactivism

Saudi Embassy in Egypt distributing pamphlets with draft constitution written on it also how important it is to vote 'yes'. #Ikhwan_traitors

[Catherina]

38. Salafis demand closure of secualar, liberal media organs.

marlyn ?@virtualactivism

Salafis congregating at Media Production Village demand closure of OnTV, CBC, AlHaya and Dream.

[oberliner]

46. What kind of support do the Salafis have there?

Are they a major player in all of this?

[leveymg]

51. The Saudis/GCC probably have more money in the game than we do at this point. See #25.

Certainly more influence than the Israelis, whose main point of contact is within the upper Officer Corps.

[oberliner]

76. Are the Salafis controlled by the Saudis?

What is their angle is all this?

[leveymg]

85. Where does influence and funding end, and control start?

The Egyptian Brotherhood is rooted in indigenous and Pan-Arab organizations that were organized seven decades ago to fight British rule. It is not a Wahabbi-based organization, but they pursue many of the same goals as Salaafist groups (Sharia law, organization and rule as an Islamic Republic, etc.) They also share common funding sources - mainly the Saudi external charities and development agencies, and the Saudi Foreign Ministry and intelligence agencies and corresponding GCC agencies.

But, the Egyptian Brotherhood has a long tradition of tactical alliances with and tolerance for other Muslim political, religious and cultural groups, and has worked with some secular organizations. In the 1950s, adamently anticommunist and opposed to Nasser's brand of Arab socialism, the MB and Nasser were both courted and sponsored by the CIA. Despite their overlapping patronage by the US, Nasser outlawed the Brotherhood, and membership continued to be punishable by death under Sadat (it was the MB that assassinated Sadat) and that outlaw status remained well into the Mubarek era. The status and relationship of the MB with Saudi groups, both official and opposition, have shifted over the years depending upon Saudi-Egyptian relations.

During and after the Jihad against the Russians and Serbs, membership for Egyptian radicals in the MB and al-Qaeda overlapped. Moh. Atta was originally MB. After 9/11, there has been less open association with Al-Qaeda, and MB has gone more mainstream and is less Jihadi than was the case a few years ago, but that strain and sentiment remains, as does the funding and close contacts with both official and factional Saudi interests. An interesting indicator of the relationship is that fact that relatively few of the foreign fighters captured by the Syrian regime are Egyptians. I recall the proportion is about 40% Saudi, 25% Libyan, 10% Tunisian, 10% Qatari, and a smattering of others. The Egyptians aren't really as high on Holy War against the Shi'ia as some of the others.

[Catherina]

44. Analysts saying that military statement today means that if EVERY1 does not find solution, they will

marlyn ?@virtualactivism

Analysts saying that military statement today means that if EVERYONE does not sit together and find solution, they will take over.

[Catherina]

47. National Association for Change NAC press conference

Mohamed Abd El-Hamid ?@MohAbdElHamid

A press conference for the National Association for Change NAC in a few.



Mohamed Abd El-Hamid ?@MohAbdElHamid

Abo El-Ghar (NAC): We call upon the Egyptian people to protest and sit in at every Egyptian square.

Abo El-Ghar (NAC): We can not start talks with the government with their swords up.


Note, I'm not a huge fan of Baradei though I have no concrete reproaches, I'm just compiling what's taking place.

National Association for Change (Arabic: الجمعية الوطنية للتغيير? ) is a loose grouping of the various Egyptian of all political affiliations and religion, men and women, including representatives of civil society and young people aims to change Egypt. There was general agreement on the need to unite all the voices calling for change within a National Assembly. Mohamed ElBaradei is in-charge of the National Association for Change. The movement aims for general reforms in the political scene and achieving some of those procedures and guarantees necessitates the amendment of articles 76, 77, and 88 of the constitution as soon as possible. Worth mentioning is that the banned political group the Muslim Brotherhood were represented by one of their key figures who attended the meeting[when?] however their stand in accepting a non-member of their group as a candidate is yet unclear. It is also unknown whether Amr Moussa the head of the Arab League who met with Elbaradei a day earlier will be part of the new movement.[1] The goal of the group is to bring about political reform based on democracy and social justice.[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Association_for_Change

[Catherina]

48. White house protest against Morsi

Sarahngb ?@Sarahngb

good numbers at White house protest against Morsi pic.twitter.com/9BIzNPF0

[Catherina]

52. Why anti-Mursi protesters are right

Mona Eltahawy ?@monaeltahawy

MUST-READ #Egypt: Why anti-Mursi protesters are right http://merip.org/why-anti-mursi-protesters-are-right#.UMODHxpZrEE.twitter … and Elite changed but revolution continues http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/06/egypt-elite-changed-revolution-continues


paragraphs quickly snipped at random

....

The mistrust between the Brothers and its opponents has been brewing for a long time. It has less to do with religious convictions and more to do with politics. From the day Mubarak was deposed, the Muslim Brothers have shown disdain for other opposition groups and little interest in building consensus on a road map for the political transition and the fundamentals of the new political order. Instead, they pushed for speedy elections, knowing they were poised to win a near majority, and emerged as an elected power broker rather than a partner in a democratic revolution. When demonstrators returned to Tahrir Square in November 2011 to demand a swifter and more genuine transfer of power to civilians, the Brothers stayed away and claimed the protests were instigated by saboteurs trying to derail the parliamentary elections. After reneging on their promise not to field a presidential candidate and winning the election in June (in part by attracting non-Islamist voters who feared a restoration of the old regime under Ahmad Shafiq), the Brothers failed to deliver a more inclusive constituent assembly, which continued to be dominated by Islamists. After a series of boycotts and withdrawals, many groups -- Christians, women, liberals, leftists -- were left with almost no representation.

Then came Mursi’s November 22 decree, which for many was the last straw. By granting himself sweeping powers and rushing to call for a December 15 referendum on the new constitution, Mursi has given Egyptians a stark choice between being ruled by an unrepresentative constitution or by a dictator. Many have refused this kind of political blackmail. Leading opposition figures, many of who were dissidents under Mubarak, have called on Mursi to revoke the decree and open the constitution drafting process to broader input. Egyptian human rights groups have almost unanimously echoed these demands. Tens of thousands who joined the protests that brought down Mubarak are back on the streets. Their fight is not for an ill-defined secularism so much as it is for political inclusion and democracy.

Second flawed premise: Islamists are authentic representatives of the majority of Egyptians.

The corollary, of course, is that the opposition represents a secular minority resentful of Islamist rule and unwilling to accept the outcome of legitimate elections. One analyst with the International Crisis Group told the New York Times the persistence of protests was partly due to the opposition’s inability to “come to terms with these defeats, so it tries to delegitimize the Muslim Brotherhood.” While the latter description may be true of some Mubarak-era state elites that are falling from grace under the new regime, it barely holds for the thousands of protesters who have opposed Mursi’s anti-democratic maneuverings.

There are no empirical grounds for any side to claim a definitive majority. Both the Muslim Brothers (along with their Islamist allies, including the salafis) and the opposition have been able to rally hundreds of thousands of supporters over the last two weeks, evidence of the deepening polarization in Egyptian society. The result of the last election, which Mursi won by the skin of his teeth with a 51 percent majority, suggests the Islamist camp is not the undisputed representative of the masses that it claims to be.

...

http://merip.org/why-anti-mursi-protesters-are-right#.UMODHxpZrEE.twitter

In Egypt the elite may have changed, but the revolution continues

The struggle against a state that seeks to deny its people any genuine empowerment is playing out on the streets of Heliopolis


...

All these regimes have variously claimed the mantle of revolutionary legitimacy and attempted to seize a narrative of progressive change. All have deployed crude symbolism – nationalistic and religious – to turn Egyptian against Egyptian in an effort to solidify their power and maintain the status quo. And all have resorted to raw violence when faced with opposition.

It is that authoritarian state that the Egyptian revolution has been ranged against since January 2011. Some well-intentioned commentators have bemoaned how the utopia of the original "18 days" in Tahrir Square has given way to bloodshed, how the unity of so many Egyptians in rejecting Mubarak has sadly dissipated into internecine strife.

But they forget that this has never been and never could be a pacifist revolt: more than 100 police stations were burned to the ground on 28 January 2011 as revolutionaries met state violence with resistance of their own and sought to beat the regime's security apparatus off the streets. And although the "Islamists v secularists" faultline is not irrelevant, it is also not the primary lens through which to understand the latest scenes.

There never was a golden struggle that came to a glorious conclusion when Mubarak relinquished power, only for civil warfare to subsequently blot the copybook of "New Egypt". There is one ongoing struggle, against a state that seeks to deny Egyptians any genuine empowerment and a voice in their own futures, and its latest iteration is playing out on the streets of Heliopolis this week.

....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/06/egypt-elite-changed-revolution-continues

[allrevvedup]

53. It's "Morsi" and there's better MI5 propagandaon BBC.co.uk

but good luck helping them get that canal back. I'm sure God meant it to belong to Anglo-Saxons. Yes this is sarcasm.

[leveymg]

57. UK tried that in '56, and all they got for their trouble was reinstatement of gas rationing.

Eisenhower was the last American President who effectively exercised an independent U.S. foreign policy in the region. What the U.S. does at this point, I'm afraid, is largely reactive and second-fiddle to the guys with really Deep Pockets.

[allrevvedup]

62. Plus ça change. . .

Evidently Brits have been at this game since the mid-19th century. From wiki, sourced to a 2006 French documentary:

The British government had opposed the project of the canal from the outset to its completion. As one of the diplomatic moves against the canal, it disapproved the use of "slave labor" of forced workers on the canal. The British Empire was the major global naval force and officially condemned the forced work and sent armed Bedouins to start a revolt among workers. Involuntary labour on the project ceased, and the viceroy condemned the corvée, halting the project.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Canal#cite_note-44

Anyway Morsi was clearly a US pick, as he'd taught at Cal State Northridge and even has daughters who are US citizens, and while Arab Spring was a Bushler initiative, as far as I can tell Obama is behind Morsi. I hope he follows through because if he doesn't this is going to go on until Egypt is just another over-mortgaged African basket case.

[Catherina]

63. "until Egypt is just another over-mortgaged African basket case"

Last edited Sun Dec 9, 2012, 08:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Very sadly what will happen with Morsi selling Egypt to the IMF.

[allrevvedup]

65. Take a bow. n/t

[Catherina]

58. Pic: Pharoah In front of the Presidential Palace

Hossam عمو حسامVerified ?@3arabawy

Pic: In front of the Presidential Palace http://flic.kr/p/dzwBef

[Catherina]

59. Morsi to issue a new decree today. n/t

Mohamed Abd El-Hamid ?@MohAbdElHamid

PM Qandeel: Morsi to issue a new decree today.

[Catherina]

60. Interview with Yehya Negma, former Egy ambassador in Venezuela, severely tortured by MB

Ahmed Ateyya ?@Ateyya

Interview with Yehya Negma, former Egy ambassador in Venezuela, severely tortured by MB for being a "hired thug" http://www.elwatannews.com/news/details/92682 …

(in Arabic sorry but thought it was worth posting for the record)

[Catherina]

64. 3 major developments: new const. decl. underway, Salafists besieging media outlets, general strike

Mohamed Abdelfattah ?@mfatta7

Three major developments so far: a new const. decl. underway, Salafists besieging media outlets, oppn hinting at general strike.

[Catherina]

68. PM Kandil will announce a constitutional declaration soon to end the political tension

Reem Abdellatif ريم ?@Reem_Abdellatif

#Egypt's PM Kandil will announce a constitutional declaration soon to end the political tension, acc to state TV website

[Catherina]

69. CNN grossly inflates the pro-Mosti numbers

Nada Wassef ?@Nadawassef

الشاطر: لن نرضى أن تسرق الثورة .. http://almogaz.com/news/politics/2012/12/08/618211 …@repent11 Shater claims CNN said #'s = 2M @ pro Morsi protests,thought I'd let u know


Nada Wassef ?@Nadawassef

Shater,once more,claims that @CNN estimated numbers at pro-Morsi protests last Tuesday to be 2M,blatant lies,once more #Egypt




the numbers from various sources yesterday is that the MB numbers started at around 400 and swelled to around 2000.

Where CNN got 2 million is beyond belief.

[Catherina]

70. New constitutional declaration to be issued within hours

Bel Trew - بل ترو ?@Beltrew

What?! New constitutional declaration to be issued within hours: #Egypt PM http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/60089/Egypt/Politics-/New-constitutional-declaration-to-be-issued-within.aspx … #Morsi

New constitutional declaration to be issued within hours: Egypt PM

Egypt primer Hisham Qandil expects President Morsi to come up with a ‘final’ constitutional declaration to end ongoing turmoil
Ahram Online, Saturday 8 Dec 2012

Egypt Prime Minister Hisham Qandil stated Saturday that he expects President Mohamed Morsi to issue a new constitutional declaration “within hours” to put an end to the ongoing political turmoil, with mass demos staged to protest a previous declaration and the draft constitution.

“The (political) forces that met at the presidential palace in the dialogue that President Morsi has called for agreed on forming a committee to draft the final constitutional declaration,” Qandil said in an interview with Mehwar TV.

...

“The purpose of this declaration was protection of the president’s decisions and not creating a new dictators like some people say,” Qandil said.

...

On the draft constitution, Qandil commented: “There is no way all political forces will agree on the constitution by 100 per cent; they are not used to conducting this kind of dialogues.”

...

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/60089/Egypt/Politics-/New-constitutional-declaration-to-be-issued-within.aspx

I need a vomit bucket.

[Catherina]

71. MB channel claiming the church was bussing thugs (protesters) with weapons

Mohamed Abdelfattah ?@mfatta7

Masr 25 anchor now claiming the church was bussing thugs with arms from Shubra to itihadeya.




How convenient. The Church too now? Knocking all the "infidels" out 1 by 1.

[Catherina]

72. Cracks in the MB. MB Beltagy won't play along with these lies about armed masses and church busses

Mohamed Abdelfattah ?@mfatta7

Beltagy now denying masses were coming with arms to the dismay of the Islamist anchor.

[Catherina]

73. MB channel peddling some particularly reprehensible sectarian garbage right now.

Basil El-Dabh ?@BasilElD

Misr 25 peddling some particularly reprehensible sectarian garbage right now.

[Catherina]

77. I would love to ask Beltagy or Misr 25:

Basil El-Dabh ?@BasilElD

I would love to ask Beltagy or Misr 25: Say a lot of Christians are in front of the palace- does that affect legitimacy of their demands?

[Catherina]

79. airs dangerous sectarian language like this and then acts confused about minorities not trusting

Basil El-Dabh ?@BasilElD

Misr 25 airs dangerous sectarian language like this and then MB acts confused about minorities not trusting them.

[Catherina]

78. Breaking: Morsy's decree cancelled, constitutional referendum to take place on time

سلطان سعود القاسمي ?@SultanAlQassemi

Breaking - Al Jazeera correspondent: Egypt: Morsy's decree cancelled, constitutional referendum to take place on time

[Catherina]

80. Press conference on Const Declaration & Referendum - details

Iyad El-Baghdadi ?@iyad_elbaghdadi

Mohammad Salim El-Awa: A new constitutional declaration will be issued. #Egypt


Iyad El-Baghdadi ?@iyad_elbaghdadi

Mohammad Salim El-Awa: Consitutional referendum will be postponed.

- Mohammad Salim El-Awa was one of the people who met with #Morsi today for talks, that's why he's reading the statement

- Mohammad Salim El-Awa is a moderate Islamist figure, an author, and also ran for president of #Egypt

- Mohammad Salim El-Awa: There has been consensus on holding the referendum in time on December 15th

- (OK, I'm confused now, it seems the referendum will not be postponed?)

- Mohammad Salim El-Awa: Constitutional declaration cancelled.

- Mohammad Salim El-Awa: Constitutional referendum to be held next Saturday, December 15th.

- Mohammad Salim El-Awa: In case constutional referendum does not pass, new one to be elected directly by the people.

- Mohammad Salim El-Awa: This constitutional declaration also cannot be repealed by the judiciary.

- Mohammad Salim El-Awa: What's really happened isn't really a cancellation but a replacement of one declaration with another.

- Mohammad Salim El-Awa: Investigations will be relaunched into murder of protesters since Jan25 even in cases already found innocent.

- In short, constitutional referendum in time, constitutional declaration repealed.

- In other words that dangerous rushed constitution will still be put up to the vote.

- Somehow I prefer if the constitutional declaration remained but the constitutional referendum was postponed.

- I had described El-Awa as a moderate but many people have corrected me on that. >>> """@iyad_elbaghdadi not a totally accurate description. Awa was also SCAF ally & has said some awful things about copts, so not so "moderate" """

- If, and only if, the constitutional referendum is shot down, a new one will be elected through direct vote by the people.

- Sorry I'm typing fast, fortgive any mistakes.

- OK, summary one more time...

- The proposed constitution will not be changed, and the referendum will take place on time (in a week)

- The November 21 constitutional declaration is cancelled and replaced with this one.

- This constitutional declaration also cannot be repealed by the judiciary.

- If the proposed constitution does not pass, a new constitutional committee will be elected directly by the people.

- If the proposed constitution passes, then I forgot what's the deal (new elections maybe?) Can't remember.

- That was a quick not-too-short summary

- El-Awa was reading this because he attended the "talks" with Morsi today; most opposition figures did not show up.

- Bear in mind that El-Awa is "opposition" to Morsi in the same sense that, say, Wolfowitz is opposition to Bush. He's not opposition: he's an advisor to President Morsi.

@hahellyer "Create your own opposition and then have a dialogue with it". #ArabTyrantManual

- #Egypt: If you're not confused, you haven't been paying attention.

[Catherina]

82. referendum's threshold is simple majority (50.1%), much too low for a constitution

BTW the referendum's threshold is simple majority (50.1%), which I think is much too low for a constitution. #Egypt

[Catherina]

81. BREAKING: Morsi cancels executive immunity decree

RT ?@RT_com

BREAKING: Morsi cancels executive immunity decree http://on.rt.com/2lu83r

BREAKING: Morsi cancels executive immunity decree http://on.rt.com/2lu83r


The Egyptian president has scrapped the declaration that sparked violent nationwide protests, replacing it with a text leaving his office subject to oversight, according to former presidential candidate Mohamed Selim El-Awa.

Earlier, the country's PM told local television that Morsi had ordered officials who attended a meeting with representatives of the opposition on Saturday to prepare the new text.

Prime Minister Hisham Qandil has announced that Morsi agreed to modify the declaration, and is also considering postponing the controversial referendum on a new constitution due next weekend.­

...
In a statement to Al-Mihwar, an independent television channel, Qandil did not give exact details about the amendments Morsi is hoping will calm the nation, but said the new text – drafted by officials including members of the judiciary – could be finalized by late Saturday or Sunday morning.

...

http://rt.com/news/morsi-egypt-declaration-amendment-619/

[Catherina]

83. Morsi cancels temporary power grab, insists on vote on permanent power grab enabled by temporary po

@cairocitylimits Breaking: Morsi cancels temporary power grab, insists on vote on permanent power grab enabled by temporary power grab.

[Catherina]

84. Continuing Part 2 here

Highlights from Egypt, Dec 8 2012 (Part 2) Martial Law: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021948174