• Egyptian military says it has ousted Morsi; crowds celebrate in Cairo


    CAIRO — The Egyptian military said Wednesday that it had ousted President Mohammed Morsi and suspended the country’s constitution. Armored cars, tanks and troops deployed in the capital in what advisers to the president described as a coup.

    In a scene reminiscent of the earliest days of the Arab Spring, tens of thousands of Egyptians who had demanded the president’s ouster staged a jubilant celebration in Tahrir Square — dancing, cheering and setting off fireworks.

    Earlier in the day, the president and the military each swore to fight to the death for control of the country, and a military deadline for Morsi to step aside came and went with no statement from the president.

    “We swear to God to sacrifice with our blood for Egypt and its people against any terrorist, extremist or ignoramus,” the military said in a statement. “Long live Egypt and its proud people.”

    The army took control of state television and sent troops to parts of Cairo where crowds sympathetic to Morsi had gathered. Supporters of the president said democracy was being subverted by a military intervention, and the Muslim Brotherhood, which backs Morsi, said some of its leaders had been arrested.

    Civilian political, religious and youth leaders were summoned to meet with the top generals and planned a statement later in the day. Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of the U.N. nuclear weapons agency and a critic of Morsi, attended the meeting, as did a leading Sunni Muslim cleric and the head of Egypt’s Coptic Christians.

    At least 16 people were killed and more than 200 injured in clashes, primarily around Cairo University.

    In Washington, the State Department said it could not confirm reports of a coup but was watching the situation closely. The U.S. Embassy warned Americans in Egypt to avoid large gatherings and monitor local news.

    One of the advisers to Morsi, Jihad Haddad, told NBC News that he could not confirm or deny whether Morsi had moved from Republican Guard headquarters, where he was believed to have been staying earlier in the day. It was also not clear whether the military had ordered the Republican Guard to keep him there.

    Morsi was elected a year ago after Egyptians ousted Hosni Mubarak, the autocrat who ruled for almost three decades. Egyptians hoped he would build a more pluralistic and tolerant country.


    Violent clashes continue in Cairo where demonstrators are protesting against Mohammed Morsi's presidency. Morsi is declaring he'd rather die than forfeit his post as the Egyptian army threatens to remove him by force. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

    Instead, Egyptians have been frustrated by a struggling economy and poor services and infuriated by what they see as power grabs by Morsi — stifling the judiciary and forcing through a constitution that favored Islamists and ignored minorities.

    The celebration in Tahrir Square only grew as night fell Wednesday. People waved Egyptian flags, sang patriotic songs and chanted, as though Morsi had already been removed from power.

    The military was believed to have given the president until 5 p.m. local time, or 11 a.m. ET, to meet the demands of the protesters. The ultimatum, issued Monday, had been denounced by supporters of Morsi as a military coup.

    Sources told NBC News that the army had control of state television. Non-essential staff were told to go home early, and Reuters reported that the building was being guarded by armored vehicles. The Associated Press reported that military officers were monitoring broadcasts.

    There were other signs that support for Morsi was slipping, even among sympathizers. A senior member of a hardline Islamist party allied with the president told Reuters that the party was trying to broker a peaceful transfer of power to avoid bloodshed.

    “We find ourselves faced with the necessity of convincing the president to accept a referendum on early presidential elections,” Tarek al-Zumar of Gamaa Islamiya said in a telephone interview. “This is what we hope will be reached in the next few hours.”


    Clashes broke out near Cairo University on Wednesday as the power struggle between Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the country's armed forces raised fears of civil war.

    The Obama administration and the United Nations have encouraged Morsi to listen to his people. President Barack Obama called Morsi on Monday and said the United States is committed to democracy and does not support any single person or group.

    Pentagon officials said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had called his Egyptian counterpart. Spokesman George Little called the situation in Egypt a crisis and added the hope that “this period of tension can be resolved in a peaceful manner and violence can be avoided.”

    The opposition Dustour Party, whose name means Constitution, said Morsi was leading the country toward violence. It asked the army to protect the people “after Morsi lost his mind and incited bloodshed of Egyptians.”


    The military has said it will impose its own “road map” for the future if Morsi does not meet the protesters’ demands.

    In a loud, passionate, 45-minute speech to the country, Morsi on Tuesday blamed loyalists of Mubarak, his predecessor, for fighting against democracy and challenging his leadership through the current wave of protests.

    He asked Egyptians not to confront the military or use violence against its forces, the police or the interior ministry. Earlier in the day, he had demanded that the armed forces withdraw their ultimatum.

    The crisis could have a significant effect on the global economy. The benchmark price of crude oil for delivery in August rose above $102 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest since early May last year.

    Egypt’s control of the Suez Canal — one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, which links the Mediterranean with the Red Sea — gives it a crucial role in maintaining global energy supplies.

    Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2...-in-cairo?lite
    Comments 7 Comments
    1. bigsofty's Avatar
      bigsofty -
      What's with all this political crap being posted here lately?
    1. IdolEyes787's Avatar
      IdolEyes787 -
      It was probably wrong of me but I offered them $20 if they could get you to leave.
    1. anon's Avatar
      anon -
      Quote Originally Posted by bigsofty View Post
      What's with all this political crap being posted here lately?
      I post what I believe is relevant. You and everyone else are free and encouraged to share whatever other news they wish.
    1. whatcdfan's Avatar
      whatcdfan -
      Egyptian Army is undoubtedly the one of the most intelligent group in all of the middle east. From the very beginning of the Arab Spring they have acted the way they should have and has fetched them profitable results. Their success is not necessarily limited to follow the wishes of the N.A.T.O but on a specific point they need F-16's and other modern weapons which of course they can't manufacture themselves. The people as characterless as Egyptians are destined to doom but the Army is gonna be alright as it hardly cares for the rats it's meant to serve.

      Muslim Brotherhood is actually the group of people who were never really good enough to take the charge. Instead of what they've done, a coalition government would have been much better, more stable, peaceful and would have had consequences "better" for everyone. That's how you build the future, by being "together"
      Muslim brotherhood never really created the opportunity which they tried to capitalize on. It was a diplomatic mistake and was never gonna pay off. If can't cook it, you can't eat it.

      @Anon, thanks for posting this article.
    1. bigsofty's Avatar
      bigsofty -
      Quote Originally Posted by IdolEyes787 View Post
      It was probably wrong of me but I offered them $20 if they could get you to leave.
      What a hypocrite you are, anyone else want to stifle free speech here with more offers of cash!?!?
    1. TheFoX's Avatar
      TheFoX -
      About bloody time they ousted Morsi. We kicked him from our tracker almost a year ago for cheating and hit 'n' running. Bloody loser
    1. Vestibule's Avatar
      Vestibule -
      Here is an interesting precursor to that article... and yes, I know its Alex Jones but, love him or hate him, he's been right about a lot of this... anyways, the pics don't lie

      http://www.infowars.com/egyptian-pro...-dictatorship/