I think this deserves a thread--the other latest Egypt thread was about an ultimatum prior to the event. Even the interim Vice President, Mohamed ElBaradei, has condemned the use of force, but the interim President Adly Mansour, seems to have given the military expanded powers to deal with civilians.
My personal position is that 4 days of protest didn't justify a military coup, I felt that bloodshed was predictable, and I don't think their handling of the situation has given me any confidence, especially holding Morsi incommunicado for the whole month. I don't think the cult of personality that is arising for General Abdel Fattah El Sisi is going to do any favors for any future government (in 4 weeks he has demonstrated that he can overthrow a leader, and also mobilize thousands of protesters to "give him a mandate" while carrying posters of him), especially since the military controls about 40% of the economy.
The US has also slowly moved its position. Initially it was not going to stop F-16 deliveries to Egypt, but it changed course last week and halted shipments.
New York Times:
Crackdown in Egypt Kills Islamists as They Protest
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/world/middleeast/egypt.html?hp&_r=1&
The Guardian:
Egypt: scores killed as army launches offensive against Muslim Brotherhood
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/27/egypt-muslim-brotherhood-morsi-supporters-killed
BBC:
Egypt minister: Pro-Morsi protesters to be dispersed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23478947
Washington Post, via Associated Press:
New clashes kill 2 in Egypt as ousted leaders supporters defiantly hold their ground
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...8f6ad8-f75d-11e2-81fa-8e83b3864c36_story.html
My personal position is that 4 days of protest didn't justify a military coup, I felt that bloodshed was predictable, and I don't think their handling of the situation has given me any confidence, especially holding Morsi incommunicado for the whole month. I don't think the cult of personality that is arising for General Abdel Fattah El Sisi is going to do any favors for any future government (in 4 weeks he has demonstrated that he can overthrow a leader, and also mobilize thousands of protesters to "give him a mandate" while carrying posters of him), especially since the military controls about 40% of the economy.
The US has also slowly moved its position. Initially it was not going to stop F-16 deliveries to Egypt, but it changed course last week and halted shipments.
New York Times:
Crackdown in Egypt Kills Islamists as They Protest
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/world/middleeast/egypt.html?hp&_r=1&
CAIRO The Egyptian authorities unleashed a ferocious attack on Islamist protesters early Saturday, killing at least 72 people in the second mass killing of demonstrators in three weeks and the deadliest attack by the security services since Egypts uprising in early 2011.
The attack provided further evidence that Egypts security establishment was reasserting its dominance after President Mohamed Morsis ouster three weeks ago, and widening its crackdown on his Islamist allies in the Muslim Brotherhood. The tactics many were killed with gunshot wounds to the head or the chest suggested that Egypts security services felt no need to show any restraint.
They had orders to shoot to kill, said Gehad el-Haddad, a Brotherhood spokesman. The message, he said, was, This is the new regime.
In Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry called this a pivotal moment for Egypt and urged its leaders to help their country take a step back from the brink.
The killings occurred a day after hundreds of thousands of Egyptians marched in support of the military, responding to a call by its commander for a mandate to fight terrorism. The appeal by Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, who has emerged as Egypts de facto leader since the military removed Mr. Morsi from power, was widely seen as a green light to the security forces to increase their repression of the Islamists.
In the attack on Saturday, civilians joined riot police officers in firing live ammunition at the protesters as they marched toward a bridge over the Nile. By early morning, the numbers of wounded people had overwhelmed doctors at a nearby field hospital.
One doctor sat by himself, crying as he whispered verses from the Koran. Nearby, medics tried to revive a man on a gurney. When they failed, he was quickly lifted away to make room for the many others.
With hundreds of people gravely wounded, the toll seemed certain to rise, and by Saturday evening had already surpassed the more than 60 deaths on July 8, when soldiers and police officers fired on pro-Morsi demonstrators.
As the deaths have mounted, more than 200 since the government was overthrown, hopes have faded for a political solution to the standoff between the military and the Brotherhood, whose leaders, including Mr. Morsi, are imprisoned or preparing themselves for jail.
In a televised news conference hours after the clash, Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim absolved his men of any responsibility and made no mention of the high death toll. His officers, he said, have never and will never shoot a bullet on any Egyptian.
He blamed Mr. Morsis supporters for the violence, saying they planned to disrupt traffic on the bridge. We had to stop them, Mr. Ibrahim said. The protesters threw rocks and fired weapons, he said, and a large number of officers were wounded, including two who were shot in the head.
Mr. Ibrahim also suggested that further repression was imminent as the authorities prepared to break up sit-ins that thousands of Mr. Morsis supporters have held for weeks.
God willing, it will be dispersed in a way that doesnt cause many losses, he said. But God willing, it must end.
Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who is vice president in the interim government, added a rare note of support for the Brotherhood from the countrys new leaders, writing on Twitter that he condemned the excessive use of force and was trying to end the standoff in a peaceful manner.
Mr. Kerry called on Egypts leaders to respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression and to open an inclusive political dialogue.
Over two years ago, a revolution began, he said in a statement. Its final verdict is not yet decided, but it will be forever impacted by what happens right now.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel spoke by telephone with General Sisi, urging him to exercise restraint and take steps to prevent further bloodshed and loss of life, according to a Pentagon statement.
...
The Guardian:
Egypt: scores killed as army launches offensive against Muslim Brotherhood
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/27/egypt-muslim-brotherhood-morsi-supporters-killed
Egyptian security forces and armed men in plain clothes killed scores of Muslim Brotherhood protesters on Saturday as the brutal and organised crackdown on the Islamist party and its supporters appeared to be gathering pace.
In what is the worst single mass killing in Egypt since the fall of president Hosni Mubarak two-and-a-half years ago, a Brotherhood spokesman said 66 of the party's supporters were shot and killed on the fringes of a sit-in at a Cairo mosque demanding the return of former president Mohamed Morsi, who was deposed on 3 July, and another 61 were "brain dead" on life-support machines. Government officials claim that the number of dead was 65, a death toll greater than the Republican Guards massacre on 8 July that saw 51 killed.
The deaths came as men in helmets and black police fatigues fired on crowds gathered before dawn on the fringes of a round-the-clock sit-in near a mosque in north-east Cairo, Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement said.
"They are not shooting to wound, they are shooting to kill," said Brotherhood spokesman Gehad el-Haddad. "The bullet wounds are in the head and chest."
The latest violence came amid the continuing sharp polarisation within Egyptian society that has made the country increasingly ungovernable. Elsewhere on Friday, eight people were reported killed in clashes in Alexandria.
The latest violence was condemned by members of the international community. The head of European Union foreign policy, Baroness Ashton, said she "deeply deplored" the latest deaths, while Britain's foreign secretary William Hague said: "Now is the time for dialogue, not confrontation. It is the responsibility of leaders on all sides to take steps to reduce tensions."
The dead and injured were ferried into a makeshift field hospital near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, where the floor was slick with blood.
In a bizarre episode, most western journalists in the country were invited on a helicopter ride over Cairo's Tahrir Square an hour before the massacre began. After the killings, the ministry of the interior denied it had used live ammunition on demonstrators, despite eyewitness accounts from journalists, including BBC correspondents, who were present during the killings.
"There must have been an injury every minute," said Mosa'ab Elshamy, a photojournalist unaffiliated with the Brotherhood, who photographed the attack for half an hour at around 4am.
"I did not see any Morsi supporters with [firearms] at this point," he added. "I hid behind a tree, and all I saw were Morsi supporters throwing stones, or fireworks, or throwing teargas canisters."
...
BBC:
Egypt minister: Pro-Morsi protesters to be dispersed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23478947
Egypt's interior minister has warned supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi that they will "soon" be dispersed from a sit-in in Cairo.
Minister Mohammed Ibrahim said lawsuits filed by residents near a mosque provide legal cover for the clearance.
But thousands of protesters insist they will stay at Rabaa al-Adawia mosque.
The area was the scene of bloody clashes between security forces and protesters, with doctors estimating that more than 100 people were killed.
The health ministry puts the death toll lower, at 65.
Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood has blamed the military for the deaths, accusing soldiers of shooting to kill.
The government has denied this, insisting security forces only used tear gas, not live rounds.
The BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Cairo says this appears to be untrue given the severity and number of injuries.
Dr Hesham Ibrahim described scenes at the hospital as like "hell"
Tear gas, shotgun pellets and bullets were all in evidence during the fighting, he says.
Meanwhile, two leading figures who backed the army's removal of Mr Morsi, on 3 July, have condemned Saturday's killings.
The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar mosque - the highest Sunni Muslim authority in Egypt - has called for an investigation, while the vice-president of the interim government, Mohamed ElBaradei, said that excessive force had been used.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement that he was deeply concerned about the recent bloodshed.
"In this extremely volatile environment, Egyptian authorities have a moral and legal obligation to respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression," he said.
Earlier, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she "deeply deplores the loss of life" on Saturday and urged all sides to halt the violence.
'Shooting to kill'
Saturday's clashes, which began before dawn and carried on for several hours, were the most serious bout of violence since Mr Morsi was ousted.
It appears they began after some of the Morsi supporters tried to extend the barricades around their protest site, and the security forces responded.
Ahmed Nashar, a Brotherhood spokesman, witnessed what happened.
"When I arrived, bullets were whizzing past my ears," he told the BBC. "Today was just brutal - people were fired at, with live firearms."
Medics at a nearby field hospital told the BBC they believed about 70% of the casualties were caused by live fire - with many of the victims hit in the chest or head by snipers firing from rooftops.
"They were mostly killed by bullet wounds, especially by snipers, especially in the head. We have nearly cut throats, just like animals," said Doctor Hesham Ibrahim.
...
Washington Post, via Associated Press:
New clashes kill 2 in Egypt as ousted leaders supporters defiantly hold their ground
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...8f6ad8-f75d-11e2-81fa-8e83b3864c36_story.html
CAIRO Deadly clashes broke out during funerals of slain supporters of Egypts ousted Islamist president Sunday, as the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood urged his supporters to stand fast after more than 70 of them were killed in weekend violence.
Setting the stage for more confrontation, the military-installed interim president gave the prime minister the power to grant the military the right to arrest civilians in what government officials said could be a prelude to a major crackdown on Mohammed Morsis supporters or Islamic militants who have stepped up attacks against security forces in the Sinai Peninsula.
...
The worst bout of violence since Morsis ouster took place before dawn on Saturday when police and armed men in civilian clothes opened fire on his supporters as they sought to expand their sit-in camp by moving onto a nearby main boulevard.
Authorities conceded that the vast majority of the 72 killed in Cairo were demonstrators, but the Interior Ministry said some policemen also were wounded as the military-backed administration sought to defend the bloodshed.
Officials from Morsis Brotherhood and their allies decried what they called a new massacre against their side, which occurred only weeks after July 8 clashes with army troops in Cairo that left more than 50 Morsi supporters dead.
Civilians, sometimes with weapons, frequently join police in Cairo demonstrations. In some cases, they appear to be plainclothes police; in others residents who back the security forces.
A video posted Sunday on social networking sites show policemen and men in civilian clothes pointing their rifles at the protesters wearing industrial helmets and homemade body armor and standing behind makeshift barricades.
Another video, posted by the Interior Ministry, shows protesters hurling stones and firebombs at the security forces from behind their barricades. One masked man was shown shooting at the police with what appeared to be a large silver-plated pistol.
The authenticity of the videos could not be independently verified, but they generally conformed with Associated Press reporting.
No army troops were on the scene, but the international community and human rights groups expressed concern that the military had allowed the carnage to occur.
Human Rights Watch said many of those killed over the weekend were shot in the head or chest and the killings took place over several hours. The New York-based group said it spoke to witnesses and reviewed extensive video footage of the events. Medical staff, it said, judged some of the deaths to be targeted killings because the position of the shots would likely result in death.
The clashes broke out hours after millions responded to a call by military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to take to the streets in a show of support to provide a mandate for him and the police to tackle violence and potential terrorism.
...
Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who is the only member of Morsis former Cabinet to keep his post, accused the pro-Morsi side of provoking bloodshed to win sympathy and suggested that authorities could move against the two main pro-Morsi protest camps: one outside the Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque in eastern Cairo and another in Nahda Square near the main campus of Cairo University.
I assure the glorious people of Egypt that the police are determined and capable to maintain security and safety to their nation with the support of the sincere sons of the country, Ibrahim said Sunday during a graduation ceremony at the national police academy. We will very strongly and decisively deal with anyone who attempts to undermine stability.
He depicted the two encampments as a danger to the public, pointing to a string of nine bodies police have said were found nearby in recent days. Some had been tortured to death, police have said, apparently by members of the sit-ins who believed they were spies.
Soon we will deal with both sit-ins, Ibrahim said.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also asked security forces to act with full respect for human rights and demonstrators to exercise restraint.
Catherine Ashton, the EUs foreign policy chief, was due in Egypt later on Sunday and will meet Egyptian leaders on Monday, according to an official statement issued in Cairo. It will be her second visit to Egypt this month, a sign of the alarm felt in the West over the continuing bloodshed in the country.
The U.N.s human rights chief Navi Pillay issued also condemned the violence and called for a credible, independent investigation into the killings.
Despite all the warnings, all the calls for restraint, more than 150 Egyptians have died during protests over the past month, not just in Cairo but in other cities as well, she said. I fear for the future of Egypt if the military and other security forces, as well as some demonstrators, continue to take such a confrontational and aggressive approach. Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood have the right to protest peacefully like anyone else.