• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Egyptian Military Delivers Ultimatum

July 01, 2013

by RFE/RL

The commander of Egypt's military has issued an ultimatum to pro- and antigovernment protesters, giving them 48 hours to resolve their differences or face unspecified actions.

In a statement read on state television, Defense Minister Fattah al-Sisi said the people's demands must be met and called the protests against President Muhammad Morsi and his government an "unprecedented" expression of the people's will.

Sisi said the military would not be involved in politics or government, but he also said if politicians fail to come to an agreement in 48 hours, the military would offer its own road map.

Sisi's statement said wasting more time would only lead to deeper political divisions.

Reports said demonstrators on Cairo's Tahrir Square cheered at news of Sisi's statement, while the main opposition National Salvation Front applauded the military's move.

The statement from the military came after opposition protesters in Egypt stormed and set fire to the Cairo headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The protesters threw files from the windows and looted furnishings on July 1, one day after 16 people were killed in nationwide protests against the government.

Four members of Morsi’s cabinet announced their resignations on July 1 amid mounting pressure. The ministers of tourism, environment, communication, and legal affairs handed in their resignations together to Prime Minister Hisham Qandil.

Protests on June 30 saw millions of opposition protesters take to the streets of Cairo and cities around the country in a massive display of anger and frustration with Morsi, who is a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood political movement.

Critics accuse Morsi of giving too much power to Islamists and failing to tackle the country's economic problems.

The June 30 protests were the largest seen in Egypt in the two and a half years of turmoil since the ouster of autocratic President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.

With reporting by AFP and AP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/egypt-muslim-brotherhood-office/25032847.html

Copyright (c) 2013. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.