Egypt imposes state of emergency after 595 people killed

Top News Wed, Aug 14 11:14 AM EDT image 1 of 16 By Yasmine Saleh and Tom Finn CAIRO (Reuters) - At least 95 Egyptians were killed on Wednesday after security forces moved in on protesters demanding the reinstatement of President Mohamed Mursi, and the government imposed a state of emergency as unrest swept the most populous Arab nation. Troops opened fire on demonstrators in violence that brought chaos to areas of the capital and looked certain to further polarize Egypt's 84 million people between those who backed Mursi and the millions who opposed his brief rule. The state of emergency, starting at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, was to last a month. In the streets around the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in northeast Cairo, where thousands of Mursi supporters have staged a sit-in for the last six weeks, riot police wearing gas masks crouched behind armored vehicles, tear gas hung in the air and burning tires sent plumes of black smoke into the sky. At a hospital morgue nearby, a Reuters reporter counted 29 bodies, including that of a 12-year-old boy. Most had died of gunshot wounds to the head. A nurse at the same hospital had said she counted 60 bodies, and expected the number to rise. The unrest spread beyond the capital, with the cities of Minya and Assiut, and Alexandria on the northern coast, also affected. Seventeen people were killed in the province of Fayoum south of Cairo. Five more died in Suez. Mohamed El-Beltagi, a leader of Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood movement that led the protests, warned of wider conflict and singled out the head of the armed forces who deposed Mursi on July 3 following mass protests that called for his resignation. "I swear by God that if you stay in your homes, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will embroil this country so that it becomes Syria. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will push this nation to a civil war so that he escapes the gallows." Nine hours after the start of the operation, crowds of protesters were still blocking roads, chanting and waving flags as security forces sought to prevent them from regrouping. "At 7 a.m. they came. Helicopters from the top and bulldozers from below. They smashed through our walls. Police and soldiers, they fired tear gas at children," said teacher Saleh Abdulaziz, 39, clutching a bleeding wound on his head. "They continued to fire at protesters even when we begged them to stop." The West, notably the United States which gives the Egyptian military $1.3 billion each year, has been alarmed by the recent violence in the strategic Arab ally that has a peace treaty with Israel and controls the vital Suez Canal waterway. (additional reporting by Michael Georgy, Tom Perry, Shadia Nasralla, Omar Fahmy and Ashraf Fahim in Cairo and Adrian Croft in Brussels; Writing by Mike Collett-White) ================= Aug. 14, 2013 1:45 PM ET AP PHOTOS: Egypt cracks down on pro-Morsi camps By The Associated Press THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATEMENT OF NEWS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES By The Associated Press AIM Share Google Digg Del.icio.us REddit NewsVine Mixx Facebook Yahoo A supporter of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi shouts during clashes with Egyptian security forces in the Nasr City district of Cairo Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. Violence spread across much of Egypt after police cleared two encampments of Morsi's supporters, showering protesters with tear gas as the sound of gunfire rang out. At least 149 people were killed nationwide, many of them in the assaults on the protest vigils. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo) A supporter of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi shouts during clashes with Egyptian security forces in the Nasr City district of Cairo Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. Violence spread across much of Egypt after police cleared two encampments of Morsi's supporters, showering protesters with tear gas as the sound of gunfire rang out. At least 149 people were killed nationwide, many of them in the assaults on the protest vigils. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo) An Egyptian security force kicks a supporter of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi as they clear a sit-in camp set up near Cairo University in Cairo's Giza district, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. Egyptian police in riot gear swept in with armored vehicles and bulldozers Wednesday to clear the sit-in camp and the other encampment set up by supporters of the country's ousted Islamist president in Cairo, showering protesters with tear gas as the sound of gunfire rang out. (AP Photo/Hussein Tallal) An Egyptian security force escorts a supporter of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi as security forces clear a sit-in camp set up near Cairo University in Cairo's Giza district, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. Egyptian police in riot gear swept in with armored vehicles and bulldozers Wednesday to clear the sit-in camp and the other encampment set up by supporters of the country's ousted Islamist president in Cairo, showering protesters with tear gas as the sound of gunfire rang out. (AP Photo/Hussein Tallal) Egyptian security forces detain a supporter of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi as they clear a sit-in camp set up near Cairo University in Cairo's Giza district, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. Egyptian police in riot gear swept in with armored vehicles and bulldozers Wednesday to clear the sit-in camp and the other encampment set up by supporters of the country's ousted Islamist president in Cairo, showering protesters with tear gas as the sound of gunfire rang out. (AP Photo/Hussein Tallal) A member of the Egyptian security forces holds up a copy of the Quran as clear they clear the smaller of the two sit-ins by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, near the Cairo University campus in Giza, Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. Egyptian security forces, backed by armored cars and bulldozers, moved on Wednesday to clear two sit-in camps by supporters of the country's ousted President Mohammed Morsi, showering protesters with tear gas as the sound of gunfire rang out at both sites. (AP Photo/Imad Abdul Rahman) . . 1 of 5. . More News Video More NewsReactions to Egyptian crackdown on pro-Morsi camps Aug. 14, 2013 1:05 PM ET Cuban-Americans call off protests against Bahamas Aug. 12, 2013 6:13 PM ET Main issues behind Egypt's political stalemate Aug. 12, 2013 1:57 PM ET Ore. jury denies Occupy protester's police lawsuit Aug. 9, 2013 8:57 PM ET Muslim holy period to be celebrated at Guantanamo Aug. 7, 2013 4:50 PM ET Buy AP Photo Reprints CAIRO (AP) — Fires smoldered and running street battles were reported Wednesday after Egyptian riot police swarmed two Cairo encampments where protesters were demonstrating against the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi. At least 149 people were killed nationwide, many of them during the assaults on the vigils. Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and pro-reform leader in the interim government, resigned in protest over the crackdown The developments are the latest chapter in the turmoil that has roiled Egypt since the 2011 ouster of autocrat Hosni Mubarak and are likely to deepen the nation's division between the camp of Islamists led by the Muslim Brotherhood on one side, and secularists, liberals, moderate Muslims and minority Christians on the other. Here's a gallery of images showing the latest developments in Egypt. Associated Press Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ======================== Reuters Top News Muslim Brotherhood calls rallies across Egypt after day of bloodshed Fri, Aug 16 18:03 PM EDT image 1 of 19 By Crispian Balmer and Yasmine Saleh CAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood defiantly called for a week of protests across Egypt starting on Saturday, a day after more than 100 people died in clashes between Islamists and the security forces that pushed the country ever closer to anarchy. Undeterred by the bloodshed in which about 700 have been killed since Wednesday, the Brotherhood urged its supporters back onto the streets to denounce the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and a crackdown on his followers. "Our rejection of the coup regime has become an Islamic, national and ethical obligation that we can never abandon," said the Brotherhood, which has accused Egypt's military of plotting the downfall of Mursi last month to regain the levers of power. Many Western allies have denounced the killings, including the United States, but Saudi Arabia threw its weight behind the army-backed government on Friday, accusing its old foe the Muslim Brotherhood of trying to destabilize Egypt. Violence erupted across Egypt after the Brotherhood, which has deep roots in the provinces, called for a "Day of Rage". Roughly 50 people died in Cairo and more than 20 in the country's second city, Alexandria, security sources said. Automatic gunfire echoed around the capital throughout Friday afternoon, army helicopters swooped over the roof tops and at least one office block was set ablaze, lighting up the night sky long after the violence had subsided. The Brotherhood announced a series of daily rallies over the next six days, starting on Saturday. "We will not leave the squares. And we will not be silent over our rights, ever," said Cairo resident Abdullah Abdul Fattah, adding that he was not a Brotherhood voter. "We are here because of our brothers who died," he said. An interim cabinet, installed by the army after it removed Mursi during rallies against his often chaotic rule, has refused to back down. It has authorized police to use live ammunition to defend themselves and state installations. ANGER After weeks of futile, political mediation, police moved on Wednesday to clear two Brotherhood protest sit-ins in Cairo. Almost 600 people, most of them Islamists, were killed in the mayhem. With no compromise in sight, the most populous Arab nation - which is often seen as leading events in the entire region - looks increasingly polarized and angry. "Egypt fighting terrorism," said a new logo plastered on state television, reflecting tougher language in the local media that was once reserved for militant groups such as al Qaeda. The government said in a statement it was confronting the "Muslim Brotherhood's terrorist plan". Undermining Brotherhood pledges of peaceful resistance, armed men were seen firing from the ranks of pro-Mursi supporters in Cairo on Friday. A security official said at least 24 policemen had died over the past 24 hours, and 15 police stations attacked. The Brotherhood suggested the gunmen had been planted by the security forces, saying it remained committed to non-violence. Witnesses also said Mursi backers had ransacked a Catholic church and set fire to an Anglican church in the city of Malawi. The Brotherhood, which has been accused of inciting anti-Christian sentiment, denies targeting churches. Christians make up roughly 10 percent of Egypt's 84-million population and the Coptic Church authority issued a statement on Friday saying it "strongly supports the Egyptian police and armed forces". The streets of Cairo fell quiet after nightfall, with the government warning the dusk-to-dawn curfew would be vigorously enforced. Neighborhood watch schemes sprouted up, and residents stopped and searched cars driving past their communities. Egypt has lurched from one crisis to another since the downfall of the autocratic Hosni Mubarak in 2011, dealing repeated blows to the economy, particularly tourism. A number of tour operators have suspended all holidays to Egypt until at least next month and the United States has urged its citizens to leave the country. The European Union asked its states to consider "appropriate measures" to take in reaction to the violence, while Germany said it was reconsidering its ties. (Additional reporting by Michael Georgy, Alexander Dziadosz, Tom Finn, Yasmine Saleh, Mohamed Abdellah, Ahmed Tolba and Omar Fahmy in Cairo, Writing by Crispian Balmer; Editing by David Stamp) ========================== ===============

At least 26 die in Egyptian clashes over death sentences

At least 22 die in Egyptian clashes over death sentences Sat, Jan 26 09:02 AM EST 1 of 15 By Yusri Mohamed and Yasmine Saleh PORT SAID, Egypt/CAIRO (Reuters) - At least 22 people died on Saturday when Egyptians rampaged in protest at the sentencing of 21 people to death over a soccer stadium disaster, adding to bloody street turmoil confronting Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. Armored vehicles and military police fanned through the streets of Port Said after the violence. The state news agency quoted a general as saying the military aimed to "establish calm and stability in Port Said and to protect public institutions". The unrest began with nationwide rallies on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the overthrow of autocrat Hosni Mubarak, a democratic uprising that protesters now accuse Mursi of betraying by ramming through an Islamist-hued constitution. While anniversary-related violence subsided, a new flare-up hit Port Said after a court sentenced 21 men to die for involvement in the deaths of 74 people after a local soccer match on February 1, 2012, many of them fans of the visiting team. Residents ran wildly through the streets of Port Said in rage that men from their city had been blamed for the stadium disaster, and gunshots were reported near the prison where most of the defendants were being held. State television, citing the Health Ministry, said 22 people were killed and more than 200 wounded. Security sources said at least two of the dead were policemen. A witness said some men stormed a police station in Port Said, where protesters lit tires in the street, sending black smoke funneling into the air. At least nine people were killed in clashes with police on Friday, mainly in the port of Suez where the army has also deployed. Hundreds were injured as police rained down tear gas on protesters armed with stones and some with petrol bombs. The schism between Islamists and secular Egyptians is hurting efforts by Mursi, freely elected in June, to revive an economy in crisis and reverse a slide in Egypt's currency. The political strife and lack of security that has blighted the Arab world's most populous country over much of the post-Mubarak era is casting a chilling shadow over a parliamentary election expected to start in April. Highlighting tensions, the opposition National Salvation Front coalition called for a government of national unity and an early presidential vote among other demands. It said it would call for more protests next Friday and could boycott the parliamentary election if its demands are not met. Mursi's opponents say he has failed to deliver on economic pledges or be a president representing the full political and communal diversity of Egyptians, as he pledged. His supporters say his critics do not respect the democracy that has given Egypt its first freely elected leader. VICTIMS' RELATIVES CHEER At the Port Said soccer stadium a year ago, many spectators were crushed and witnesses saw some thrown off balconies after the match between Cairo's Al Ahly and local team al-Masri. Families of victims in court cheered and wept for joy when Judge Sobhy Abdel Maguid read a list of 21 names "referred to the Mufti", a phrase used to denote execution, as all death sentences must be reviewed by Egypt's top religious authority. A total of 73 people have been standing trial. Other rulings will be issued on March 9, the judge said. One relative in the court shouted: "God is greatest." Outside the Al Ahly club in Cairo, fans also cheered. They had threatened more violence unless the death penalty was meted out. Thousands took to the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other cities on Friday to protest against what they call the authoritarianism of Mursi's rule. Protesters in Cairo were again hurling stones at police lines in Cairo on Saturday. "We want to change the president and the government. We are tired of this regime. Nothing has changed," said Mahmoud Suleiman, 22, in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the cauldron of the 2011 anti-Mubarak revolt and near where youths stoned police. "PURSUING CRIMINALS" Ahmed Salama, 28, a protester camped out with dozens of others in Tahrir, said: "The protests will continue until we realize all the demands of the revolution - bread, freedom and social justice." In a statement in response to Friday's violence, Mursi said the state would not hesitate in "pursuing the criminals and delivering them to justice". He urged Egyptians to respect the principles of the revolution by expressing views peacefully. The president met on Saturday with the National Defence Council, which includes senior ministers and security officials, to discuss the spate of violence. In a televised statement, the National Salvation Front said it was holding Mursi responsible. The Front was formed from disparate groups last year when Mursi awarded himself extra powers and fast-tracked an Islamist-flavored constitution to a referendum, opposed by the Front although the document was passed in the popular vote. "Egypt will not regain its balance except by a political solution that is transparent and credible, by a government of national salvation to restore order and heal the economy and with a constitution for all Egyptians," prominent opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter account. Until the Front was formed, the opposition had struggled to unite and their vote had been split at presidential and parliamentary polls, helping Islamists. The last parliament was dissolved based on court order, demanding a new vote this year. Mustapha Kamal Al-Sayyid, a professor of political science at Cairo University, said the latest violence reflected the frustration of many liberal-minded Egyptians and others. "The state of polarization between Islamists and others is most likely to continue and will have a very negative impact on the state's politics, security and economy," he said. Inspired by the popular uprising in Tunisia, Egypt's revolution spurred further revolts across the Arab world. But the sense of common purpose among Egyptians two years ago has unraveled, triggering bloody street battles last month. (Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Morsi cancels executive immunity decree

Get short URL email story to a friendprint version Published: 09 December, 2012, 00:18 TAGS: Protest, Politics, Opposition, Police, Egypt, Army TRENDS: Egypt unrest Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi. (Reuters) The Egyptian president has scrapped the declaration that sparked violent nationwide protests, replacing it with a text leaving his office subject to oversight. A referendum on a draft constitution, scheduled for December 15, will go ahead as planned. “There is no power that would choose to prevent the people from participating in the referendum,” said Egyptian Vice President Mahmoud Mekky. The electoral committee took made sure the referendum would be held on time, Mekky stated, adding that it could be held in several phases if the number of participating judges was insufficient. Earlier, the country's Prime Minister Hisham Qandil told local television that Morsi had ordered officials who attended a meeting with representatives of the opposition on Saturday to prepare the new text. 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 – would be finalized by late Saturday or Sunday morning. In an effort to quell the violent protests that have shaken the country for two weeks, Morsi was scheduled to meet with the opposition on Saturday. However, most of the opposition groups opted out, including the crucial National Salvation Front led by former presidential candidates Mohamed El Baradei, Hamdeen Sabbahi and Amr Moussa. This despite the country's military calling for a dialogue, while maintaining that it is its duty to protect the country. "The armed forces … realize their responsibility to preserve the higher interests of the country and to secure and protect vital targets, public institutions and the interests of innocent citizens," the military's statement read. Local media hint that Morsi might soon reimpose martial law, which had been the status quo in Egypt for six decades until the overthrow of the Hosni Mubarak government. Morsi's November 22 emergency decree and the draft constitution days later sent the country into turmoil, where at least seven people were killed and hundreds more injured in riots nationwide. With the new decree, Morsi allocated himself overwhelming powers until the approval of a new draft constitution, which set to be completed by referendum on December 15 ============= Morsi: ‘I won’t tolerate anyone working to overthrow a legitimate government’ Get short URL email story to a friendprint version Published: 07 December, 2012, 00:26 Edited: 07 December, 2012, 07:49 TAGS: Conflict, Law, Opposition, Egypt, Clashes, Violence An image grab taken from Egyptian state TV shows Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi as he gives an address in Cairo on December 6, 2012.(AFP Photo / Egyptian TV) (22.5Mb) embed video The Egyptian president has addressed the nation, accusing the foreign-funded opposition of trying to incite violence against his legitimacy. Following the speech, hundreds of protesters stormed and torched the Muslim Brotherhood's Cairo HQ. ­The president’s speech, which was aimed at restoring stability in the country, has ignited a new escalation in violence. Several thousand anti-government protesters have stormed the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood, breaking windows and furniture and setting the building on fire. Protesters also reportedly torched, stormed and looted several Cairo offices of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. Police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, who responded with stones and Molotov cocktails. While tensions remain high, additional security personnel were deployed to the epicenter of the clashes. Unknown men attack the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarter and try to to set it on fire on December 6, 2012.(Reuters / Stringer) ­“I separate the legitimate opposition from the vandals who committed violence,” Morsi told the nation. “The opposition thinks Article 6 is a problem. I won’t insist on keeping it, and anyway, the decree ends after the referendum.” ­Morsi said he will form a new assembly to write the constitution if the current draft is rejected by the referendum. Morsi mourned those who died in front of the presidential palace, saying his "heart is bleeding for the loss of innocent lives." "I feel responsible for the riots in Egypt," he said. "My fellow citizens are one body that cannot be separated or torn apart." Riot police form a line as protesters against Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi storm the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo December 6, 2012.(Reuters / Stringer) The Egyptian president also attacked those who he says are serving the remnants of the Mubarak regime and trying to bring down the government. He said the reason behind the constitutional declaration was to protect Egypt from such conspiracies. “These people became rich through the ex-regime and are now spending their fortunes to burn our homeland,”Morsi said, claiming that some of those arrested during the clashes outside the presidential palace have links with opposition parties, while others were paid to add heat to the conflict. “The ex-regime will not come back again, ever,” Morsi stated. The president has called for a Saturday meeting with the opposition to defuse the crisis, which he says can only be resolved through dialogue. However, the April 6 group, a leading Egyptian pro-democracy movement which was in the forefront of the revolt against Hosni Mubarak, has rejected Morsi's call for dialogue, saying it would continue protests against the president. Members of the Republican Guard block a road leading to the presidential palace as anti-Mursi protesters gather in front of barbed wire barricades in Cairo December 6, 2012.(Reuters / Amr Dalsh) Protesters against Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi attack the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters after starting a fire inside the compound in Cairo December 6, 2012.(Reuters / Stringer) ­Although Mohamed Morsi has promised to give up his sweeping powers after a new constitution is in place, the Egyptian president is not likely to practice what he preaches, Walid Phares, a counter-terrorism adviser to the US Congress told RT. “It is all in the book of how the Muslim Brotherhood has made statements in the beginning of the Arab spring in Egypt,” Phares explained. “For example, the Muslim Brotherhood said that they are not going to go to Tahrir square, they are going to allow the youth to go. Then they went. That they are not going to run for more than 30 per cent of the parliament. Then they ran massively. That Mr. Morsi himself said that he’s not going to run for president.” “This is called a phased strategy,” Phares added. “They move to one position, consolidate, then move to the next one. So basically once he has a referendum on the constitution there is no reason except his own to say ‘I’m not going to use this power.’” Anti-Mursi protesters shout slogans and scuffle with members of the Republican Guard in front of barricades around a road leading to the presidential palace in Cairo December 6, 2012.(Reuters / Amr Dalsh) Morsi's address follows a wave of heavy clashes beginning on Tuesday between his supporters and opponents, in which at least seven people have been killed and over 640 injured. A curfew has been introduced in Cairo after the country's military moved in tanks and armored troop carriers to quash the violence in the capital. Several tanks are guarding the presidential palace. The recent wave of street violence is the worst in Egypt following Morsi's November 22 move to vastly expand his powers. ­ Protesters against Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi gather in front of the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters after starting a fire inside the compound in Cairo December 6, 2012.(Reuters / Stringer Egypt) Riot police form a line as protesters against Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi stormed and started a fire at the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo December 6, 2012.(Reuters / Stringer Egypt) ============= Morsi to relinquish expanded powers, hold referendum as planned Get short URL email story to a friendprint version Published: 09 December, 2012, 00:18 Edited: 09 December, 2012, 07:58 TAGS: Protest, Politics, Opposition, Police, Egypt, Army TRENDS: Egypt unrest Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi attends a meeting with other politicians and heads of parties at the presidential palace in Cairo December 8, 2012. (Reuters) Following a meeting with the opposition, the Egyptian president has decided to keep a constitutional referendum on schedule, but will scrap the decree that gave him sweeping powers and sparked violent nationwide protests, officials say. ­“The constitutional decree is annulled from this moment,” said Selim al-Awa, an Islamist politician acting as spokesman of the meeting, adding that the committee recommended the removal of several articles shielding Morsi from judicial oversight and granting him powers to declare emergency laws, AFP reports. The statement comes after a meeting with the opposition, called by Morsi in an effort to quell the violent protests that have shaken the country for two weeks. “There is no power that would choose to prevent the people from participating in the referendum,” said Egyptian Vice President Mahmoud Mekky. The committee made sure the referendum would be held on time, Mekky stated, adding that it could be held in several phases if the number of participating judges was insufficient. However, the majority of the discussion committee's 54 members were Islamists as most of the country's main opposition groups opted out, including the crucial National Salvation Front led by former presidential candidates Mohamed El Baradei, Hamdeen Sabbahi and Amr Moussa. The National Salvation Front considers annulling the decree a “relatively meaningless” move, and vows to escalate the opposition. “We respect that he was elected with 51.7 per cent of the vote, but 48 per cent did not vote for him,” a spokesman for the NSF told Al Jazeera. “That means that he has to compromise – he has to build a consensus.” Meanwhile, the April 6 movement has stated that all those who participated in the discussions between the Egypt’s government and the opposition on Saturday “have no power over the protesters,” Naharnet reports. While maintaining that it must protect the country, Egypt's military had called on Morsi to find a compromise with the opposition. “Anything other than that will force us into a dark tunnel with disastrous consequences; something that we won't allow,” the military's statement read. “The armed forces … realize their responsibility to preserve the higher interests of the country and to secure and protect vital targets, public institutions and the interests of innocent citizens.” Members of the Egyptian opposition against President Mohamed Morsi gather next to their tents in Cairo's Tahrir Square, on December 8, 2012. (AFP Photo / Patrick Baz) Local media hint that Morsi might soon reimpose martial law, which had been the status quo in Egypt for six decades until the overthrow of the Hosni Mubarak government. Morsi's November 22 emergency decree and the draft constitution days later sent the country into turmoil, where at least seven people were killed and hundreds more injured in riots nationwide. With the new decree, Morsi allocated himself overwhelming powers until the approval of a new draft constitution, which set to be completed by referendum on December 15. ­Morsi has resource to 'crush' opposition ­The situation in Egypt will remain dangerous, as the opposition will try to avoid the constitutional vote scheduled for next Saturday at any cost, Lawrence Davidson, a professor of Middle East history at Westchester University, told RT. "I don't think that the Brotherhood, the Salafis and the rest of the Islamic population in Egypt – which makes up the majority – will stand against being pushed out. So it is a very, very dangerous situation. It is potentially very violent situation. I do not think the army is going to keep them out, therefore I think the ball is in the opposition's court." The opposition wants to rewrite the revolution and hold new elections to get rid of Morsi altogether, Davidson says. "Essentially they want new elections, and they want a new constituent assembly and a new constitution. And they are trying to force that on Morsi, and he is trying to figure out a way to avoid that." But the danger lies, the professor says, in the fact that the opposition only represents a minority – and the president has the power to force the new constitution through. "I don't think the opposition understands that they are in fact a minority, not the majority. I think, he [Morsi] thinks that if the vote goes ahead, he could marshall his forces and have the constitution passed. And I think the opposition knows that he can do that, therefore they want to stop that vote," Davidson explained, adding "he does have the resources to crush them if he wanted." An Egyptian woman visits an installation made of political art and slogans in Cairo's Tahrir Square, on December 8, 2012. (AFP Photo / Patrick Baz) ==============

Protests after "pharaoh" Mursi assumes powers in Egypt

Fri, Nov 23 13:09 PM EST 1 of 9 By Edmund Blair and Marwa Awad CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi's decision to assume sweeping powers caused fury amongst his opponents and prompted violent clashes in central Cairo and other cities on Friday. Police fired tear gas near Cairo's Tahrir Square, heart of the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, where thousands demanded Mursi quit and accused him of launching a "coup". There were violent protests in Alexandria, Port Said and Suez. Opponents accused Mursi, who has issued a decree that puts his decisions above legal challenge until a new parliament is elected, of being the new Mubarak and hijacking the revolution. "The people want to bring down the regime," shouted protesters in Tahrir, echoing a chant used in the uprising that forced Mubarak to step down. "Get out, Mursi," they chanted, along with "Mubarak tell Mursi, jail comes after the throne." Mursi's aides said the presidential decree was intended to speed up a protracted transition that has been hindered by legal obstacles but Mursi's rivals condemned him as an autocratic pharaoh who wanted to impose his Islamist vision on Egypt. "I am for all Egyptians. I will not be biased against any son of Egypt," Mursi said on a stage outside the presidential palace, adding that he was working for social and economic stability and the rotation of power. "Opposition in Egypt does not worry me, but it has to be real and strong," he said, seeking to placate his critics and telling Egyptians that he was committed to the revolution. "Go forward, always forward ... to a new Egypt." Buoyed by accolades from around the world for mediating a truce between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip, Mursi on Thursday ordered that an Islamist-dominated assembly writing the new constitution could not be dissolved by legal challenges. "Mursi a 'temporary' dictator," was the headline in the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm. Mursi, an Islamist whose roots are in the Muslim Brotherhood, also gave himself wide powers that allowed him to sack the unpopular general prosecutor and opened the door for a retrial for Mubarak and his aides. The president's decree aimed to end the logjam and push Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation, more quickly along its democratic path, the presidential spokesman said. "President Mursi said we must go out of the bottleneck without breaking the bottle," Yasser Ali told Reuters. TURBULENCE AND TURMOIL The president's decree said any decrees he issued while no parliament sat could not be challenged, moves that consolidated his power but look set to polarize Egypt further, threatening more turbulence in a nation at the heart of the Arab Spring. The turmoil has weighed heavily on Egypt's faltering economy that was thrown a lifeline this week when a preliminary deal was reached with the International Monetary Fund for a $4.8 billion loan. But it also means unpopular economic measures. In Alexandria, north of Cairo, protesters ransacked an office of the Brotherhood's political party, burning books and chairs in the street. Supporters of Mursi and opponents clashed elsewhere in the city, leaving 12 injured. A party building was also attacked by stone-throwing protesters in Port Said, and demonstrators in Suez threw petrol bombs that burned banners outside the party building. Mursi's decree is bound to worry Western allies, particularly the United States, a generous benefactor to Egypt's army, which praised Egypt for its part in bringing Israelis and Palestinians to a ceasefire on Wednesday. The West may become concerned about measures that, for example, undermine judicial independence. The European Union urged Mursi to respect the democratic process. "We are very concerned about the possible huge ramifications of this declaration on human rights and the rule of law in Egypt," Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay, said at the United Nations in Geneva. The United States has been concerned about the fate of what was once a close ally under Mubarak, who preserved Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel. The Gaza deal has reassured Washington but the deepening polarization of the nation will be a worry. "ANOTHER DICTATOR" "The decree is basically a coup on state institutions and the rule of law that is likely to undermine the revolution and the transition to democracy," said Mervat Ahmed, an independent activist in Tahrir protesting against the decree. "I worry Mursi will be another dictator like the one before him." Leading liberal Mohamed ElBaradei, who joined other politicians on Thursday night to demand the decree was withdrawn, wrote on his Twitter account that Mursi had "usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt's new pharaoh". Almost two years after Mubarak was toppled and about five months since Mursi took office, propelled to the post by the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt has no permanent constitution, which must be in place before new parliamentary elections are held. The last parliament, which sat for the first time earlier this year, was dissolved after a court declared it void. It was dominated by the Brotherhood's political party. An assembly drawing up the constitution has yet to complete its work. Many liberals, Christians and others have walked out accusing the Islamists who dominate it of ignoring their voices over the extent that Islam should be enshrined in the new state. Opponents call for the assembly to be scrapped and remade. Mursi's decree protects the existing one and extends the deadline for drafting a document by two months, pushing it back to February, further delaying a new parliamentary election. Explaining the rationale behind the moves, the presidential spokesman said: "This means ending the period of constitutional instability to arrive at a state with a written constitution, an elected president and parliament." "THIS IS NOT THE REMEDY" Analyst Seif El Din Abdel Fatah said the decree targeted the judiciary which had reversed, for example, an earlier Mursi decision to remove the prosecutor. Mursi, who is now protected by his new decree from judicial reversals, said the judiciary contained honorable men but said he would uncover corrupt elements. He also said he would ensure independence for the judicial, executive and legislative powers. Although many of Mursi's opponents also opposed the sacked prosecutor, whom they blamed for shortcomings in prosecuting Mubarak and his aides, and also want judicial reform, they say a draconian presidential decree was not the way to do it. "There was a disease but this is not the remedy," said Hassan Nafaa, a liberal-minded political science professor and activist at Cairo University. (Additional reporting by Tom Miles in Geneva and Sebastian Moffett in Brussels; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Peter Millership and Giles Elgood) ============= Egypt's Mursi faces judicial revolt over decree Sat, Nov 24 17:21 PM EST 1 of 26 By Tom Perry CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi faced a rebellion from judges who accused him on Saturday of expanding his powers at their expense, deepening a crisis that has triggered violence in the street and exposed the country's deep divisions. The Judges' Club, a body representing judges across Egypt, called for a strike during a meeting interrupted with chants demanding the "downfall of the regime" - the rallying cry in the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak last year. Mursi's political opponents and supporters, representing the divide between newly empowered Islamists and their critics, called for rival demonstrations on Tuesday over a decree that has triggered concern in the West. Issued late on Thursday, it marks an effort by Mursi to consolidate his influence after he successfully sidelined Mubarak-era generals in August. The decree defends from judicial review decisions taken by Mursi until a new parliament is elected in a vote expected early next year. It also shields the Islamist-dominated assembly writing Egypt's new constitution from a raft of legal challenges that have threatened the body with dissolution, and offers the same protection to the Islamist-controlled upper house of parliament. Egypt's highest judicial authority, the Supreme Judicial Council, said the decree was an "unprecedented attack" on the independence of the judiciary. The Judges' Club, meeting in Cairo, called on Mursi to rescind it.

That demand was echoed by prominent opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei. "There is no room for dialogue when a dictator imposes the most oppressive, abhorrent measures and then says 'let us split the difference'," he said. "I am waiting to see, I hope soon, a very strong statement of condemnation by the U.S., by Europe and by everybody who really cares about human dignity," he said in an interview with Reuters and the Associated Press.

More than 300 people were injured on Friday as protests against the decree turned violent. There were attacks on at least three offices belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, the movement that propelled Mursi to power. POLARISATION Liberal, leftist and socialist parties called a big protest for Tuesday to force Mursi to row back on a move they say has exposed the autocratic impulses of a man once jailed by Mubarak. In a sign of the polarization in the country, the Muslim Brotherhood called its own protests that day to support the president's decree. Mursi also assigned himself new authority to sack the prosecutor general, who was appointed during the Mubarak era, and appoint a new one. The dismissed prosecutor general, Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, was given a hero's welcome at the Judges' Club. In open defiance of Mursi, Ahmed al-Zind, head of the club, introduced Mahmoud by his old title. The Mursi administration has defended the decree on the grounds that it aims to speed up a protracted transition from Mubarak's rule to a new system of democratic government. Analysts say it reflects the Brotherhood's suspicion towards sections of a judiciary unreformed from Mubarak's days. "It aims to sideline Mursi's enemies in the judiciary and ultimately to impose and head off any legal challenges to the constitution," said Elijah Zarwan, a fellow with The European Council on Foreign Relations. "We are in a situation now where both sides are escalating and its getting harder and harder to see how either side can gracefully climb down." ADVISOR TO MURSI QUITS Following a day of violence in Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said and Suez, the smell of tear gas hung over the capital's Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the uprising that toppled Mubarak in 2011 and the stage for more protests on Friday. Youths clashed sporadically with police near the square, where activists camped out for a second day on Saturday, setting up makeshift barricades to keep out traffic. Al-Masry Al-Youm, one of Egypt's most widely read dailies, hailed Friday's protest as "The November 23 Intifada", invoking the Arabic word for uprising. But the ultra-orthodox Salafi Islamist groups that have been pushing for tighter application of Islamic law in the new constitution have rallied behind Mursi's decree. The Nour Party, one such group, stated its support for the Mursi decree. Al-Gama'a al-Islamiya, which carried arms against the state in the 1990s, said it would save the revolution from what it described as remnants of the Mubarak regime. Samir Morkos, a Christian assistant to Mursi, had told the president he wanted to resign, said Yasser Ali, Mursi's spokesman. Speaking to the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Morkos said: "I refuse to continue in the shadow of republican decisions that obstruct the democratic transition". Mursi's decree has been criticized by Western states that earlier this week were full of praise for his role in mediating an end to the eight-day war between Israel and Palestinians. "The decisions and declarations announced on November 22 raise concerns for many Egyptians and for the international community," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. The European Union urged Mursi to respect the democratic process. (Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy, Marwa Awad, Edmund Blair and Shaimaa Fayed and Reuters TV; Editing by Jon Hemming) ====================== Egypt's top court shuts down, blames Islamist protesters Sun, Dec 02 18:25 PM EST 1 of 9 By Tamim Elyan and Tom Perry CAIRO (Reuters) - Protests by Islamists allied to President Mohamed Mursi forced Egypt's highest court to adjourn its work indefinitely on Sunday, intensifying a conflict between some of the country's top judges and the head of state. The Supreme Constitutional Court said it would not convene until its judges could operate without "psychological and material pressure", saying protesters had stopped the judges from reaching the building. Several hundred Mursi supporters had protested outside the court through the night ahead of a session expected to examine the legality of parliament's upper house and the assembly that drafted a new constitution, both of them Islamist-controlled. The cases have cast a legal shadow over Mursi's efforts to chart a way out of a crisis ignited by a November 22 decree that temporarily expanded his powers and led to nationwide protests against him and his Muslim Brotherhood group. The court's decision to suspend its activities appeared unlikely to have any immediate impact on Mursi's drive to get the new constitution passed in a national referendum on December 15. Judges supervise voting in Egypt, and Mursi will need them to oversee the referendum. But in a blow to the president, an influential body representing judges decided on Sunday not to oversee the vote, the state news agency reported. The Judges' Club's decisions are not binding on members, however. Vice President Mahmoud Mekky said on Sunday he was confident the judges would perform that role, despite calls by Mursi's critics in the judiciary for a boycott. Three people have been killed and hundreds wounded in protests and counter-demonstrations over Mursi's decree. At least 200,000 of Mursi's supporters attended a rally at Cairo University on Saturday. His opponents are staging an open-ended sit-in in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the cradle of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. The National Salvation Front, an alliance of liberal, leftist and socialist opposition groups, called for protests in Tahrir Square on Tuesday against Mursi holding the referendum on what it branded an "illegitimate constitution". Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled him to power in a June election, hope to end the crisis by pushing through the new constitution hastily adopted by the drafting assembly on Friday. The next day the assembly handed the text to Mursi, who called the referendum and urged Egyptians to vote. "The Muslim Brotherhood is determined to go ahead with its own plans regardless of everybody else. There is no compromise on the horizon," said Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science at Cairo University. DEEP SUSPICION Outside the Supreme Constitutional Court, Muslim Brotherhood supporters rallied behind the referendum date. "Yes to the constitution," said a banner held aloft by one protester. Chants demanded the "purging of the judiciary". The interior minister told the head of the court that the building was accessible and that the protests were peaceful, according a statement from the ministry. The protest reflected the deep suspicion harbored by Egypt's Islamists towards a court they see as a vestige of the Mubarak era. The same court ruled in June to dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood-led lower house of parliament. Since then, several legal cases have challenged the legitimacy of the upper house of parliament and the 100-member constituent assembly that wrote the constitution. Those against the upper house have focused on the legality of the law by which it was elected, while the constitutional assembly has faced a raft of court cases alleging that the way it was picked was illegal. Mursi believes securing approval for the new constitution in a popular referendum will bury all arguments on the legality of the constituent assembly, as well as controversy over the text it worked through the night to finish on Friday. It will also override the November 22 decree that drew concern from Western governments and a rebellion by sections of the judiciary. The decree shielded Mursi from judicial oversight. While the Islamists' critics, including representatives of the Christian minority, have accused the Brotherhood of trying to hijack the constitution, investors appear to have seen Mursi's moves as a harbinger of stability. They were also relieved that Saturday's mass Islamist protest went off calmly. The main stock market index, which lost a tenth of its value in response to Mursi's November 22 decree, rallied more than 2 percent when the market opened on Sunday. "The events that took place through the weekend, from the approval of the final draft of the constitution and the president calling a referendum, gave some confidence to investors that political stability is on track," said Mohamed Radwan of Pharos Securities, an Egyptian brokerage. OPPOSITION INFURIATED But opposition parties have been infuriated by what they see as the Brotherhood's attempt to ram through a constitution that does not enjoy national consensus. Mursi's opponents warn of deeper polarization ahead. Liberal figures, including former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, pulled out of the constituent assembly last month, as did Christian representatives. The draft constitution contains Islamist-flavored language which opponents say could be used to whittle away human rights and stifle criticism. It forbids blasphemy and "insults to any person", does not explicitly uphold women's rights and demands respect for "religion, traditions and family values". New York-based Human Rights Watch said the draft constitution protected some rights while undermining others. The text limits presidents to two four-year terms, requires parliamentary approval for their choice of prime minister, and introduces some civilian oversight of the military - although not enough for critics. Mubarak ruled for three decades. Mursi described it as a constitution that fulfilled the goals of the revolution that ended Mubarak's rule. "Let everyone -- those who agree and those who disagree -- go to the referendum to have their say," he said. The Islamists are gambling that they will be able to secure a "Yes" vote by mobilizing their core support base. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Alistair Lyon and Roger Atwood) ==================== Egypt clashes erupt despite proposal to end crisis Wed, Dec 05 13:36 PM EST 1 of 18 By Yasmine Saleh and Marwa Awad CAIRO (Reuters) - Islamists fought protesters outside the Egyptian president's palace on Wednesday, while inside the building his deputy proposed a way to end a crisis over a draft constitution that has split the most populous Arab nation. Stones and petrol bombs flew between opposition protesters and supporters of President Mohamed Mursi who had flocked to the palace in response to a call from the Muslim Brotherhood. Two Islamists were hit in the legs by what their friends said were bullets fired during the clashes in streets around the compound in northern Cairo. One of them was bleeding heavily. A leftist group said Islamists had cut the ear off one of its members, inflicting serious head wounds on him. Riot police began to deploy between the two sides to try to end the violence which flared after dark despite an attempt by Vice President Mahmoud Mekky to calm the political crisis. He said amendments to disputed articles in the draft constitution could be agreed with the opposition. A written agreement could then be submitted to the next parliament, to be elected after a referendum on the constitution on December 15. "There must be consensus," he told a news conference, saying opposition demands must be respected to overcome the crisis. Opposition leader Amr Moussa, a former foreign minister and secretary-general of the Arab League, said Mursi should make a formal offer for dialogue if his opponents were to consider seriously Mekky's ideas for a way out of the political impasse. "We are ready when there is something formal, something expressed in definite terms, we will not ignore it," Moussa told Reuters during talks with other opposition figures. Opposition leaders have previously urged Mursi to retract a decree widening his powers, defer the plebiscite and agree to revise the constitution, but have not echoed calls from street protesters for his overthrow and the "downfall of the regime". UNDER SIEGE Mursi had returned to work at his compound a day after it came under siege from protesters furious at his assumption of extraordinary powers via an edict on November 22. The president, narrowly elected by popular vote in June, said he acted to stop courts still full of judges appointed by ousted strongman Hosni Mubarak from derailing a constitution meant to complete a political transition in Egypt, long an ally of Washington and signatory to a 1979 peace deal with Israel. Rival groups skirmished earlier outside the presidential palace on Wednesday. Islamist supporters of Mursi tore down tents erected by leftist foes, who had begun a sit-in there. "They hit us and destroyed our tents. Are you happy, Mursi? Aren't we Egyptians too?" asked protester Haitham Ahmed. Mohamed Mohy, a pro-Mursi demonstrator who was filming the scene, said: "We are here to support our president and his decisions and save our country from traitors and agents." Facing the gravest crisis of his six-month-old tenure, Mursi has shown no sign of buckling, confident that Islamists can win the referendum and a parliamentary election to follow. Many Egyptians yearn for an end to political upheaval that has scared off investors and tourists, damaging the economy. Mekky said street mobilization by both sides posed a "real danger" to Egypt. "If we do not put a stop to this phenomenon right away ... where are we headed? We must calm down." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton weighed into Egypt's political debate, saying dialogue was urgently needed on the new constitution, which should "respect the rights of all citizens". Clinton and Mursi worked together last month to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas Islamists in the Gaza Strip. "It needs to be a two-way dialogue ... among Egyptians themselves about the constitutional process and the substance of the constitution," Clinton told a news conference in Brussels. Washington is worried about rising Islamist power in Egypt, a staunch U.S. security partner under Mubarak. "LAST WARNING" The Muslim Brotherhood had summoned supporters to an open-ended demonstration at the presidential palace, a day after about 10,000 opposition protesters had encircled it for what organizers dubbed a "last warning" to Mursi. "The people want the downfall of the regime," they chanted, roaring the signature slogan of last year's anti-Mubarak revolt. Officials said 35 protesters and 40 police were wounded. The "last warning" may turn out to be one of the last gasps for a disparate opposition that has little chance of scuttling next week's vote on a constitution drawn up over six months and swiftly approved by an Islamist-dominated assembly. State institutions, with the partial exception of the judiciary, have mostly fallen in behind Mursi. The army, the muscle behind all previous Egyptian presidents in the republic's six-decade history, has gone back to barracks, having apparently lost its appetite to intervene in politics. In a bold move, Mursi sacked Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the Mubarak-era army commander and defense minister, in August and removed the sweeping powers that the military council, which took over after Mubarak fell, had grabbed two months earlier. The liberals, leftists, Christians, ex-Mubarak followers and others opposed to Mursi have yet to generate a mass movement or a grassroots political base to challenge the Brotherhood. Investors have seized on hopes that Egypt's turbulent transition, which has buffeted the economy for two years, may soon head for calmer waters, sending stocks 1.6 percent higher after a 3.5 percent rally on Tuesday. Egypt has turned to the IMF for a $4.8 billion loan to help it out of a crisis that has depleted its foreign currency reserves. The government said on Wednesday the process was on track and its request would go to the IMF board as expected. The board is due to review the facility on December 19. (Additional reporting by Tom Perry, Tamim Elyan and Edmund Blair; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Fierce clashes in Cairo, Clinton voices outrage

Fierce clashes in Cairo, Clinton voices outrage20 Dec 2011 20:00Source: Reuters // ReutersResidents help salvage burnt manuscripts from the ruins of the Scientific Institute of Egypt near Tahrir Square in Cairo December 19, 2011. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh* Troops and police try again to drive protesters from Tahrir Sq* Clinton condemns "shocking" attack on woman protester* Egyptians protest over treatment of women during demonstrations* Military and advisory council call for end to violence (Adds army statement, women's march)By Shaimaa Fayed and Marwa AwadCAIRO, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Egyptian police and soldiers fired guns and teargas to try to clear protesters from Cairo's Tahrir Square on Tuesday, the fifth day of clashes that have killed 13 people and drawn a stinging rebuke from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.Clinton condemned as "particularly shocking" incidents such as one in which two Egyptian soldiers were filmed dragging a woman protester on the ground by her black full-body veil, exposing her bra, then clubbing and kicking her."Women protesters have been rounded up and subjected to horrific abuse. Journalists have been sexually assaulted. And now women are being attacked, stripped and beaten in the streets," Clinton said in a speech at Washington's Georgetown University on Monday."This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonours the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people ..."Women are being beaten and humiliated in the same streets where they risked their lives for the revolution only a few short months ago."Medical sources say 13 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the violence that began on Friday in Tahrir and nearby streets leading to parliament and the cabinet office.After a night of clashes, gunfire rang out across the square at dawn as security forces charged hundreds of protesters demanding an immediate end to army rule.Later thousands of women marched on the square to condemning attacks on female protesters. But by nightfall the square was calm again.The United States, which saw deposed leader Hosni Mubarak as a staunch ally, gives Cairo $1.3 billion a year in military aid, a commitment that began after Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab state to make peace with Israel.PRESSURE ON ARMYClinton's remarks, some of the strongest U.S. criticism of Egypt's new rulers, ratchet up pressure on the army. But Western diplomats said it was unlikely Washington would use its aid budget as leverage. U.S. officials have so far praised the army for promising to hand power to civilians.A staggered parliamentary election is under way and the army has pledged to hand power to an elected president by July.The women marchers were dressed in black and accompanied by male demonstrators who vowed to protect them from harassment."The women of Egypt are a red line!" they chanted.Some looked up at male onlookers on surrounding balconies, chanting: "You who are standing by the window, tomorrow it will be your sisters!""This is a continuation of the systematic violence we used to witness (under Mubarak)," said Sarah Rifaat, a 27-year old environmentalist. "They manipulate women, thinking they can break the people and scare them this way."What happened to the girl who was stripped and dragged was sheer savagery. We cannot be silent about this. I want someone from the military council to admit responsibility."In a statement, the army council that took over after Mubarak was overthrown in February apologised, saying it "respects and appreciates Egyptian women and their right to protest and fully participate in political life"."ISOLATED INCIDENT"General Adel Emara, a member of the army council, said on Monday that the attack on the woman protester was an isolated incident and was under investigation.But other generals and their advisers have condemned the pro-democracy protesters, sometimes in extraordinary terms."What is your feeling when you see Egypt and its history burn in front of you?" retired general Abdel Moneim Kato, an army adviser, told the daily al-Shorouk, referring to a government archive building set alight during clashes. "Yet you worry about a vagrant who should be burnt in Hitler's incinerators."Those comments drew fierce criticism from politicians and rights groups, saying they would stir further violence."The least that can be said about such comments is they are irresponsible and he must be punished for them, publicly and transparently," the Arab Network for Human Rights said, adding that "his Nazi opinions incite hatred and justify violence".General Emara said "evil forces" wanted to sow chaos and that soldiers had shown "self-restraint" despite provocation."What is happening does not belong with the revolution and its pure youth, who never wanted to bring down this nation," he said. Despite the actions of the security forces in Tahrir, Emara denied that the army had given orders to clear the square.Hard-core activists have camped in Tahrir since a protest against army rule on Nov. 18, which was sparked by the army-backed cabinet's proposals to permanently shield the military from civilian oversight in the new constitution.A week of mayhem in November killed 42 people.The flare-up has also marred the parliamentary election, which began on Nov. 28 and ends on Jan. 11.Results so far suggest the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood and hardline Salafi Islamists will have a majority in the lower house - groups the West once looked to Mubarak to keep in check.Washington has reached out to Islamists in a shift in approach since the summer. A senior U.S. diplomat met Islamist and other newly elected members of parliament in the northern city of Alexandria, the embassy said on Tuesday. (Additional reporting by Dina Zayed and Alexander Dziadosz; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Alistair Lyon)================Egyptian women protest army's violenceTue, 20 Dec 2011 22:41:07 GMTThousands of Egyptian women have poured on to the streets in the capital city of Cairo to protest the security forces' brutal crackdown on female demonstrators. The protest took place in the landmark Liberation (Tahrir) Square on Tuesday, days after army soldiers harshly beat a woman and ripped off her clothing while dragging her along the ground during a demonstration in the square. Released footage and images of the half-naked female protester has sparked outrage among Egyptians.

"Our honor is a red line,” the women demonstrators shouted while gathering in the square, which has been the site of deadly clashes between Egyptian military forces and protesters since Friday. "They know that people who don't care about their own lives they care about their mother, wife and sister. So they wanted to humiliate the whole Egyptian people by humiliating women because they know it's very sensitive," said a demonstrator, referring to the humiliating conduct of security forces toward female protesters.

They also chanted slogans against the Head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi, calling him a traitor. "[The ruling generals] have to go, they are traitors,” the protesters said. ================'I feel wretched': Woman protester who was stripped and dragged through streets by Egyptian soldiers breaks her silenceWoman beaten, stamped on and had hijab virtually torn off her during horrific assaultElderly female protester filmed being kicked and hit with batons in CairoThree more demonstrators shot dead bringing death toll in four-day clashes to 14Egyptian general claims protesters are attempting to 'topple the state'By WIL LONGBOTTOMLast updated at 9:03 AM on 20th December 2011Comments (38)Share The woman who was dramatically photographed as she was beaten stripped and beaten senseless by Egyptian soldiers does not want to come forward because she is ashamed by her treatment.Footage and stills of the woman being beaten to the ground, kicked and stamped on as her hijab was torn off in Tahrir Square have made front page news around the world.Moments earlier, she had been struck countless times on the head and body with metal batons by a ten-strong mob before losing consciousness and slumping to the floor.Shocking: The defenceless woman had her hijab virtually torn off as she was kicked and stamped on by Egyptian military policeSoldiers then continued the assault, revealing her bra after her abaya was virtually pulled off during the assault.Hassan Mahmoud, a journalist for the newspaper Al Badeel, was near the woman as she stumbled and was then set upon by military police.He told The Guardian: 'They wanted to take her away from us but then a few brave protesters came in and started hurling stones and that was the one thing that saved her from their hands.'The unnamed woman was treated for hand and leg injuries, before she was taken home where she is said to have been left feeling wretched after her ordeal.Veteran: A soldier shoves a wooden baton towards the throat of Khadiga al-Hennawy during protests in the capitalViolence: She is then drag along by her arm before being kicked and beaten with the batonsMr Mahmoud said she told him: 'It doesn't matter if I talk [to the media] or not, their stripping me is enough to reveal them and tell enough to those who still believe them.'Mohamed Zeidan, who filmed the shocking beating from a balcony overlooking Tahrir Square, said he stopped recording out of fear of being discovered.'The army were like vultures who found a prey,' he said. 'The soldiers even beat an older couple who tried to help her up.'Another video shows soldiers assaulting an old woman as clashes erupted between protesters and security forces.Khadiga al-Hennawy can be seen being dragged by the hair by two officers, before being kicked and beaten around the arms and back with batons.Known as the 'mother of revolutionaries' because she has taken part in several protests against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.Crackdown: A young protesters receives treatment to a head wound near Tahrir Square, Cairo, yesterdayClashes: Protesters brave water cannons during a stand off in the square. A total of 14 people have been killed in four days of violent demonstrationsHundreds of soldiers wearing riot gear have today carried out further sweeps through Cairo's Tahrir Square and opened fire on protesters demanding an end to military rule.The Health Ministry said at least three people were killed - bringing the death toll for four days of violent clashes to 14.Clashes have been raging in the capital since Friday, when military forces guarding the Cabinet building near the square cracked down on a three-week sit-in to demand ruling generals immediately hand over power to a civilian authority.The raid may have been an attempt by the military to keep protesters away from key government buildings near the square, including parliament and the Interior Ministry - in charged of the police force.Uprising: Protesters are demanding the the military council in Egypt hands over power to a civilian authority amid concerns they could refuse to cede controlVictims: Two boys show ammunition, including bullets and tear gas canisters, used during the clashesA member of the ruling military council defended the use of force, and argued the events amounted to an attempt to 'topple the state'.Major General Adel Emara said: 'There is a methodical and prepared plot to topple the state, but Egypt will not fall.'What are we supposed to do when protesters break the law? Should we invite people from abroad to govern our nation?'The military council took power 10 months ago after the popular uprising forced longtime president Hosni Mubarak to step down.It has routinely denied the use of excessive force by its troops against protesters, including clashes last month that left more than 40 people dead.Islamist parties won the largest share of the vote in the first round of parliament elections.Stricken: A blood-soaked protesters is carried away by comrades during clashes. The military has been accused of brutally repressing unrestDamage: Officials try to save burnt and torn books from an 18th century research centre set up during the French occupation SharRead more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2076115/Egypt-protests-Woman-stripped-dragged-streets-soldiers-breaks-silence.html#ixzz1h8kEBPTY

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Egyptians support Brotherhood nominee

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:12:22 GMT

Thousands of Egyptians have voiced support for Muslim Brotherhood (MB) figure and presidential candidate Khairat El-Shater as he registered for the country’s upcoming election, Press TV reports.

“The people want Shater for president,” the supporters chanted as Shater made his way to the election committee’s head office in the capital of Cairo on Thursday.

The 61-year-old was named as the Brotherhood’s candidate last week. He has called for an Islamic and democratic state in Egypt.

The election, which is the first since the ouster of former dictator Husni Mubarak, is to be held on May 23 and 24.

Moreover, the result of the election will be announced in June, at which point the military is expected to hand over power to the winner.

The military has ruled the country since Mubarak was ousted in February 2011.

Egypt's former vice-president, Omar Suleiman, has said he intends to be a candidate in Egypt's presidential elections next month.

He had previously ruled himself out of the race, but changed his mind after demonstrators urged him to run.

Mr Suleiman served as Hosni Mubarak's vice-president before Mr Mubarak was ousted last year.

Salafist candidate Hazem Abu Ismail, and Khairat al-Shater from the Muslim Brotherhood, are also in the race.

In a statement to supporters, Mr Suleiman said he would run if he could get the 30,000 signatures needed by Saturday.

Mr Suleiman is supported by those who say the country is descending into chaos and losing direction, says the BBC's Wyre Davies, in Cairo.

He had previously ruled himself out of the nominations, citing the administrative burden.

Prior to the Egyptian revolution, the former intelligence chief had often been mentioned as a possible successor to the 82-year-old Mr Mubarak.

A close ally of the former president, Mr Suleiman was seen as a pivotal figure in Mr Mubarak's 30-rule rule.
Ultra-conservative

Nominations for the presidential election are due to close this weekend.
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Omar Suleiman

Joined army in 1954
Mediated between Israel and the Palestinians
Appointed general intelligence director in 1993
Appointed vice-president 29 January

Profile: Omar Suleiman

The presidential vote is the first since Mr Mubarak was overthrown in February 2011 after a popular uprising.

The military-run caretaker government is due to hand over power in June.

Meanwhile, thousands of Egyptians have protested in Cairo's Tahrir Square in support of a conservative Islamist presidential candidate, Hazem Abu Ismail.

Mr Abu Ismail, who supports an ultra-conservative version of Islam, may be disqualified from May's presidential election on the grounds that his mother was a US citizen.

Muslim Brotherhood candidate Khairat al-Shater registered on Thursday; the party had previously said it would not field a presidential candidate.
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2 April 2012 Last updated at 05:39 ET


Egypt candidate: Muslim Brotherhood's Khairat al-Shater
By Yolande Knell BBC News, Cairo
Khairat al-Shater (24 January 2012) Khairat al-Shater is a media-savvy engineer who became prosperous as a textile and furniture trader
Continue reading the main story
Egypt's Revolution

Brotherhood candidate steals show
'Moment of truth' for Brotherhood
On a mission to rebuild Egypt
US and Egypt mend fences

In just over a year, the fortunes of Khairat al-Shater have changed dramatically.

He has gone from being a political prisoner to a frontrunner in Egypt's presidential race as the Muslim Brotherhood's chosen candidate.

Even behind bars - where he served 12 years for his association with the previously banned Islamist group - Mr Shater was an influential figure. He was known as its key financier.

Since his release after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, his importance has grown.

Serving as one of the group's three deputy leaders, he has played a key strategic role and is said to have been involved in negotiations with the ruling military council.

In recent months, the millionaire businessman has developed the Brotherhood's economic policy and met the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team that is negotiating a $3.2bn loan facility with the government.

He has also represented the Muslim Brotherhood at meetings with ambassadors, visiting foreign officials and international investors.

He articulates its moderate Islamist vision - its commitment to democracy, the rights of religious minorities and a free market.

However, he has also said that the recent election results - which led to a parliament dominated by Islamists - indicate that the Egyptian people support an Islamic state.

"There is a current within the Brotherhood that is closer to the [conservative] Salafists," says Mustafa al-Zahran, an expert on Islamist political movements. "Khairat al-Shatar is leading this."

Mr Zahran believes he will be a popular candidate within the wider organisation.

"The nomination of Khairat al-Shater is a smart choice because he has mass popularity among the grassroots membership and a long history of struggle," he adds.
U-turn

In its official statement on Saturday, the Muslim Brotherhood said it had reversed its decision not to nominate a presidential candidate after reviewing the alternatives.
Khairat al-Shater addresses a crowd in Cairo's Tahrir Square (4 March 2011) Since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, Mr Shater's importance has grown

In a thinly-veiled reference to its ongoing power struggle with the ruling military, it also complained that parliament - where its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) controls the biggest bloc - had been unable to meet "the demands of the revolution".

Yet there was evidently a heated debated among Brotherhood leaders about whether to back Mr Shater. The vote that finally decided his nomination is understood to have been very close.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

Although I never thought of occupying any executive position in the state or running for it, I can't help but comply with the decision of the group”

Khairat al-Shater

A former deputy leader of the Brotherhood, Mohammad Habib, was quoted on the Masrawy news website describing the outcome as "a fatal mistake" that would "make the group lose its credibility and widen the gap between the Brotherhood and public opinion".

Many younger reformist members of the group have also voiced disappointment. They believe it is Mr Shater who has continued to enforce a hierarchical and insular culture in the group since last year's uprising.

He led efforts to prevent Brotherhood members from dissenting from support of the FJP and sought the expulsion of those who pursued more liberal Islamist politics such as the popular former leader, Abdul Moneim Abu al-Futuh.

"He may be a good person, a good Muslim or a good businessman, but I don't feel comfortable with the choice of Shater," says Islam Lutfi, who was thrown out of the Brotherhood last year after he set up the Egyptian Current party with other activists.

"He plays the role of second man but manages everything from the shadows. These are not the actions of a president."
Into the limelight

For his part, Mr Shater, who is 62, has previously insisted that he does not seek personal power.

He was not present at Saturday's news conference, but the Brotherhood's General Guide, Mohammed Badi, read out a letter in which he resigned from his post in the organisation to run for presidential office.
Khairat al-Shater arrives at a court in Cairo (10 December 2007) Mr Shater was jailed in 2007 by a military court on charges including supplying students with weapons

"Although I never thought of occupying any executive position in the state or running for it, I can't help but comply with the decision of the group," he is said to have written.

Mr Shater is expected to hold a news conference in the coming days to give more details of his plans. It will also give him a chance to begin to raise his public profile.

While many Egyptians already know him as a successful businessman - with furniture and textile stores, a computer firm and chain of supermarkets - he can also stress his image as a family man - he has 10 children.

His supporters think that his reputation for seriousness and as a straight-talker will stand him in good stead.

In the past, Mr Shater has paid a high price for political activism.

Originally a leftist, he was first jailed as an engineering student at Alexandria University when he joined anti-government protests.

As he rose through the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1980s and 90s he was targeted increasingly frequently.

In 2006, he was arrested along with other senior members, and jailed in 2007 by a military court on charges that included supplying students with weapons and military training.

While prison terms can bar access to elected office, his lawyers maintain that they will not derail his candidacy.

With that obstacle removed, the extensive network of Brotherhood supporters across Egypt can be expected to translate to huge support for him when the first round of presidential voting takes place in May.
==============


Al-Qaeda/ Salafist Leader

Thousands rally for Salafist in Egypt vote
AFPBy AFP | AFP – 4 hours ago

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Egyptian supporters of Islamist presidential candidate sheikh Hazem Abu Ismail protest outside a Cairo mosque last month. Thousands of people rallied in central Cairo on Friday in support of a Salafist candidate who could be ruled out of Egypt's presidential election because his mother reportedly held US nationality

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Egyptian supporters of Islamist presidential candidate sheikh Hazem Abu Ismail protest outside a Cairo mosque last month. Thousands of people rallied in central Cairo on Friday in support of a Salafist candidate who could be ruled out of Egypt's presidential election because his mother reportedly held US nationality

Thousands of people rallied in central Cairo on Friday in support of a Salafist candidate who could be ruled out of Egypt's presidential election because his mother reportedly held US nationality.

Under the country's electoral law, all candidates for the presidency, their parents and their wives must have only Egyptian citizenship.

"The people want Hazem Abu Ismail! No to manipulation!" the demonstrators shouted after making their way through central Cairo to Tahrir Square, epicentre of last year's revolt which toppled president Hosni Mubarak.

The protesters, including women in full Islamic veil, carried portraits of Abu Ismail and waved their fists, angrily condemning any attempt to disqualify their candidate.

Abu Ismail launched his candidacy on March 30 with a large motorcade that took him to electoral commission headquarters in Cairo.

Commission chief Hatem Begato said on Thursday that the agency had received information according to which Ismail's mother had "used an American passport for travel to and from Egypt" before her death.

Files will be examined on April 12-13 and any candidate not meeting the requirements informed, the commission said. Those rejected would then have 48 hours to appeal before the final list of candidates is announced on April 26.

Abu Ismail advocates a strict interpretation of Islam similar to the one practised in Saudi Arabia and has become a familiar sight in Cairo, with his posters adorning many cars and micro buses.

The May election will mark the beginning of a handover of power by the ruling military to an elected civilian leader, following the popular uprising against Mubarak.

Abu Ismail would compete with more moderate Islamist candidates such as senior Muslim Brotherhood figure Khairat El-Shater as well as former regime figures such as Amr Mussa, an ex-foreign minister.

Islamists have made big strides since Mubarak's ouster, winning majorities in elections to both houses of parliament.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party won the most seats in parliamentary elections earlier this year, but the Salafists captured nearly a quarter themselves.


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Exclusive: Mubarak aide presidency bid an "insult": Islamist rival
Sun, Apr 08 15:35 PM EDT
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1 of 10

By Marwa Awad and Abdel Rahman Youssef

CAIRO (Reuters) - A bid for power by Hosni Mubarak's former intelligence chief is an insult to Egypt's revolution that, if successful, would trigger a second nationwide revolt, the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate for Egypt's presidency said.

In his first public comments since being nominated by the Brotherhood on March 31, Khairat al-Shater played down fears of a clash between the powerful Islamist movement and the army generals who have ruled Egypt since Mubarak was ousted last year.

But he warned the Brotherhood would not back a $3.2 billion emergency IMF loan requested by the army-backed government unless the terms are changed or the government steps down and lets a new administration oversee how the funds are spent.

In an interview with Reuters on Sunday, the 61-year-old millionaire businessman denounced former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman's eleventh-hour decision to seek his former boss's job. Mubarak made Suleiman vice president just before losing power.

"I consider his entry an insult to the revolution and the Egyptian people," said Shater, who said he spent 12 years in jail during the Mubarak era. "Omar Suleiman has made a big mistake. He will only win through forgery and, if this happens, the revolution will kick off again."

The military council, which took over from Mubarak in February last year, has said it will hand power to civilians after a presidential election due to be held in May and June. More than 20 candidates completed the formalities to run for head of state and the top contenders are all Islamists or Mubarak-era politicians.

Support from the Brotherhood's formidable campaign machine makes Shater an immediate front-runner in the vote. Suleiman is a dark horse who proved he still wields political clout by quickly collecting the 30,000 signatures of eligible voters that he needed to run.

Violent protests and sectarian clashes have prolonged an economic crisis since Mubarak's overthrow but the streets have returned to relative calm after a parliamentary election as the country's political forces maneuver for influence and the army prepares to step aside.

The Brotherhood, which built support for its project of an Islamic state through decades of preaching and charity work, was suppressed by Mubarak but shifted to the centre-stage of politics after the January 2011 popular uprising begun by liberal and left-wing revolutionaries.

It promised not to monopolize power in the style of Mubarak and his associates but its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) now has almost half the seats in parliament and dominates an assembly tasked with drawing up a new constitution. Now it has reversed a pledge not to field a candidate for the presidency.

AVOID CLASH

Shater, who stepped down as Brotherhood deputy leader to run for the presidency, said the decision was motivated by fear that the army-backed government was failing to cooperate with the Brotherhood-dominated parliament and the movement needed an executive post in case the assembly lacked teeth.

But he said a clash with the military - backbone of national security - must be avoided.

"Even if there are issues with the military council's handling of the transitional period, such issues must be resolved in a way that does not lead to a real clash with the armed forces," he said. "We must, in fact, work to strengthen and develop the army."

Egypt's new government would exercise civilian oversight over the armed forces' budget and their business interests, said Shater.

The military makes substantial profits from an extensive and tax-exempt business empire that ranges from real estate and heavy industry to home cleaning services and gasoline stations.

"It is not just taxing the military that is an issue. There is the problem of conscripts who are forced to work in army economic projects without payment. What about the land that the army controls for free? All these issues will be addressed by the new government," Shater added.

Should he reach the presidency, Shater said he would seek to reform government institutions and society on the basis of Islamic teachings. "Our foremost aim is achieving progress based on Islamic principles".

Egypt's military-appointed government began negotiating a loan with the International Monetary Fund in January to help it avert a balance of payments crisis.

The IMF has said broad political support in Egypt is a pre-requisite for the loan deal and the Brotherhood has yet to provide its backing. The government now says the talks might not conclude before June.

"We told them (the government), you have two choices. Either postpone this issue of borrowing and come up with any other way of dealing with it without our approval, or speed up the formation of a government," Shater said.

The Brotherhood could also accept a loan if the size of the initial disbursement is reduced so that most of the funds are paid out after a new government takes power following the completion of a presidential vote in June, he added.

(Additional reporting by Yasmine Saleh and Patrick Werr; Writing by Marwa Awad; Editing by Tom Pfeiffer and Giles Elgood)

==============

Egypt clashes over army rule leave up to 11 dead
Wed, May 02 15:11 PM EDT
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1 of 9

By Tamim Elyan and Sherine El Madany

CAIRO (Reuters) - Eleven people were killed in Cairo on Wednesday, medics said, when armed men attacked protesters demanding an end to army rule, prompting several candidates to suspend presidential campaigns and heightening doubts on the transition to democracy.

Leaders from Islamist and secular camps blamed the trouble on hired "thugs" doing the bidding of entrenched interests behind military rule and warned the generals not to use it as a pretext to delay their departure; the army reaffirmed its stated commitment to handing power to civilians by July.

Unidentified men armed with guns and batons attacked demonstrators who included hundreds of ultraconservative Salafi Islamists protesting at their candidate's exclusion from the ballot for a first-round presidential vote on May 23 and 24.

For hours after the dawn raid, the security forces seemed unable or unwilling to put an end to the violence. As fighting raged near the Defence Ministry in the Abbasiya district of central Cairo, Reuters reporters saw men carrying guns, even a sword, while protesters threw rocks, bottles and petrol bombs.

Only in the afternoon did riot police arrive in large numbers to break up the bloody melee and the clashes abated.

Democracy campaigners blasted the military rulers of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which took over 15 months ago as veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak was brought down by mass street protests during the Arab Spring of uprisings.

"SCAF and the government unable to protect civilians or in cahoots with thugs. Egypt going down the drain," tweeted Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Prize-winning former U.N. official.

ARMY PLEDGE

Members of the SCAF met representatives of political parties and repeated a pledge to hold elections on time. Politicians who were present said they even offered to return to barracks over a month before the July deadline - in the albeit unlikely event that one of the 13 first-round candidates wins outright in May.

A runoff between the top two contenders would be in June.

However, the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's biggest Islamist group which dominates a parliament elected in December, refused to join talks with the generals, saying Wednesday's violence showed the army was trying to "obstruct the handover of power".

The Brotherhood's presidential candidate Mohamed Mursi suspended campaigning for two days, saying they would be mourning the dead. Several political groups said they would call on followers to mass in central Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday.

"I think it will be the practical response to all of what is happening now, be it the blood being spilt or the foot-dragging in the defined date for handing over power," said senior Brotherhood official Essam el-Erian.

The other leading Islamist candidate, Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh, suspended campaigning indefinitely in protest at the way the authorities had handled the clashes, a spokesman said.

Abol Fotouh and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, the frontrunner among those with past ties to Mubarak, are seen as the most likely candidates to contest a head-to-head runoff.

On Twitter, Abol Fotouh said he could not now take part in an unprecedented televised debate with Moussa planned for Thursday "when today our youths are drowning in their blood".

The hosting TV channel also said the event was delayed.

Moussa said: "The number of dead and injured foreshadows a disaster and it is unacceptable for security agencies to stand and watch as clashes continue and blood is shed."

STREET BATTLE

Medical and judicial sources gave a toll of 11 dead and over 160 wounded. The Interior Ministry said seven had died.

Ahmed Shahir, 24, a pharmacology student working at a makeshift clinic set up the scene, said men he described as thugs fired shots at an encampment of protesters including supporters of Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, the Salafi cleric barred from the election, and members of pro-democracy youth movements.

Local residents joined in the attack on the protesters.

Among the protesters were hardcore soccer fans and diehard secular revolutionaries skilled in street combat who dashed back and forth across debris-scattered streets, hurling rocks.

Wounded men were hauled away and others filled bottles with gasoline to throw at their opponents. Shots rang out and a Reuters journalist saw at least one attacker wielding a sword.

"Where is the army? Why are they not stopping these people?" cried a bystander.

The army, hailed as national savior when it rallied behind protesters last year to oust fellow military man Mubarak, sent troops to the scene. But some armored vehicles then beat a retreat when protesters attacked an officer who was taking video footage. Riot police later arrived in larger numbers and separated the two sides. The violence subsided by the afternoon.

Days of street violence also preceded the start of a staggered parliamentary election in November. That vote, Egypt's first democratic election after six decades of rule by a succession of military autocrats, was mostly smooth.

Official campaigning for the presidential election began this week under a cloud, with the Brotherhood demanding that the army sack the cabinet of Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri.

Parliament suspended its work for several days, saying the government was failing to respect its decisions.

Many Egyptians suspect the generals, who have built up vast economic and business interests over the years, will seek a strong influence even after the new president assumes power.

The latest unrest, limited to Cairo, was on too small a scale so far to influence the election, said Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayyid, a political science professor at Cairo University.

"These are small groups," he said, adding that the violence could harden public attitudes against continued military rule.

(Additional reporting by Edmund Blair, Shaimaa Fayed, Tom Perry, Ahmed Tolba, Marwa Awad and Dina Zayed; Writing by Tom Pfeiffer; Editing by Alistair Lyon and Alastair Macdonald)

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