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02 July 2013

Pharaoh Morsi, Let Your People Go! (Pics/UPDATED) - Part III




M2RB:  The Bangles




Walk like an Egyptian...and protest tyrants



Starting another running post.  See Part I and Part II for past pics and updates.

WATCH LIVE: Protesters filling up Tahrir square


SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWEST UPDATES.
 


AP Photo

Protesters run with an injured friend following clashes in the Kit Kat neighbourhood of Giza in Egypt



UPDATE XXXVI:

Saul Obama has a 'Road to Damascus' moment...

US to Morsi:  Call for early elections
 
Leading from behind, by definition, means that you will take as long as Hamlet to make a decision or to take a position.



Protestors bring giant flag to the enormous crowds surrounding the Egyptian Presidential Palace in Cairo



UPDATE XXXVII:

Lurch joins Barry on the 'road to Damascus' with his own epiphany...







 
Not so fast, says State Department...







McCarthy:  As generals ponder coup, what unifies Egyptian protesters is hatred of Morsi & the MoFoBros - not democracy.

RT:  MoFoBros fire shots at protesters, injuring seven - official source
 

McClatchy:  With power slipping from Morsi’s grip, the MoFoBros start to build defence force.

Telegraph:   Morsi sets up face-off with Army as ministerial resignations add to his woes

BBC:   Egypt divided as protesters for and against President Morsi gather in Cairo





BBC:  Morsi rejects army ultimatum; will stick to own "plan for national reconciliation" 

Egypt's foreign minister, career diplomat Kamel Amr has resigned.


Helwan is the scene of huge fights between protestors and MoFoBros supporters.




AhramOnline:  

Copt Pope Tawadros II praises the Egyptian Tamarod (rebel) campaign and military pathway.  He expressed his support for Egyptians 'taking back their stolen revolution' in a peaceful manner.

Reports from the ground in Giza:  MoFoBros are using automatic weapons against protestors.


UPDATE XXXVIII:

More conflicting messages coming from the Obama administration...

CNN: 

'In multiple conversations with Morsy and his aides, the officials said, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson and other senior State Department officials have explained that the demands the Egyptian people are making on the street are similar to the ones both Washington and allies have been urging Egypt to take for weeks.

“We are trying to get President Morsy to appoint a new prime minister, a new Cabinet, and get rid of the prosecutor general,” one senior official said. “This is the kind of outreach he needs to do to demonstrate to the opposition that he is governing all Egyptians. So far he hasn’t done anything to show that.”…

Officials have also warned the Egyptian military that a military coup would trigger U.S. legislation cutting off all U.S. aid, which totals about $1.5 billion per year. 

“There are specific consequences,” the senior official said. “As much as we appreciate their statement that they intend to protect the Egyptian people, they need to be careful about how they inject themselves into the situation. We are telling them that playing a role with their ultimatum to get the two sides together is completely appropriate, but anything that looks like a military takeover is walking a very thin line.”


The Egyptian people are making the same demands that the Obama administration and its allies have been for weeks???

WHO ARE THEY FUCKING KIDDING???

Patterson, on behalf of the Obama administration, has repeatedly told (see links in 'Related Reading') ‘respect’ their ‘democratically-elected’ leaders (Reminder: Hitler was ‘democratically-elected,’ too) and refrain from ‘street action.’

HOW ON EARTH ARE THE DEMANDS FROM THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION THE SAME AS THOSE OF THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THE LARGEST POLITICAL PROTEST IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND?

They must think Egyptians are as stupid and gullible as 51% of the American people and Obama's Praetorian Press are.





UPDATE XXXIX:

Reports:  people are fighting the MoFoBros with their bodies and kitchen knives now. 

In Giza, where the MoFoBros have opened fire with automatic weapons, 4 are dead and SCORES injured near Cairo University.

From Egypt:  It's your turn, bitch!




MoFoBros calls for jihad to protect Morsi (via Egypt Independent):

'Mohamed al-Beltagi, member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, addressed President Mohamed Morsy’s supporters on Tuesday, calling on them to sacrifice themselves in defense of President Morsy’s legitimacy in the face of millions of demonstrators who demand an end to his rule.

On Facebook, Beltagi described the 30 June protests as a “30 June coup d’etat.'

“We are clearly facing a coup by the former regime, that is supported by a misleading and counter-revolutionnary media that benefits from political conflict,” he added.

Beltagi added that sacrifice is an important measure to prevent the “coup,” and that it is the only way to remain loyal to the martyrs of the revolution.

Privately-owned daily al-Tahrir reported similar statements on Monday, which Beltagi made while addressing supporters rallying in Rab’a al-Adaweya Square.  He said:

'Say goodbye to your mother, father, and wife, because you will sacrifice your soul to defend Mohamed Morsy’s legitimacy.'



Anti-Morsi crowds moving on the Presidential Palace



From

According to Egypt's Ministry of Health, seven people have been killed today in the clashes between anti-Morsi protesters and his supporters.

State TV: military spokesman says "no truth" to previous reports of a joint statement from the armed forces and Morsi/president's office/MoFoBros

MoFoBros are selling sticks at their demonstrations to use in attacking anti-Morsi protestors:





Peaceful, eh?


AP:  Details of Egypt military's post-Morsi plans emerge:


CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's military has drawn up a plan to suspend the Islamist-backed constitution, dissolve the Islamist-dominated legislature and set up an interim administration headed by the country's chief justice if President Mohammed Morsi fails to reach a solution with his opponents by the end of a Wednesday deadline, the state news agency reported.

The report Tuesday provided the first details on the road map that the military has said it will implement if Morsi fails to meet its ultimatum, as millions of protesters returned to the streets for the third straight day in their drive to force the Islamist president out of office.

Protesters turned to a new target, massing a giant crowd outside Cairo's Qasr el-Qobba presidential palace where Morsi has been working in recent days — though he was not believed to be inside — in addition to filling wide avenues outside another palace, central Tahrir Square and main squares in cities nationwide.

Morsi's supporters also increased their presence in the streets, after his Muslim Brotherhood and hard-line Islamist leaders called them out to defend what they say is the legitimacy of the country's first freely elected president. Tens of thousands held marches in Cairo and other cities.


With the clock ticking on the military's ultimatum, many in the anti-Morsi and pro-Morsi camps were vowing to fight to the end.

The president's Islamist backers have stepped up warnings that it will take bloodshed to dislodge him, saying they would rather die fighting a military takeover than accept Morsi's ouster just a year after the country's first free election.

"Seeking martyrdom to prevent the ongoing coup is what we can offer as a sign of gratitude to previous martyrs who died in the revolution," Brotherhood stalwart Mohammed el-Beltagi wrote Tuesday in his official Facebook page.

Clashes broke out around pro-Morsi marches in several parts of the capital and a string of cities to the north and south. Morsi opponents stormed Brotherhood offices in two towns. At least 16 have been killed since Sunday in clashes, most of them anti-Morsi protesters shot to death by Islamists.

Fearing an implosion that could throw Egypt into chaos, U.S. officials said Washington has suggested to Morsi that he call early elections, though they underlined they were demanding specific steps — and they said they had underlined to Egypt's military that a coup would have consequences for U.S. aid. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Morsi adviser Ayman Ali denied that Washington asked the president to call for early presidential elections and said consultations were continuing to reach national conciliation and resolve the current political crisis. He did not elaborate.

Morsi met with the army's chief, Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, and Prime Minister Hesham Kandil in the second such meeting in as many days, Ali said, without giving details.

The army has underlined that it has no intention to take power. But the reported army road map showed it was ready to replace Morsi and make a sweeping change in the ramshackle political structure that has evolved since the 2011 fall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak. 

The report's leaking also appeared aimed at adding pressure to Morsi by showing the public — and the Americans — that the military has a plan that does not involve its direct rule.

The constitution and domination of the legislature after elections held in late 2011-early 2012 are two of the Islamists' and Brotherhood's most valued victories — along with Morsi's election last year.

A retired army general with close ties to the military confirmed the news agency report's version of the road map.

Hossam Sweilam said a panel of experts would draft a new constitution and the interim administration would be a presidential council led by the Supreme Constitutional Court's chief justice and including the defense minister, representatives of political parties, youth groups, Al-Azhar Mosque and the Coptic Church.

He said the military envisaged a one-year transitional period before presidential elections are held.

The military spokesman, Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali, declined to confirm the details. "It is too early and we don't want to jump into conclusions," he said.

At least one anti-Morsi TV station put up a clock counting down to the end of the military's ultimatum, putting it at 4 p.m. Wednesday (1400 GMT), though a countdown clock posted online by Morsi opponents put the deadline at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT). The military did not give a precise hour.

Morsi faced new fissures within his leadership.

Three government spokesmen — two for Morsi and one for the prime minister — were the latest to quit as part of high-level defections that underscored his increasing isolation and fallout from the military's ultimatum. Five Cabinet ministers, including the foreign minister, resigned Monday, and sixth, Sports Minister El-Amry Farouq, quit Tuesday.

One ultraconservative Salafi party, al-Nour, also announced its backing for early elections. The party was once an ally of Morsi but in recent months has broken with him.

Among the opposition crowds outside Qasr el-Qobba, one protester said he believes Morsi will not go easily.  Haitham Farouk, an oil company employee joining a protest for the first time, said:


'He will only leave after a catastrophe. Lots of blood. And the military is the only party that can force him out then. [Of the protestors] this is everybody, not just the educated or the political. They came down because only the brotherhood gained in the past two years.'


He said the "epic" crowds showed how Egypt's public has turned against Morsi and his Brotherhood, which opponents claim is the real power behind the president.

Morsi may try half-measure to satisfy the army, he said, "but the people are not going back until he leaves. After what we have seen in the past year, we will not settle for less."

In a significant move, opposition parties and the youth movement behind the demonstrations agreed that reform leader and Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei would represent them in any negotiations on the country's political future. The move appeared aimed at presenting a unified voice in a post-Morsi system, given the widespread criticism that the opposition has been too fragmented to present an alternative to the Islamists.

Brotherhood spokesman Gehad el-Haddad said the opposition is to blame for its own woes, failing to perform well in the elections, and has now decided to "brush up to military power."

"We can't keep running elections until (the Brotherhood) loses," he wrote in a Tweet. He said the opposition should "man up" to its responsibilities and come up with a better strategy "or accept democratic outcomes."

Despite heated rhetoric among many Islamists about standing up to the military, one cleric from the Salafi movement warned against repeating the scenario of Algeria, when the military negated elections that Islamists won in the 1990s, and the Islamists responded with a years-long, bloody insurgency.  The result, Adel Nasr wrote on a Salafi website, was that "more than a hundred thousand were killed and ... their popularity went down," costing Islamists both political power and the power of their religious message.





Demonstration in Hurghada, a main tourist center and second largest city (after Suez) in Egypt located on the Red Sea coast.


15 minutes ago (4:15 PM EST):Presidential sources told Al Jazeera that a presidential statement will be issued later in the night that will include satisfactory solutions to the crisis in the country.

Who wants to bet that it won't include 'solutions' that are 'satisfactory'?






Protesters draw word 'erhal,' which means 'GET OUT' with lasers across The Mogamma, a government building, in Tahrir Square in Cairo.


UPDATE XL:

Tariq Ramadan, grandson of Hassan al-Banna, the founder of MoFoBros, calls on Morsi to ‘Resign, NOW!’ 

Writing on Facebook 20 minutes ago, Ramadan said that the president ‘should resign now with the aim of negotiating a plan to establish a broad national transitional alliance, and avoid a bloodbath.’ 

He wrote:

'Egypt: the situation is untenable, and explosive. What the army had announced just before the elections is confirmed: "It will be for one year." Muhammad Morsi should resign now with the aim of negotiating a plan to establish a broad national transitional alliance, and avoid a bloodbath. 

It is likely that the opposition, now with the support of the army, will reject it. The coalition has now a strong man in the person ElBaradei. In my book, I was presenting him as the key man during the transition despite the lack of popular support. He is now confirmed in a major role. 

The current situation in Egypt, like what has been going on there for two years, is not the victory of democracy. It is unhealthy polarization of a political debate which forgets the major challenges: the role of the army, corruption, political and economic stability, education, role of women, social justice, regional and international relations, etc. 

Army repositions itself in the heart of the civil state, such as the World Bank and the IMF. Celebrate the courage of the people is a duty while to refuse naive and simplistic emotional analyses is an intellectual obligation.'



UPDATE XLI:

Morsi reduced to Twitter to get out his message; rejects Army.


Pres. @MuhammadMorsi has just tweeted saying he's sticking to "constitutional legitimacy", asks Military to withdraw it's ultimatum. #Egypt 

— Bassem Sabry باسم (@Bassem_Sabry) July 2, 2013


Morsi's "tweet" will really heat things further, also shows that it's likely the president had no other communication option but to "tweet."

— Bassem Sabry باسم (@Bassem_Sabry) July 2, 2013





Supporters of Morsy carry banner at pro-Morsy protest in Alexandria



Reuters: Mursi demands army withdraw ultimatum, vows to resist reforms


BREAKING via Reuters:  Egypt opposition alliance says President Morsy's defiance of Army sets the country on a course of confrontation and violence.


THIS WILL NOT END WELL.



UPDATE XLII:

Former President Mubarak Tells Morsi to Resign 'To Save Lives'

Al Arabiya reported:

'Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that the country’s current Islamist president, Mohammed Mursi, should step down for the sake of the Egyptian people, al-Akhbar al-youm newspaper reported. 

Mubarak said that the number of protesters in the past few days has been larger that than the number of demonstrators that rose during his rule in 2011 to topple him, the report quoted a “well-informed” source as saying. 
 
He said that he in 2011 responded to the demands of people and resigned in order to “save lives,” added the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Mubarak stepped down following the 18-day uprising, ending his 30-year rule. The former president is waiting to be tried on various charges, including the killing of demonstrators during the Jan. 25 revolution.'


Not sure that this is helpful, as it is likely to harden Morsi.  Conflicted.





UPDATE XLIII:


Twitter feed with English translation of Morsi's speech.

No surprise.  Won't resign.  Democratically-elected. Allah's will.  Constitution!  Blah, blah, blah.




Members of the media and Egyptian protestors watch Morsi's speech live on Egyptian state television



Reuters: Morsi's speech:

President Mursi, on television in Egypt, says he is the first democratically elected leader of Egypt and that elections have been free and representative of the popular will.

In speech, Mursi says that corruption, remnants of old regime remain challenges for Egypt and it takes time to address them. He also says that he is working under the sole legitimacy of the constitution, and that only that legitimacy guarantees there will be no civil unrest. Mursi says he has no option but to carry out responsibilities given to him democratically.

Mursi, continuing in live speech, urges Egyptians not to attack the army, police, or each other. Mursi says he is trying to get Egypt’s army to return to its normal duties.

“There is no substitute for constitution and legal legitimacy,” Mursi says.


Morsi's favourite word appears to be 'legitimacy.'  Up next, ...اسمحوا لي أن أكون واضح  (Let me be clear...)



UPDATE XLIV:


Via The Guardian:  UK Independent correspondent, Alastair Beach, reports there’s a gun battle at Cairo University

Dozens are wounded in clashes between security forces and Mursi supporters at Cairo University: security witnesses

Many injuries at Cairo University


President Morsi: 


'I am the President of Egypt ... the revolution of January will achieve all its goals. The price can be my life.'


He might just pay that price.





Anti-Morsi protesters observe a march near the presidential palace
 


A woman looks up at a continous stream of fireworks lighting up the skies over Cairo for the third straight night of anti-Morsi protests.


 
For the third night in a row, protesters filled the streets around the presidential palace, chanting for the downfall of the regime.

 

A protester holds up a sign saying "Get out, get out," referring to the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi's supporting party, as sheep.



 A child waves the Egyptian flag near the presidential palace during the third consecutive night of massive protests in Cairo.



Flares and assorted fireworks light up the streets of Cairo on the eve of the military's deadline for President Morsi to resolve the situation and answer the calls of the Egyptian people.



One protester leads a chant calling for Morsi to resign, near the presidential palace in Cairo.



With protesters taking to the streets in the hundreds of thousands - perhaps even millions - for the third night in a row, public transportation in parts of the city has ground to a halt.



A family sits on top of a car to get a better view of the protests near the presidential palace.



Anti-Morsi protesters unfurl a massive Egyptian flag off of the October 6 bridge in downtown Cairo.


 Anti-Morsi protesters unfurl a massive Egyptian flag off of the October 6 bridge in downtown Cairo.


 As the evening wears on, protesters flock in massive numbers to Tahrir Square, calling for the downfall of the Morsi administration.


Protesting, or partying? Jubilant crowds have filled the famed Tahrir Square.


Despite an atmosphere more like a major sporting event than a political crisis, protesters and politicians both know tomorrow will be a big day for their country.



Reuters India:  In clashes at Cairo university, 3 dead and about 90 wounded – Egyptian health ministry



Reuters:  Egypt's Mursi defies army as it plots future without him

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi vowed to stay in power and defend constitutional legitimacy on Wednesday as generals worked on plans to push the Islamist aside within the day and suspend the constitution.

In a defiant midnight television address responding to military demands that he share power with his opponents or see the army impose its own solution, Mursi warned that any deviation from the democratic order approved in a series of votes last year would lead Egypt down a dangerous path.

He was speaking as vast crowds of protesters rallied in central Cairo and across the nation to demand the Muslim Brotherhood politician's resignation in a third night of mass demonstrations. His supporters also turned out and some were involved in clashes with security forces at Cairo University.

"The price of preserving legitimacy is my life," Mursi said in an impassioned, repetitive, 45-minute ramble. "Legitimacy is the only guarantee to preserve the country."

In a warning aimed as much at his own militant supporters as at the army, he said: "We do not declare jihad (holy war) against each other. We only wage jihad on our enemies."

Urging Egyptians not to heed the siren calls of what he called remnants of the former authoritarian regime, "the deep state" and the corrupt, he said: "Don't be fooled. Don't fall into the trap. Don't let them steal your revolution."

An opposition spokesman called Mursi's defiance "an open call for civil war". Peaceful protests would go on, he said.

On Monday, army commander General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gave Mursi 48 hours to reach an accommodation with his opponents. Otherwise, he said, the military would step in and implement its own roadmap for the country's future.

A military spokesman said the armed forces would not comment on the president's statement until Wednesday afternoon. The deadline is set to expire at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT).

Condemning a coup against their first freely elected leader, tens of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters took to the streets, clashing with opponents in several towns. But they were dwarfed by anti-government protesters who turned out in their hundreds of thousands across the nation.

Security sources said dozens of people were wounded in the clashes at Cairo University involving Mursi supporters. Witnesses heard gunfire and teargas was used by the authorities.

TROOPS ON ALERT

Troops were on alert amid warnings of a potential civil war. Seven people died in a demonstration crush and sporadic fighting in Cairo and hundreds more were wounded in the provinces.

"Mursi - Game Over - Out", proclaimed a laser display beamed over the capital's jam-packed Tahrir Square, where Egyptians danced with joy, recalling the euphoria and the slogans that greeted the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak two years ago. The light show counted the hours to the army deadline.

Despite his fighting talk, time appears to have all but run out for Mursi, as liberal leaders refuse to talk to him, while ministers have resigned and aides abandoned his sinking ship.

Military sources told Reuters that, assuming the politicians fail to end a year of deadlock before the deadline, the generals have their own draft program ready to implement - though it could be fine-tuned in consultation with willing political parties.

Story continues...'



UPDATE XLV:



Reuters:  Egypt army says ready to die in 'final hours.'
 

'Egypt’s high command said on Wednesday the army was ready to die to defend Egypt’s people against terrorists and fools, in a response to Islamist President Mohamed Mursi that was headlined “The Final Hours”.

The post on the official Facebook page of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), headed by armed forces chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said: “We swear to God that we will sacrifice even our blood for Egypt and its people, to defend them against any terrorist, radical or fool.”

Issued three hours after Mursi appeared on television to reject an ultimatum from Sisi that he share power with his opponents or face a military solution by 10:00 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), a military source said the statement made clear that the armed forces would not abandon their demands.

(Reporting by Yasmine Saleh; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)




Reuters:  Death toll in Cairo University clash rises to 16

'The death toll in violence involving Islamist supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi near Cairo University rose to 16 on Wednesday and 200 people were wounded, state television quoted a Health Ministry spokesman as saying.

Security sources said pro-Mursi demonstrators clashed with security forces. Witnesses said they heard shotgun and rifle fire.

(Reporting by Yasmine Saleh; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)



Obama on Egypt:


'We don’t make those decisions just by counting the number of heads in a protest march but we do make decisions based on whether or not a government is listening to the opposition, maintaining a free press, maintaining freedom of assembly, not using violence or intimidation, conducting fair and free elections.'



President Obama, do you not remember that you just waived those very same human rights requirements not even two months ago? 

How much could you possibly care about these basic liberties? 

As David French wrote:

'Now fast-forward to today, July 3, when we learn that the Administration does actually care: 


Officials have also warned the Egyptian military that a military coup [against the Muslim Brotherhood] would trigger U.S. legislation cutting off all U.S. aid, which totals about $1.5 billion per year.

For those keeping score at home, the Obama Administration waives human rights requirements when the Muslim Brotherhood is in power but then threatens to impose those very same waived requirements when the military — our decades-long ally within Egypt — threatens to assert control.










UPDATE XLV:

Egypt's central bank tells banks to shut early ahead of army deadline.


Egyptians are 'incredibly worried':


Al-Jazeera's Sherine Tadros reports from Cairo:






'Egyptians across the country and even Egyptians outside the country watching from afar are incredibly worried about the situation in their country.'


UPDATE XLVI:

Al Arabiya English:

General Command of Armed Forces will issue statement as soon as it is done meeting w/political figures.

Al-Ahram: Egypt army road map would set up a three-member presidential council chaired by head of supreme constitutional court.

Al-Ahram says road map includes neutral transitional government to be headed by a military leader.

Al-Ahram: Egypt army road map sets out 9 to 12 month transitional period.

Al-Ahram: new constitution to be drafted in interim period to set out path to presidential and parliamentary elections. 

Egyptian Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian: freedom more valuable than life. 

Egypt's hardline al-Gamaa al-Islamiya calls on Morsi to hold early presidential elections-spokesman tells Reuters.

Senior military commanders were in emergency talks after Egypt's Morsi rejected their ultimatum to resolve the current crisis.

Egypt’s hardline al-Gamaa al-Islamiya denies it called on Morsi to hold early presidential elections. 

Tamarod says Morsi must be arrested immediately on charges of calling for civil war.

Tamarod says Morsi's speech is an example that 'he cannot claim responsibility.' 

Egyptian opposition groups say El Baradei is meeting with the defence minister now.

Military chiefs will release a statement after 4.30pm (local time) - 12:30pm GMT. 

Military sources: El Baradei, Al Azhar Sheikh and the Egyptian Pope are at the meeting with the military defence. 

Military sources say the defence minister is meeting with representative from Brotherhood and Salafist parties. 

Egyptian interior ministry says it will defend all forms of violence 'side by side"'with the army. 

Egyptian hardline Islamist group al-Gamaa al-Islamiya calls on supporters to remain peaceful - statement. 

Egyptian president's spokesman says better for Morsi to die in defence of democracy than be blamed by history-statement. 

Army armoured vehicles guard Egypt state TV building, staff not working on live productions have left. 

Military sources:  MoFoBros party refused invitation to meet army commander. 

Military sources deny that opposition leader El Baradei met with the military. 

A top Egyptian court approves the return Abdel Meguid Mahmoud as prosecutor general.

SPOX:  Egypt's military council will issue a statement immediately following meetings with leading political figures. 

28 people were killed by snipers Tuesday night, pro-Morsi supporters said. 

Presidency: the road map to resolve the Egypt crisis must be legitimate. 

Al Arabiya: the state TV building is under the control of the army, sources tell. 

The Egyptian army deadline has expired and a statement is expected. 

The Cabinet Secretary General, Safwat Abdel Dayem, has resigned, Egypt TV reports.

Reuters: Several hundred Egyptian soldiers, together with armoured vehicles, perform a military parade on the main road near the Presidential Palace. 

Morsi's message to all Egyptians is to resist a military coup peacefully, aide says. 

Morsi is still working at the Republican Guard barracks in Cairo, unclear if free to leave, aide says. 

Al Arabiya:  At least 37 people have been killed and 1600 injured in violence since Tuesday night. 

Morsi: A military coup will not pass without bloodshed. 

Morsi’s adviser says he expects army and police violence to remove pro-Morsi demonstrators.

Al Ahram reports:  The army begins to deploy in Giza.


Al Jazeera:


Egypt's embattled President Mohamed Morsi has proposed a consensus government as a way out of the country's crisis, as an army deadline urging him to meet the protesters' demands expired.

The presidency envisions the formation of a consensus coalition government to oversee the next parliamentary election," his office said on Wednesday in a statement on Facebook.

The statement reiterated that Morsi held opposition parties responsible for obstructing a political initiative that would also set up a panel to prepare amendments to the constitution passed into law last December.

Egypt is bracing for a showdown between the military and Morsi, who has rejected the army ultimatum to end a political crisis with his opponents, who have called for his resignation.

A top aide to Morsi, Essam al-Haddad, slammed what he called a "military coup" on Wednesday after the army reportedly slapped a travel ban on the president and his Islamist allies.

The list of names that was sent to airport security included Muslim Brotherhood leaders Khairat el-Shater, Essam el-Erian and at least 40 other Islamists, security sources told Reuters news agency.

'For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let's call what is happening by its real name: Military coup,' Haddad, Morsi's national security adviser, said in a statement on Facebook.

As tensions mounted and crowds poured into the streets to demand Morsi's resignation, Haddad said: 'As I write these lines I am fully aware that these may be the last lines I get to post on this page.'

Earlier in the day, the army said on its official Facebook page that it had set no times for issuing statements or speeches, as the general command of the Egyptian armed forces was meeting with religious, national, political and youth figures.

'The General Command of the Armed Forces is currently meeting with a number of religious, national, political and youth icons ... There will be a statement issued from the General Command as soon as they are done,' the army said.


Morsi's security advisor: military coup is underway. 

Morsi & top MoFoBros leaders have been banned from travelling anywhere. 

Morsi's national security adviser says military coup underway. 

John Kerry calls his Egyptian counterpart. 

Al Ahram reports:  The Egyptian army told Morsi it will postpone issuing its statement for hours to avoid bloodshed. 

Chuck Hagel calls his Egyptian counterpart. 

National Salvation Front: United States attempts to pressure the Army not to act. 

National Salvation Front: Army will strip Morsi of legitimacy.

Egypt state TV denied that employees evacuated TV building and reassured ongoing work.

Opponents of Mursi gather near Ittihadiya Presidential Palace in Cairo, calling  for his ouster. 

The MoFoBros' Freedom and Justice party says that they refused the Egyptian Army's invitation to a meeting with party leaders. 

Reuters:  Morsi calls for formation of an interim coalition government, with PM approved by all political powers.  

Morsi says it is a mistake to side with one party.

Bill Hobbs: Egypt military funded by US taxpayers is starting coup against Islamist govt backed by Obama. Doing the job an American prez won't do. 

Morsi:   Egypt cannot go backwards (Lolz coming from a dude, whose supporters want to turn the clock back to the 7th century). 

National Salvation Front: The army has confirmed that it does not intend to rule Egypt.

Al Hayat TV:  Morsi is, reportedly, under house arrest.

Morsi's SPOX denies, but word of the arrest has electrified the protestors and the crowd in Tahrir Square erupted in cheers following announcements of his arrest.

Obama administration is still trying to get the Army not to act and to support Morsi, OF COURSE.  (I think that horse has already left the barn). 
 
 
 
 Islamists fighting with officers. Commander orders soldiers down from vehicles
 
 
 
 
Adviser to Morsi: A military coup is underway, that tanks are on the move outside Cairo, and that communication with Morsi has been been cut off.
 


 
 
UPDATE XLVII:
 
 
AP: BREAKING: Egyptian troops, including commandos, have deployed near protest sites and key facilities.
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
Continue on to Part IV.




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