Friday, August 23, 2013
انطاكية
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Egyptian mediation
6Ashton offers Egypt crisis mediation
August 21, 2013 10:19 AM
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met Egyptian officials last month, including ousted leader Mohammed Morsi
The EU's top foreign policy official, Catherine Ashton, has offered to return to Egypt to help mediate a political solution to the crisis in the country.
"I am more than willing to go back... if they wish me to," she said.
She was speaking to reporters in Brussels ahead of an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers, who will discuss whether to continue with a 5bn-euro (£4.3bn) aid package to Egypt.
Violence in the country has left more than 900 people dead in the last week.
Lady Ashton said member states would have to balance the need to continue to support the people of Egypt, while also reflecting their concerns about the situation.
There is "great concern about acts of violence" among the countries of the EU, Lady Ashton noted, but member states also recognise they need to be "supporting democratic forces" in the country.
Aid in doubt
In November 2012, a 5bn-euro package of aid for Egypt was agreed - including 1bn from the EU, with the rest from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
But Egypt has not been meeting the conditions to receive such aid, so most of it is already frozen. The EU will not release it unless there is progress in fighting corruption and boosting transparency in Egypt.
Supporters of ousted leader Mohammed Morsi have staged demonstrations in London and Paris
The EU says it has sent about 450m euros to Egypt in the last three years.
However, this money is not going to the government: it is being spent on projects to improve sanitation and water supplies, and to help towards construction of the Cairo underground train system.
EU military aid is worth about 140m euros a year, compared to US defence aid worth a much greater $1.3bn (1bn euros, £0.8bn). The US also gives about $250m in other assistance.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait recently pledged $12bn in aid.
Several EU countries - like Denmark - have already cancelled aid projects or have decided to hold back grants to Egypt in recent days.
Germany says its projects to help the poor that are already up and running will continue, but that for now there will be no new aid for the Egyptian government.
Britain has suspended projects with the Egyptian security forces, and revoked some export licences. Other countries have also put military support on hold.
It is thought likely that Wednesday's discussions will consider the military and security support provided by several EU countries to Egypt, and whether there might be some formal suspension of these across the bloc.
Influence at stake
Several sources suggested that member states were reluctant, however, to suspend projects that helped alleviate poverty.
But, sources have told the BBC's Matthew Price in Brussels, the EU is also fearful of doing anything that could result in it losing the influence it believes it has with all sides in Egypt.
Lady Ashton was last in the country in July, when she was allowed to meet the deposed President Mohammed Morsi.
She said the EU was working on "confidence-building measures with the different groups in Egypt, across the political spectrum, to try and help support a political solution".
Diplomats believe that all sides in Egypt recognise that there needs to be a political solution, but there is concern that for now it is events in Egypt that are dictating what happens next.
One senior EU official said the EU's objective remained the same: "To put Egypt on an inclusive path."
"The problem is," he added, right now "we're being pushed further away from the starting post".
BBC © 2013
Ashton offers Egypt crisis mediation http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23775560
Egypt court orders Mubarak freed
August 21, 2013 5:44 PM
An Egyptian court has ordered the release on bail of former President Hosni Mubarak in a corruption case.
Reports from Cairo suggest he may be freed from prison on Thursday and state prosecutors say there can be no appeal.
The 85-year-old still faces charges of complicity in the killing of protesters during the uprising that forced him from power in 2011.
He was sentenced to life in jail last year, but a retrial was later ordered after his appeal was upheld.
Hosni Mubarak has appeared frail in some of his court appearances
That retrial opened in May but Mr Mubarak has now served the maximum amount of pre-trial detention permitted in the case.
State of emergency
On Wednesday, the court in the capital ordered the release of Mr Mubarak, said his lawyer and judicial sources.
Asked when Mr Mubarak could actually leave the prison, his defence lawyer Fareed El-Deeb told Reuters: "Maybe tomorrow."
The ruling came during a hearing on charges that the former president had accepted gifts from state-run publisher al-Ahram.
State prosecutor Ahmed el-Bahrawi was quoted by Reuters as saying that the ruling "is final and the prosecution cannot appeal against it".
Prosecutors have previously brought new charges when courts have ordered Mr Mubarak's release - a move intended to keep the ailing ex-leader in detention.
Analysts say Mr Mubarak's release - if it happens - would be seen by many as a sign the military is rolling back the changes that flowed from the 2011 uprising.
Egypt is under a state of emergency amid the bloodshed which has accompanied the interim government's crackdown on Islamists opposed to the army's ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi on 3 July.
Hundreds of members of the Muslim Brotherhood - the movement from which Mr Morsi comes - have been detained including its most senior leader Mohammed Badie, who was wanted over alleged incitement to violence and murder,
Mediation offer
European Union foreign ministers on Wednesday held urgent talks to determine a response to the clampdown.
At the meeting in Brussels, they agreed to stop export licences on military equipment to Egypt and to reassess security co-operation.
Arms are provided by individual countries rather than the EU as a whole, mostly by Germany, France and Spain. The UK has already suspended some of its military help.
But the 28-member block's humanitarian aid to Egypt would remain unaffected, despite calls from some EU politicians to cut the assistance after more than 900 people were killed in clashes last week.
The violence erupted as security forces cleared two sit-ins in Cairo by people demanding the reinstatement of Mr Morsi.
The EU's foreign policy chief, Baroness Catherine Ashton, said: "Assistance to the most needy will remain. All member states feel very strongly they want to continue to support the people of Egypt."
She earlier offered to mediate a political solution to the crisis and is working on "confidence building measures" between the interim government and Brotherhood.
In Washington, senior officials discussed on Tuesday whether to reduce the $1.3bn (£830m) in military aid that the US gives Egypt every year. The meeting reportedly produced no imminent changes to US policy.
BBC © 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
Egypt army chief al-Sisi: Room for all in Egypt
Egypt army chief al-Sisi: Room for all in Egypt
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Egypt cabinet to hold metting
http://m.spiegel.de/international/world/a-916921.html
Egypt cabinet to hold crisis meeting
August 18, 2013 8:37 AM
Egypt's cabinet is set to discuss the crisis in the country, where hundreds have died in clashes in recent days.
The interim prime minister has put forward a proposal to legally dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood.
Its members are key supporters of Mohammed Morsi, whose ousting as president sparked Egypt's stand-off.
The interim government is continuing to crack down on protests by the Brotherhood, but more demonstrations are planned around Cairo on Sunday.
Many Egyptians support government efforts to quash Brotherhood protests
Overnight, television pictures showed protesters on the streets of Egypt's second largest city, Alexandria, and in Helwan and Minya to the south of Cairo, in defiance of an overnight curfew.
On Saturday Egypt's security forces cleared the al-Fath mosque in Cairo after a long stand-off with Muslim Brotherhood supporters barricaded inside.
The confrontation at the mosque continued for most of Saturday - with exchanges of gunfire between protesters and security forces, who were cheered on by crowds outside.
The Brotherhood has called for daily demonstrations since a crackdown on its protest camps in Cairo on Wednesday left hundreds of people dead. Further clashes on Friday killed at least another 173 people across the country.
The pro-Morsi Anti-Coup Alliance announced plans for six marches in Giza, near Cairo, on Sunday. They will start at mosques after prayers at 14:00 GMT and converge on the Supreme Constitutional Court in Maadi.
Three other marches in Cairo at the same time will head towards Heliopolis, where there will be a news conference by the alliance.
Detentions
The interim government has acted quickly to try to undermine the capacity of the Muslim Brotherhood to mount further resistance.
On Saturday, the interior ministry said 1,004 Muslim Brotherhood members had been detained in raids across the country, with bombs, weapons and ammunition seized.
The Brotherhood was quoted as saying sons and daughters of leadership figures had been targeted in an attempt to gain leverage over the organisation.
Among those killed on Friday was a son of the Brotherhood's spiritual leader, Mohamed Badie.
One figure detained was Mohammed al-Zawahiri - brother of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri - whom officials said had planned to support the Brotherhood supporters previously holed up in the al-Fath mosque.
A number of figures in the interim government have said they are engaged in a battle against the forces of "terrorism".
Since Mr Morsi's removal on 3 July, Brotherhood members and supporters have attacked churches, police stations, and the homes and businesses of Christians, hardening public attitudes against the group. But many supporters of the army say the Western media has overlooked such attacks.
"There will be no reconciliation with those whose hands have been stained with blood and who turned weapons against the state and its institutions," interim Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi told reporters.
Footage from Ismailiya shows a Morsi supporter confronting tanks on Friday. The unverified video shows the man then being shot and falling
His proposal to dissolve the Brotherhood raises the stakes in the struggle for the control of Egypt, says the BBC's Bethany Bell in Cairo.
If it is acted upon, it could force the group underground and allow its sources of funding to be targeted.
Despite being closely allied to deposed President Morsi's government, the Brotherhood has always technically been a banned organisation - dissolved in 1954 by Egypt's military rulers. But it recently registered itself as a non-governmental organisation.
Our correspondent says neither the interim government nor the Brotherhood are backing down and if a new ban went ahead, the idea of a reconciliation would become even more distant.
Meanwhile, in a statement, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he "strongly condemns attacks on churches, hospitals, and other public facilities, which he finds unacceptable".
"The secretary-general believes that preventing further loss of life should be the Egyptians' highest priority at this dangerous moment."
Mr Ban urged both sides to show "maximum restraint" and for authorities to "adopt a credible plan to contain the violence and revive the political process hijacked by violence. Time is of the essence."
BBC © 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
Egypt unrest.
Coptic Christian churches, buildings targeted in Egypt for second straight day
Coptic Christian churches, buildings targeted in Egypt for second straight day
Published August 15, 2013 | FoxNews.com
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Attacks on Coptic Christian churches in Egypt continued for a second day Thursday, the country’s state-run news agency said, as Muslim Brotherhood supporters torched a church in a province outside of Cairo.
Egypt's MENA agency said supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi set fire to the Prince Tadros church in the province of Fayoum, where three similar attacks occurred on other churches the day before.
Ishaq Ibrahim from The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights group, documented as many as 39 incidents of violence against churches, monasteries, Coptic schools and shops in different parts of the country on Wednesday. Violence across Egypt in the past two days has left at least 638 dead and 4,200 injured, according to Health Ministry figures.
Looking to crack down on church-related attacks, Egyptian authorities on Thursday referred 84 people in Suez, some Muslim Brotherhood protesters, to military prosecutors on charges of murder and burning churches, the MENA news agency said, Reuters reports.
The attacks drew a sharp rebuke from State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki, who said they “risk further aggravating an already fragile atmosphere.”
“We are outraged and deplore in the strongest terms the reprehensible attacks of the past few days against numerous Coptic Christian churches,” Psaki said during a Thursday briefing. “There can be absolutely no place for such violence in Egypt, and we call on all of Egypt's leaders to condemn such attacks.”
“The government has a responsibility to create an atmosphere where Egyptians can exercise their universal rights, including free assembly, expression, and media,” she added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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BBC is calling terrizem acts day of anger.
Dozens dead in Egypt 'day of anger'
August 16, 2013 10:00 PM
At least 60 people have been killed in Egypt, officials say, as protesters loyal to the ousted President Mohammed Morsi clashed with security forces.
Most of the reported deaths were in Cairo, but about 25 were elsewhere, including 12 in Nile Delta cities.
Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood said on Friday that there would be a week of daily rallies across Egypt.
Two days ago the protesters' camps were cleared, leaving at least 638 dead and sparking international condemnation.
Smoke rises in the distance as protesters gather near a road flyover in Cairo
In the wake of Wednesday's violence, the interior ministry says police have been authorised to use live ammunition "within a legal framework".
A state of emergency is also in force, including a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
'March of Anger'
Hundreds of people had gathered at a mosque in Cairo's Ramses square on Friday, after the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Mr Morsi is a member, appealed to its supporters to join a "march of anger".
The demonstrations took place under the slogan "the people want to topple the coup" - referring to the military's removal of Mr Morsi in early July.
The protests quickly became violent - the BBC's Jeremy Bowen says the trigger was when a police station came under fire.
He saw at least 12 bodies brought into a mosque near Ramses Square.
Protesters are breaking up the pavement in order to throw blocks at the police
Smoke rises near the al-Fath Mosque during clashes at Ramses Square
Fires broke out during clashes between protesters and security forces
Muslim Brotherhood supporters climbed lampposts in the square
One supporter of ousted President Morsi is seen with a firearm
Crowds of Brotherhood supporters ran away from tear gas rounds
Wounded protesters were carried away for treatment in makeshift hospitals
A military helicopter could be seen flying above the crowds
Gunfire was also heard on the banks of the Nile.
The Muslim Brotherhood said that Friday's protests would end at sunset prayers, approximately 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT).
However, disturbances were reported into the evening in the capital.
Security was tight in Cairo, with many armoured personnel carriers on the streets.
The army blocked off entrances to Tahrir Square, the focus of demonstrations that led to the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Elsewhere in the country, at least five people were killed in the second city of Alexandria, six in Suez, eight in Damietta and five in Fayoum, according to medical sources.
Members of groups opposed to Mr Morsi - the National Salvation Front and Tamarod - called for counter-demonstrations in response to the Muslim Brotherhood protests.
There were also calls for people to protect their neighbourhoods and churches throughout the country, because some Islamists have accused the Coptic Church of backing Mr Morsi's overthrow.
Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Church in the UK, told the BBC that about 50 churches had been attacked throughout the country since the break up of the protest camps.
"This time is normally the fast of St Mary, when there are normally vigils in the churches, but we are now limiting those because there is a danger to the congregations, " he told the BBC.
'Maximum restraint'
Wednesday's bloodshed has drawn widespread international condemnation.
French President Francois Hollande has spoken to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who says the "violence and repression is unacceptable"
EU diplomats will meet in Brussels on Monday - some have called for EU aid to Egypt to be frozen
EU foreign policy envoy Catherine Ashton said responsibility for the crisis "weighs heavily on the interim government, as well as on the wider political leadership in the country"
UN under-secretary general Jeffrey Feltman will visit Cairo next week to discuss the situation with Egypt's authorities
Turkey has described Wednesday's events as a "massacre" and recalled its ambassador to Cairo - in retaliation, Cairo has cancelled naval exercises with Turkey
But some other nations support the interim government's actions.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah issued a statement saying: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its people and government stood and stands by today with its brothers in Egypt against terrorism."
Mr Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, was ousted by the military on 3 July.
He is now in custody, accused of murder over a 2011 jailbreak. His period of detention was extended by 30 days on Thursday, state media said.
Dozens dead in Egypt 'day of anger' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23732350
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Egyptian security forces have moved in to clear two protest camps
Bloodshed as Cairo camps cleared
August 14, 2013 10:11 AM
Egyptian security forces have moved in to clear two protest camps occupied by supporters of deposed president Mohammed Morsi in Cairo, with reports of many killed.
The Muslim Brotherhood said more than 100 died, but the authorities put the death toll much lower.
State TV showed armoured bulldozers moving deep into the main camp outside the eastern Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque.
Authorities say the Nahda Square camp in western Cairo has been cleared.
Tear gas was fired as armed bulldozers moved in
The interior ministry said a mopping up operation in the streets surrounding Nahda Square was under way. Pro-Morsi activists were chased into the nearby zoo and Cairo University, Nile TV said.
Witnesses at Rabaa al-Adawiya spoke of seeing dozens of bodies on the ground, and the Muslim Brotherhood described the security forces' intervention as a massacre.
A spokesman told the BBC he had been told in a field hospital used by Morsi supporters outside the mosque that 120 people had died.
At least two members of the security forces were among the dead and nine were injured, officials say.
The interior ministry denied any deaths were caused by its forces firing live ammunition.
"Security forces used only tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters though it was heavily fired at by armed elements from inside the two protest camps, causing the death of an officer and a conscript and the injury of four policemen and two conscripts," the ministry said in a statement.
Earlier, the interior ministry said security forces were taking "necessary measures" against the protest camps.
A safe exit would be provided for protesters and they would not be pursued, "except those who are wanted by the prosecution", it said.
The interior ministry was keen "not to shed any Egyptian blood", the statement went on.
The authorities said they wanted to avoid bloodshed
Supporters of Mr Morsi have been occupying Nahda Square and the Rabaa al-Adawiya site since he was ousted on 3 July. They want him reinstated.
Large plumes of smoke rose over parts of the city as the operation to clear the camps began, with tear gas canisters fired and helicopters hovering above.
Muslim Brotherhood TV called for people to send cars to the sit-ins to take casualties to hospital.
Several Muslim Brotherhood leaders have been arrested, private Egyptian TV reports.
"We arrested a number of Muslim Brotherhood leaders, but it is too soon to announce their names," interior ministry spokesman Abdel Fattah Uthman told CBC TV.
The protesters had been expecting the clearance operation, says BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen.
It is a heavy-handed operation and is a consequence of the current "winner takes all" climate, he adds, with both sides sticking to their positions and pushing as hard as they can.
There are reports of further protests by Morsi supporters outside the capital.
In the northern city of Alexandria they are reported to have blocked main roads. Hundreds are said to have gathered outside the governor's office in Aswan in the south.
More than 250 people have been killed in clashes with the security forces in the six weeks since Mr Morsi's overthrow.
Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Egypt's Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said the sit-ins could not continue "endlessly".
He said the authorities had been trying to seek an agreement through dialogue.
"If the police force take their procedures, they will do that in accordance with the law by court order and in accordance to the basic norms on which these things are done."
BBC © 2013
Bloodshed as Cairo camps cleared http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23691571
Egypt police move on Cairo sit-ins
August 14, 2013 10:20 AM
Key points
- Security forces begin clearing two protest camps in Cairo occupied by supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morsi
- Bursts of gunfire have been heard and tear gas is being used. Helicopters and armoured vehicles have been deployed
- The two camps are at the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque and Nahda Square
- The Egyptian authorities say the camp at Nahda Square, in western Cairo, is now clear
- Reports say 15 people have been killed as police cut off side streets
- All times in GMT
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LIVE TEXT
By Sarah Fowler and Caroline McClatchey
0915: Ikhwanweb via Twitter
tweets: Coup regime disrupts railroad services to & from the South, and shuts down internet services around #Rabaa and #Nahda squares
0910:
Egyptian security forces' bulldozers move in to destroy the protest camp set up by Muslim Brotherhood supporters in eastern Cairo.
0907:
This image shows the debris left behind after police move in to dismantle the protest camp in the Cairo district of Nasr City.
0904:
Despite train travel coming to a halt in and out of Cairo, airports are operating as normal, Egypt's minister of aviation tells state-run Nile News TV.
0900:
Muslim Brotherhood supporters wear gas masks to protect against exposure to tear gas.
0858:
The Egyptian health ministry says the death toll now stands at seven people killed and 67 wounded. The Muslim Brotherhood has put the casualty figure much higher at more than 100. The numbers have not been independently verified.
0854: Gigi Ibrahim via Twitter
tweets: In response to army & police attack of pro-Morsy sit-ins few churches and copts-owned shops have been burned or attacked in upper #Egypt
0851:
In an earlier statement, the Interior Ministry said it was keen not to shed any Egyptian blood and that it would provide a safe exit for all protesters who weren't facing prosecution.
0848:
Pro-Morsi demonstrator Tamer el Nashar tells BBC World Service's Newsday programme the protesters are organising themselves to confuse the authorities."We're trying to arrange certain meeting points so that we can move, so that the protesters can move in large numbers and come in from various places to cause great confusion to the police forces and the armed forces that are attacking the sit-in in Rabaa al-Adawiya."
0844:
A makeshift medical centre has been set up to treat injured protesters near the Rabaa al-Adawiya camp. There has been no independent confirmation of the number of people killed and wounded.
0840:
Egyptian security forces are reportedly advancing on the main encampment in the eastern district of Nasr City.
0835:
Pro-Morsi supporters help a woman suffering from exposure to tear gas near the Rabaa al-Adawiya protest camp.
0832:
Egyptian interior ministry spokesman Abdel Fattah Uthman says several Muslim Brotherhood leaders have been arrested. "We arrested a number of Muslim Brotherhood leaders, but it is too soon to announce their names," Mr Uthman told Egypt's private CBC TV.
0829:
There are reports of pro-Morsi supporters taking to the streets in other parts of Egypt. Protesters have blocked main roads in Alexandria, northern Egypt, and hundreds gathered outside the governors office in Aswan, southern Egypt, according to the BBC's Barbara Groom. There also reports of protesters storming a local council building in the governorate of Matrouh, north-western Egypt.
0825: Mohamed Soltan via Twitter
tweets: Bodies coming in from all directions as tear gas live rounds being shot at us continuously from every direction
0820:
The security forces have started to advance into the larger of the two camps at Rabaa al-Adawiya, which has yet to be cleared, AP reports.
0819:
This shot shows Muslim Brotherhood supporters fleeing tear gas fired by police into a street leading to the main protest camp at Rabaa al-Adawiya.
0816: BBC News, Cairo Hugh Sykes
The clear-up operation continues in eastern Cairo. I cannot see the main sit-in at the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque from where I am as all the roads have been blocked off by military vehicles and police in riot gear. There is a pall of smoke and a helicopter circling the area. There are some very angry people here and there is also great sadness at what they say is the end of Egyptian democracy.
0812:
The Egyptian cabinet is due to convene an emergency meeting over the latest developments in Cairo, the BBC's Kifah Arif reports.
0810: Gehad El-Haddad, spokesman for Muslim Brotherhood via Twitter
tweets: All power shut off in #Rabaa, nothing is working even in medical center rooms. Shooting still continuing w/ same intensity & brutality
0806: Claire Read, BBC Arabic, Cairo
tweets: Cairo emergency services are reporting 5 dead and 52 injured #Egypt #Rabaa #Nahda
0803:
Egyptian security forces moved in with armoured vehicles to try and disperse the protest camps in Cairo in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
0800:
There are reports coming in of all train services in and out of Cairo being stopped "for security reasons and to prevent people from mobilising," according to AFP, quoting the railway authority.
0758: Journalist Club via Twitter
tweets: Crowds gathering is being reported in #Alexandria and #Suez to protest against clearing of sit-ins
0757:
The protesters are supporters of deposed president Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted by the army in July after just a year in power. Read the BBC's Q&A for the bigger picture on the current crisis in Egypt.
0751:
Thick clouds of black smoke rise up over the main protest camp in the eastern district of Nasr City, as security forces try to disperse pro-Morsi supporters.
0750:
Security forces moved into the two camps - at Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque and Nahda Square - in armoured vehicles at 05:00 local time. There have been reports of gunfire and tear gas. Egyptian authorities say the smaller Nahda Square camp in western Cairo has now been cleared.
0746:
To recap: At least 15 people have reportedly been killed as Egyptian security forces clear protest camps in Cairo. But the Muslim Brotherhood, which backs the protests, put the number of casualties much higher.
0744: Hend Tabana via Twitter
tweets: Conflicting reports on how the police attack started, when, how many dead, injured, arrested in both #Rabaa and #Nahda sit ins
0741:
The BBC's Bethany Bell describes the clearing of the protest camps in this video. She says security forces are combing the area around Nahda Square and are looking for some Muslim Brotherhood supporters who may have taken refuge in a nearby zoo.
0739:
Eyewitness Murad Ahmed describes the scene at a makeshift hospital at Rabaa al-Adawiya to Reuters: "It is nasty inside, they are destroying our tents. We can't breath inside and many people are in hospital," he said.
0735: BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen
The protesters had been expecting the clearance operation. It is a heavy-handed operation and is a consequence of the current "winner takes all" climate. Both sides are sticking to their positions and will push as hard as they can. The middle ground in terms of trying to get an agreement doesn't really exist.
0730: Mohamed Soltan via Twitter
tweets: Phones about to die. Electricity cut off. Bird shots and live shots fired directly at stage
0728: Shadi Hamid via Twitter
tweets: Army/MOI using brute force is no surprise. But what's genuinely scary is reports of citizens on the edge of Raba'a cheering them on.
0725:
The health ministry says there have so far been no confirmed deaths from the security operation to clear the protest camps, according to state-run Mena news agency. The number of wounded is being counted, it adds.The BBC cannot independently confirm any figures.
0723:
Egyptian state-run Nile News TV reports the arrest of 35 protesters "in possession of arms and ammunition" at the Rabaa al-Adawiya encampment.
0721:
Egyptian state TV has been showing security forces moving in to disperse the main protest camp at Rabaa al-Adawiya.
0719: BBC News Bethany Bell
The Muslim Brotherhood says 120 protesters have been killed and several thousand injured. The BBC has no independent confirmation of those figures.
0714:
The UK-based spokesperson for the Muslim Brotherhood, Mona al-Qazzaz, spoke to BBC Radio 4's Today programme:"I'm asking the international community, please step in and stop this massacre. We all knew that this massacre was going to happen, but the international community has been silent."
0712: Washington Post's Abigail Hauslohner via Twitter
tweets: Gunfire coming from Nasr city side streets too. A woman bystander is crying "god save us.
0710: The Independent's Alastair Beach via Twitter
tweets: Chopper overhead, great plumes of smoke in sky, heavy gunfire inside siege a few 100 yards from Rabaa
0707: BBC News, Cairo James Reynolds
We are unable to get to the camp now but I went there two hours before the raid began. There were hundreds, possibly thousands, of protesters but it is not known how many left before the security forces arrived.
0705: BBC News, Cairo James Reynolds
We can hear live ammunition and there is a sting of tear gas in the air at the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque. Police in armoured vehicles are taking up positions on the corners of roads but they say one exit is still open for protesters.
0700: Bel Trew via Twitter
tweets: They've got every road blocked off and are firing at anyone trying to get in: tear gas, birdshot bullets and what sounds like live ammo
0657: Ahmed Nasri via Twitter
tweets: Reports say the army is filming the operations in #Rabaa and #Nahda this morning. And will be aired later today!
0655:
Pro-Muslim Brotherhood TV has shown footage of a man on the main stage at the Rabaa al-Adawiya camp calling on the international community to take action."We will stay here under any circumstances because we love the free life. We will not be slaves to (Defence Minister Gen Abdul Fattah) al-Sisi, army and police... Now we have 45 people killed and 100 injured. Please do something," he said.The BBC is unable to independently verify any numbers.
0652: Gregg Carlstrom, Al Jazeera journalist
tweets: Speaker on stage in Raba'a, addressing army: "Don't kill us, we are not Israelis, we're not terrorists, we are Muslims, we are Egyptians."
0649:
This agency photo shows smoke rising from the camp at Rabaa al-Adawiya. Security forces started to clear the protest camps shortly after 05:00 GMT
0646:
The Muslim Brotherhood says 50 people have now died. The Egyptian interior ministry says two members of the security forces have been killed and nine others wounded. The BBC is unable to independently verify any numbers.
0643: BBC News Bethany Bell
The Muslim Brotherhood, which supports the ousted president, has called the operation to clear the camps a "massacre".
0642:
The protesters are supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted just one year after taking office. To find out what led to the current political crisis in Egypt, take a look at the BBC's Q&A: Egypt in turmoil.
0639: BBC News Bethany Bell
The Muslim Brotherhood is urging supporters to return to the camps and converge on the big mosques in the city.
0637: Mosa'ab Elshamy via Twitter
tweets: Finally made it into Rabaa. Tear gas unbearable.
0635: BBC News Bethany Bell
Interior ministry says the smaller of the two camps - Nahda Square - has now been completely cleared.
0633: Feyonka via Twitter
tweets: Mobil fuel station on el Nasr Road near #Rabaa sit in, has a huge fire.. This is a huge hazard. Please leave immediatley if you are around
0629: Bel Trew via Twitter
tweets: Huge plumes of black smoke coming from inside the sit-in which is completely surrounded, can hear gunfire trying to get into Rabaa
0628: daliaziada via Twitter
tweets: Police forces offering cars to #Morsi supporters who wants to leave strikes in #Cairo & #Giza peacefully without armed resistance
0623:
A makeshift hospital is appealing to Egyptians to offer cars and ambulances to help move the injured, pro-Muslim Brotherhood Ahrar 25 TV reports.
0621: Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad el-Haddad via Twitter
tweets: 30 deaths in #Rabaa thus far & counting. R we just numbers now !!! is there an acceptable death-toll number every1 is waiting 4.
0617:
The interior ministry says two members of the Egyptian security forces have been killed in the clearing operation, AFP reports. Egyptian state TV said one policeman has been killed.
0616: BBC Arabic's Claire Read via Twitter
tweets: Soldiers a tank and APCs blocking Midan Galaa and corniche leading to #Nahda Square sit-in
0612:
A bit of background: The two camps were set up by Muslim Brotherhood supporters demanding the reinstatement of former president Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted by the military on 3 July. You can find out more about the key players in the deepening political crisis here.
0610: BBC News Bethany Bell
The Muslim Brotherhood is reporting at least 25 to 30 people killed. The BBC is unable to independently verify any numbers.
0607: Al Jazeera English Reporter Rawya Rageh via Twitter
tweets: Plumes of smoke at #Giza sit-in, car tires set on fire #Egypt
Mosa'ab Elshamy via Twitter
tweets: In Nasr street saw a couple of police vehicles packed with bearded men under arrest. So much for a safe exit.
0602:
Reuters and AFP news agencies are now reporting at least 15 people killed. An AFP correspondent, who counted the bodies at a makeshift morgue at the Rabaa al-Adawiya camp, said many appeared to have died from gunshot wounds. The BBC is unable to independently verify any numbers.
0559: Cairo correspondent for The Independent Alastair Beach via Twitter
tweets: From Saleh Salem, huge plume of smoke from direction of Rabaa, abt a km in length & rising high #egypt
0549:
Before the raid, at around 05:00 local time, the BBC's James Reynolds posted a photo on Twitter of the makeshift barricades outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya camp.
0543:
The main pro-Morsi protest camp is in a square near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in the eastern district of Nasr City. You can view a clickable picture of the camp here.
0539:
Egypt's interior ministry has issued a statement saying: "Upon the government's assignment to take necessary measures against the Rabaa and Nahda sit-ins, and out of national responsibility to protect citizens' security, the security forces have started to take necessary measures to disperse both sit-ins. It will provide safe exit for protesters and will not pursue them, except those who are wanted by prosecutors. The ministry is keen not to shed any Egyptian blood."
0537:
Security officials say tear gas has been fired into the larger of the two protest camps outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque. At Nahda Square, armoured vehicles have been seen securing the area.
0533:
There are already unconfirmed reports of at least five deaths at Rabaa al-Adawiya. The Reuters news agency is quoting an eyewitness as saying that 15 have been killed.
BBC News, Cairo James Reynolds via Twitter
tweets: Raid on Rabaa mosque pic.twitter.com/wNgEpLCB13
0529:
Al-Arabiya TV is broadcasting images of clouds of tear gas, collapsed tents and tires burning at the Rabaa al-Adawiya protest site.
0528:
A security tells the AFP news agency: "It is the beginning of the operation to disperse the protesters."
0525:
Supporters of the ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi say the security forces have begun operations to clear their two huge sit-ins in Cairo. The BBC's James Reynolds has seen an armoured bulldozer heading towards barricades protecting one of the protest camps outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, in the north-east of the capital. He says he can hear bursts of gunfire, a nearby side street has been blocked off, and plumes of black smoke can be seen in the distance.
BBC © 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
putting egypt in context
http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/putting-egypt-in-context-what-if-president-obama-did-what-morsi-did/
Thursday, August 8, 2013
US-EU call to end Egypt
US-EU call to end Egypt 'stalemate'
August 8, 2013 12:22 AM
Barricades have been strengthened at pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo
The US and the European Union have called on all sides in Egypt's political crisis to end "a dangerous stalemate" after the interim government said foreign mediation had failed.
In a joint statement, they said the Egyptian government bore a special responsibility to begin this process.
The army-backed government says it will break up sit-ins in Cairo being held by supporters of ousted President Morsi.
Scores have died in unrest since Mohammed Morsi was ousted on 3 July.
Since then, diplomats from the US, EU, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have all tried to bring Egypt's political process back on track.
But on Wednesday the office of interim President Adly Mansour declared in a statement that the "phase of diplomatic efforts has ended today".
"These efforts have not achieved the hoped-for results," said the statement.
The presidency said it held the Muslim Brotherhood - which backs Mr Morsi - "completely responsible for the failure of these efforts".
Adly Mansour, Egypt's interim president, addressed the nation on TV
The government statement came hours after US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns left Egypt following several days of mediation talks. He was assisted by EU envoy Bernardino Leon.
Shortly afterwards, US Secretary of State John Kerry and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton issued a joint statement.
"While further violent confrontations have thus far been avoided, we remain concerned and troubled that government and opposition leaders have not yet found a way to break a dangerous stalemate and agree to implement tangible confidence building measures," they said.
"The Egyptian government bears a special responsibility to begin this process to ensure the safety and welfare of its citizens," the statement continued.
"This remains a very fragile situation, which holds not only the risk of more bloodshed and polarisation in Egypt, but also impedes the economic recovery which is so essential for Egypt's successful transition.
"Now is not the time to assess blame, but to take steps that can help initiate a dialogue and move the transition forward."
Barricades
Correspondents say Cairo is tense after interim Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi said the government's determination to break up the two protest camps was "final and irreversible".
Any use of weapons against police would meet "utmost force and decisiveness," he was quoted as saying.
Mr Morsi's supporters outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in the suburb of Nasr City, and in Nahda Square, near the campus of Cairo University in Giza, have strengthened barricades in readiness for any action by security forces, witnesses say.
Interim authorities have repeatedly asked Brotherhood supporters to end the sit-ins in Cairo. Diplomats have voiced concerns about the possible use of force to break up the protests.
Violence has also been reported between Mr Morsi's supporters and residents in the city of Alexandria.
Mr Morsi - Egypt's first democratically elected president - is under arrest at an undisclosed location. Several other senior figures from the Muslim Brotherhood have also been detained.
BBC © 2013
US-EU call to end Egypt 'stalemate' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23610740
adout of Secretary Hagel's Call With Egyptian Minister of Defense Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little issued the following readout:
This morning, Egyptian Minister of Defense Al-Sisi called Secretary Hagel to provide an update on developments in Egypt. Secretary Hagel and Minister Al-Sisi discussed progress in U.S. and EU mediation efforts.
Minister Al-Sisi underscored his desire for peaceful resolution of the ongoing protests, and reiterated commitment to an inclusive, transparent political roadmap as announced by the interim civilian government. He thanked Secretary Hagel for U.S. support and ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent further violence, calm tensions, and facilitate an inclusive dialogue to pave the way forward for transition to a democratically elected civilian government. Secretary Hagel underscored the importance of an inclusive, transparent political process that includes all Egyptians.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Israel has agreed to subsidise several Jewish settlements that were regarded as illegal until recently.
The boss of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, has agreed to purchase the Washington Post newspaper for $250m (£163m
Us Iran
US can be Iran's 'willing partner' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23570307
US can be Iran's 'willing partner'
August 4, 2013 10:19 PM
The US has offered Iran a "willing partnership", after President Hassan Rouhani was inaugurated in Tehran.
The White House said Iran now had a chance to allay fears over its nuclear programme and meet its international obligations.
Mr Rouhani used his inauguration speech to promise a government of moderation for all Iranians, but also called for international sanctions to be lifted.
US-Iran relations soured under ex-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
He regularly made inflammatory speeches denouncing the US and Israel.
Analysts said Mr Rouhani's inauguration speech was conciliatory in tone, and he appeared to be reaching out to groups inside and outside Iran.
"In international interactions, my government will try to build mutual trust between Iran and the regional and global countries," he told parliament.
"Transparency is the key to open a new chapter in mutual trust. And the transparency we are talking about cannot be a one-way transparency, and without practical measures in our bilateral and multilateral relations."
The BBC's Katy Watson in Washington says there is a feeling that the relationship between Iran and the US could move forward after years of stalemate.
The 64-year-old former nuclear negotiator added that no country could preserve peace by waging war, and said Iran would not cause conflict with any other nation.
He also nominated a cabinet that included moderates in key positions, including ex-UN envoy Mohammad Javad Zarif as foreign minister.
However, he did not mention the nuclear programme, which has blighted Iran's international relations and seen a slew of economic sanctions.
Iran has consistently said its programme is aimed only at providing power and has no military objective.
But UN inspectors have regularly complained of being denied access to the most suspect nuclear sites.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Mr Rouhani's inauguration "presents an opportunity for Iran to act quickly to resolve the international community's deep concerns over Iran's nuclear programme".
"Should this new government choose to engage substantively and seriously to meet its international obligations and find a peaceful solution to this issue, it will find a willing partner in the United States," he said.
Mr Rouhani, who has worked as a diplomat for three decades, won a surprise victory in June's election.
He gained support from reformists by hinting at a more moderate stance than his predecessor.
BBC © 2013
New attempts to defuse Egypt crisis
New attempts to defuse Egypt crisis http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23580654
New attempts to defuse Egypt crisis
August 5, 2013 8:17 PM
Pro-Morsi protesters gathered outside the attorney general's office on Monday
Diplomats are continuing efforts to defuse Egypt's political crisis, with US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns visiting Muslim Brotherhood deputy head Khairat al-Shater in jail.
US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham have also arrived in Cairo to take part in two days of talks.
Egypt has been deeply polarised since the military ousted President Mohammed Morsi, a Brotherhood member, on 3 July.
Thousands are taking part in sit-ins in Cairo demanding his reinstatement.
There has been mounting tension over plans to break up the two mass sit-ins by Morsi loyalists outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in the suburb of Nasr City, and in Nahda Square, near the campus of Cairo University in Giza.
There had been reports that the new interim government was prepared to release leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood from custody and offer the group ministerial positions if they called an end to the sit-ins, the BBC's Yolande Knell reports from Cairo.
However, a presidential adviser denied such an offer had been made - and Mr Morsi's supporters repeated that they would accept nothing short of his reinstatement, our correspondent adds.
Several prominent Brotherhood figures were arrested in a crackdown on the Islamist movement following Mr Morsi's removal.
More than 100 Morsi supporters have also been killed in clashes with security forces. At least 80 died in a single incident near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque on 27 July.
The army removed Mr Morsi following huge protests against him. The new government has outlined its own roadmap leading to fresh elections in 2014.
Leaflets over protests
Brotherhood spokesman Gehad al-Haddad said of Mr Burns' visit that Mr Shater had told the US delegation that he was "no position to speak" and that they should direct their questions to Mr Morsi.
Mr Shater told the diplomats that Mr Morsi held the key to solving the crisis and that there was no alternative to constitutional legitimacy, according to statements on Mr Haddad's Twitter feed.
US and European Union envoys have been meeting officials from the new government and supporters of Mr Morsi in recent days.
On Monday, the EU's envoy, Bernardino Leon, met Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi.
Correspondents say the visit by Senators McCain and Graham is part of Washington's attempt to keep up the diplomatic momentum.
Before heading to Egypt, Mr Graham warned that the Egyptian military must back out of politics quickly or risk a cut of the $1.5bn (£0.98bn) in aid that it receives from the US each year.
The foreign ministers of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are also involved in the diplomatic push, and are reported to have visited a Muslim Brotherhood leader in recent days.
Over the weekend, the government re-iterated its call for Morsi supporters to end their sit-ins.
A government helicopter dropped leaflets over the Rabaa al-Adawiya demonstration which pledged that protesters would face no action if they had not committed a crime.
BBC © 2013