By Countercurrents.org
30 January, 2013
@ Countercurrents.org
As thousands of Egyptians defy emergency and curfew imposed in cities the army warns of collapse of the Egypt state. The opposing camps turn visible: progressives oppose emergency while the Islamists and the US back Morsi, the Muslim brotherhood leader imposing emergency.
People in Suez, Port Said and Ismailia rose in protests defying emergency. Thousands of demonstrators marched to Shura Council’s headquarters to oppose policies of president Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood while the Shura Council endorses emergency measures.
Patrick Kingsley reported [1] from Cairo:
Continuing civil unrest may soon cause the collapse of the Egyptian state, the head of the country’s armed forces warned.
Parts of Egypt are in turmoil following five days of rioting in which 52 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured after protests against president Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood and police brutality turned violent.
General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s comments have sparked fears that the military might once again intervene in the day-to-day governance of Egypt.
Writing on the army’s Facebook page, Sisi said: “The continuation of the struggle of the different political forces … over the management of state affairs could lead to the collapse of state.”
Sisi said the army would remain a “solid and cohesive block” on which the state could rely.
Egypt’s new constitution underwrites the army’s judicial independence. The army was also asked to help restore order on the streets of Port Said this week, prompting reminders of Mubarak-era state governance.
The military still controls large parts of the Egyptian economy.
Yasser el-Shimy, Egypt analyst for the International Crisis Group, described Sisi’s statement as a “gentle reminder” of the army’s influence.
“The army is very happy to pass the buck – they really have been burnt by their involvement [in politics] over the last two years,” said Shimy.
“But there is a point after which the army will feel that they cannot just stand back if they feel the integrity of the state is in danger.”
Asked by the Guardian whether he feared military intervention should the unrest continue, Gehad al-Haddad, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, said: “No. I know enough about the way President Morsi removed General Tantawi to not be worried.”
On a street near Tahrir Square protesters also said they did not fear a military intervention, arguing that either regime was undesirable. “If the army comes, we will still be on the street,” said Mina Remond, a 20-year-old student standing among demonstrators on the banks of the Nile.
The offices of the Cairo Governorate, a mile from Tahrir Square, were attacked.
In another attempt to lessen some of the violence, Egypt’s prosecutor-general also ordered the arrest of the Black Bloc, a new group of young masked protesters that emerged for the first time in Egypt last Thursday, and which has been involved in many of the most aggressive clashes. Dressed in black and in balaclavas, the Black Bloc appears to be inspired by a similar approach used by anti-capitalist protesters in Europe and America throughout much of the past two decades.
Little is known about the group, which first appeared on Facebook on 21 January, and purports to act solely against the Muslim Brotherhood.
Emergency and curfew defied
The cities of Egypt’s Suez Canal – Suez, Port Said and Ismailia – continued to witness protests on January 29, 2013 against a government-declared state of emergency featuring a daily 9pm-to-6am curfew [2].
On January 27, 2013 night, president Morsi announced a state of emergency in the three cities.
Protesters chanted against the emergency measures, slamming Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood group from which he hails.
A solidarity demonstration also took place in Cairo on January 29 at 9pm, when the curfew goes into effect in the canal cities. Hundreds gathered in downtown Cairo’s Talaat Harb Square for the occasion.
A solidarity football match has also been planned at the same time outside the Presidential Palace in Cairo in imitation of a match held in Ismailia on January 29, when city residents played the country’s most popular sport with military personnel who refused to enforce the curfew.
Clashes continue
An earlier report [3] said:
Clashes between hundreds of protesters and police forces have continued for the third consecutive day in Port Said.
The clashes centered on Al-Arab police station and the surrounding area.
According to eye witnesses there are injured among the protesters, although there is no official confirmation of the numbers of injured as yet. Gunfire and live ammunition have been heard in the area.
On January 28, thousands of mourners in Port Said joined a mass funeral held for seven civilians who were killed on January 27 when police clashed with thousands of mourners marching in a funeral procession for those slain in the clashes the previous day.
Mourners chanted against Morsi, calling for him to leave power.
Major-General Ahmed Wasfy, the commander of Egypt’s Second Army (a regional sub-division of Egypt’s armed forces) who was assigned to restore order in the city held a press conference on Monday.
“We are not here to wage war against the people. We are the Egyptian army; we are here to serve the people,” he said, adding that the curfew imposed by president Morsi on Suez, Port Said and Ismailia Sunday is in the best interest of people to restore order.
The commander of the second army accused people from outside Port Said of distributing weapons inside the city to create chaos. He also added that things would calm down in the city over the next three or four days.
The Ultras Green Eagles, the hardcore football fans of Port Said’s Masry football club, have called on its members, Masry fans and the people of Port Said to gather at 8pm in order to continue what the group called “retribution” for the “martyrs of Port Said”, those who have been killed in the past 48 hours, in a statement on its official Facebook page.
Several political groups have already announced that they will organize rallies and protests in Port Said starting from 8pm and 9pm, in defiance of the presidential decree which imposed a curfew in the three Suez Canal cities for the next 30 days.
Shura Council opposed
Sarah El-Rashidi reported [4]:
Around three thousand protesters set out from Cairo’s Sayida Zeinab Mosque on January 28 afternoon towards the Shura Council, the upper house of Egypt’s parliament, which is currently endowed with full legislative powers.
The march, which marks the second anniversary of Egypt’s 28 January 2011 ‘Friday of rage,’ is meant to protest the recent death of dozens of protesters in clashes with security forces across the country and to demand the suspension of Egypt’s newly-approved constitution and the dismissal of the cabinet.
Leading the march is renowned leftist activist Kamal Khalil, who chanted anti-Muslim Brotherhood slogans and demanded “vengeance for the martyrs.”
“We are not going to leave it to Badie,” protesters chanted in reference to Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie.
Activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah told Ahram Online that the march was meant to protest the Brotherhood’s perceived monopolization of state institutions.
“We want to stop the Brotherhood’s attempts to take over state institutions… and pass illegitimate laws through them,” said Abdel-Fattah.
“And now Morsi has reinstated the emergency law, which reflects his failure as a legitimate democratic leader,” he added.
Also present at Monday’s protest were members of the Revolutionary Socialists, the Socialist Popular Alliance and the National Association for Change.
Meanwhile, members of the 6 April youth movement held up trash bins as shields bearing the word ‘Peaceful.’
“We want freedom. We want to get rid of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood,” Amr, a masked 14-year-old member of Egypt’s ‘Black Bloc,’ told Ahram Online.
Hisham Sabra, a protester and consulting engineer, told Ahram Online that Monday’s protests were “a chance for freedom to be gained and a democratic stable Egypt.”
“We were naïve…we used to have a semi-military dictatorship. Now we have a theocratic dictatorship, which is more dangerous,” added Sabra.
Sabra praised the National Salvation Front (NSF) opposition group’s decision to boycott the president’s calls for dialogue.
The NSF announced its rejection of Morsi’s invitation to dialogue, describing it as a “façade” that would not benefit Egyptians.
Two police officers were killed in the city of Port Said while one conscript was killed in Suez.
Shura Council backs emergency
Gamal Essam El-Din reported [5]:
The Islamist-dominated Shura Council (the upper house of Egypt’s parliament, currently endowed with full legislative powers) on January 28 ratified new security measures at the request of president Morsi.
In a plenary session, the Shura Council approved the laws, which had been rammed through a joint closed-room session of the council’s national security and legislative affairs committees on January 28.
The law states that army officers helping to maintain security will be granted judicial powers in accordance with the Criminal Procedures Law and the Police Law. It further states that military courts will be charged with trying those convicted of crimes of sabotage.
The Shura Council’s joint committee had emphasized that the use of the armed forces in restoring order should not be upon the request of the president, but rather with the approval of Egypt’s National Defense Council (of which the president is a member).
The law was rejected, however, by Ihab El-Kharat, chairman of the Shura Council’s human rights committee and member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party. “There is no need for emergency measures because ordinary laws already allow the military to help the police,” he said. “There is no need at the moment to give the armed forces judicial powers.”
He added: “Egypt is suffering from a political crisis. There must be a political solution to this crisis rather than the imposition of draconian measures.”
Emad Gad, political analyst and leading member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, told Al-Ahram Online: “The Shura Council’s endorsement of Morsi’s authoritarian measures gives renewed proof that the council is just an Islamist-dominated parliament, designed mainly to rubberstamp Morsi’s draconian decrees and serve the interests of his Muslim Brotherhood.”
US backs Morsi
Dina Ezzat reported [6]:
A round of talks between Cairo and Washington – some sources suggest it included direct talks between an apprehensive US president Barack Obama and a reassuring President Morsi – concluded that despite the outrage of protestors since the January 25 Revolution anniversary, Morsi’s presidency is weakened but not broken.
“He is still largely in control. Ultimately we think the anger [in Egypt] will calm down – but he will have to give something,” said a Cairo-based Western diplomat.
This view is shared by many foreign diplomats in Egypt: the army is not moving against Morsi – some hasten to add ‘at least not yet’ – and public opinion has not turned enough to see another president fall in less than two years.
Moreover, the call made by a leading member of the National Salvation Front for the West, especially Washington, to put pressure on Morsi, is still being pondered and no serious pressure seems to be building.
According to one informed source in Washington, an expected US State Department statement mildly placing more blame for the current violence on Morsi than on the rest of the political leadership was suspended in favor of a White House statement calling on all leaders to end the violence and pursue dialogue.
The spirit of the statement, the same source says, was largely influenced by the US ambassador to Egypt, who seems to be arguing the case for Morsi even as Washington becomes more sceptical. “It is clear these demonstrations will not bring Morsi down,” the source said.
Overall, Arab diplomats in Washington say the White House is comfortable with the role Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood are playing on key Middle East issues: Gaza, Hamas, Iran and Syria. “And above this there is a sense of ease with regards to the positive statement Morsi made on the Prophet Mohamed’s birthday about equal rights for Coptic Christians and Muslims alike,” said one Washington-based Arab diplomat.
Sources who followed recent talks between Washington, Morsi and the Egyptian army say a few concessions might be offered to contain public outrage.
Meanwhile, sources in the Egyptian opposition say their views on how to exit the current crisis have been solicited by the US embassy in Cairo.
Some say these contacts amount to mediation rather than consultation – something a US embassy source declined to confirm, saying it is normal for embassies to talk with political leaders.
This said, an Egyptian military source confirms the US is confident the Egyptian army will stay out of politics. There are certain matters the armed forces “talk frankly about with the presidency but this does not mean the army is at all willing to re-engage in the political process – we are staying out of it,” he said.
A similar assessment is offered by several foreign diplomats in Cairo who essentially agree that Morsi is facing difficulties and that he is also facing pressure from the armed forces on some matters, but things have not reached the point at which the army would ask Morsi to step down.
According to the military source, who spoke to Ahram Online on condition of anonymity, the armed forces are unlikely to repeat the offer it made for a national dialogue last November during the political crisis over the president’s constitutional declaration. “Unless we are asked by the presidency we are not intending to offer our help again. The president is dealing with this matter himself.”
A number of public figures and opposition politicians refused the president’s invitation to join a national dialogue on the current crisis, presidential sources say.
Islamists support Morsi
Another report [7] said:
Salafist Nour Party, Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya say Morsi’s decision was needed to maintain order.
The party spokesman Nader Bakkar said in a statement.
Bakkar said the party “understands the need for such a decision.”
Bakkar went on to commend the president for thanking the police.
Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya also announced its support for Morsi’s decision to declare a state of emergency.
Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya’s political arm, the Construction and Development Party, also welcomed the president’s invitation to opposition forces to enter into a national dialogue.
Source:
[1] guardian.co.uk, Jan 29, 2013, “Egypt’s armed forces chief warns unrest could cause collapse of state”,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/29/egypt-armed-forces-chief-warns-collapse
[2] ahramonline, Jan 29, 2013, “Cities of Egypt’s Suez Canal protest curfew for 2nd consecutive day”,
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/63626/Egypt/Politics-/Cities-of-Egypts-Suez-Canal-protest-curfew-for-nd-.aspx
[3] ahramonline, Jan 28, 2013, “Port Said: Funerals and clashes continue in besieged city”,
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/63508/Egypt/Politics-/Port-Said-Funerals-and-clashes-continue-in-besiege.aspx
[4] ahramonline, Jan 28, 2013, “Thousands of anti-Morsi protesters march on Egypt’s Shura Council”,
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/63516/Egypt/0/Thousands-of-antiMorsi-protesters-march-on-Egypts-.aspx
[5] ahramonline, Jan 28, 2013, “Egypt’s Shura Council green-lights president’s emergency measures
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/63512/Egypt/0/Egypts-Shura-Council-greenlights-presidents-emerge.aspx
[6] ahramonline, Jan 29, 2013, “US still backing Morsi as army remains quiescent”,
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/63559/Egypt/Politics-/US-still-backing-Morsi-as-army-remains-quiescent.aspx
[7] ahramonline, Monday 28 Jan 2013
“Islamist parties welcome Morsi’s state-of-emergency decision”, http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/0/63479/Egypt/0/Islamist-parties-welcome-Morsis-stateofemergency-d.aspx