President Morsi urges Egyptians to peacefully resist military coup
Iran Press TV
Wed Jul 3, 2013 5:59PM GMT
President Mohamed Morsi has called on all Egyptians to peacefully resist a military coup in the North African country.
Morsi’s national security advisor said in a statement Wednesday evening that a coup was under way against the president.
He added that the Army and the police are expected to remove pro-Morsi demonstrators from the streets.
Several hundred Egyptian soldiers in armored vehicles are parading near the presidential palace in Cairo.
However, the aide warned that any coup will lead to considerable bloodshed before it succeeds.
He said the president is still in the palace, but the military authorities have placed an international travel ban on Morsi and several Muslim Brotherhood members.
A 48-hour ultimatum set by the military to end the crisis has expired. After the deadline came to an end, Morsi said he would not leave office and called for a national dialog.
A meeting between the military chiefs and senior Egyptian figures has ended. Senior military generals are expected to make a statement in the coming hours.
Pentagon said US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has been in contact with Egyptian Army Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi since last week.
Both supporters and opponents of Morsi are packing the streets across the country as the big showdown looms large. The Interior Ministry has warned against any further violence as clashes in past days have cost the lives of nearly 50 people, leaving 1,500 injured.
A number of Egyptian officials, including Presidential spokesmen, Ehab Fahmy and Omar Amer, cabinet spokesman Alaa al-Hadidi, Foreign Minister Kamel Amr and the ministers of tourism, environment, communication and legal affairs, have resigned amid the chaos.
Several political groups say the government is dominated by Muslim Brotherhood. The opposition also accuses Morsi of deviating from the 2011 revolution that toppled the Western-backed regime of Hosni Mubarak.
Morsi’s supporters, however, say the president is cleansing Egyptian institutions of corruption. They also believe he needs time to put into practice the principles of the 2011 revolution.
Egypt has witnessed continuing anti-government protests since Morsi took office in June 2012 in a landmark election held following the ouster of Mubarak.
Several Egyptian clerics and some religious circles have warned against a civil war and called on both sides to be calm.
JR/KA
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