techead
Honorary Master
Gonna be another long day...
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The Unrest in Egypt Thread 2013
- Thread starter LazyLion
- Start date
techead
Honorary Master
techead
Honorary Master
this is worse that the oscar pistorius case. so hard to determine what the truth really is... 
remember that armored car that was "pushed off" the bridge? well... ya...
[video=youtube;OeTQJrFMzns]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeTQJrFMzns[/video]
remember that armored car that was "pushed off" the bridge? well... ya...
[video=youtube;OeTQJrFMzns]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeTQJrFMzns[/video]
killadoob
Honorary Master
Techhead, when you violently attack a crowd, how can you wonder why there is suddenly violence?
When the army just left them sitting around protesting, nobody was dying. No army cars were chucked over bridges. The army surrounds them and forcibly removes peaceful people, it was only ever going to be violence, bare in mind these are not people like me and you, they will gladly die. We were talking about a tank and someone in front of it, if i was the driver i would say move but there is no possible way i would then proceed to kill the person.
I'm not like these muslim folk in that region, i could never bring myself to run over someone in my path posing no threat to me. Some sick people will say if they ask the person to move then there should be no complaints but how sick do you have to be to run over someone. I could not sleep knowing i bulldozed an unarmed protestor who posed no threat to me, sick people can sleep at night though.
When the army just left them sitting around protesting, nobody was dying. No army cars were chucked over bridges. The army surrounds them and forcibly removes peaceful people, it was only ever going to be violence, bare in mind these are not people like me and you, they will gladly die. We were talking about a tank and someone in front of it, if i was the driver i would say move but there is no possible way i would then proceed to kill the person.
I'm not like these muslim folk in that region, i could never bring myself to run over someone in my path posing no threat to me. Some sick people will say if they ask the person to move then there should be no complaints but how sick do you have to be to run over someone. I could not sleep knowing i bulldozed an unarmed protestor who posed no threat to me, sick people can sleep at night though.
Last edited:
techead
Honorary Master
I agree with you, something must have changed? But how do we REALLY know WHAT changed? Was it the protesters that provoked the military to do something? Was it the military who pulled a #*&% move? I honestly dont know, and its so hard to tell the truth.
Im sure there is truth in both sides being in the wrong, to some point, but to what degree I also honestly dont know.
It's all quite sad really.
Judging by the tone and content on twitter #Egypt its going to be a bloodbath this afternoon... Already people are calling it AngryFriday... and tear gas has already been fired
killadoob
Honorary Master
I agree with you, something must have changed? But how do we REALLY know WHAT changed? Was it the protesters that provoked the military to do something? Was it the military who pulled a #*&% move? I honestly dont know, and its so hard to tell the truth.
Im sure there is truth in both sides being in the wrong, to some point, but to what degree I also honestly dont know.
It's all quite sad really.
Judging by the tone and content on twitter #Egypt its going to be a bloodbath this afternoon... Already people are calling it AngryFriday... and tear gas has already been fired
Genocide friday more likely.
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Egypt's Christians Terrified after Church Attacks
Egypt's Christians are living in fear after a string of attacks against churches, businesses and homes they say were carried out by angry supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
As police dispersed Morsi supporters from two Cairo squares on Wednesday, attackers torched churches across the country in an apparent response.
"People are terrified; no one dares leave home," Marco, a 27-year-old engineer, told AFP by phone from the central city of Sohag.
The city has become a ghost town, he said, describing an atmosphere of terror where attackers "know where the Copts live" and torched several churches before turning to homes.
The Maspero Youth Union, a Coptic Christian youth movement, denounced what it called a "retaliation war" against the religious minority which makes up around 10 percent of Egypt's population.
The group accused Morsi supporters of targeting them in response to Coptic Pope Tawadros II's support for the July 3 coup that ousted the Islamist leader.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), a local NGO, says at least 25 churches were torched on Wednesday and Thursday, and that attackers also targeted Christian schools, shops and homes across 10 of Egypt's 27 provinces.
Iraq's Chaldean Christian archbishop Louis Sako told AFP that one of his community's churches was among those targeted on Wednesday.
"This is a real disaster," he said, describing the region as a "dangerous volcano."
For Marco, the attacks against the churches were not a surprise --Christian religious buildings have been targeted before.
It was the torching of Coptic Christian homes and the looting of their businesses that shocked him.
The attackers were "people chanting pro-Morsi slogans and wearing headbands with the phrase 'Muslim Brotherhood' written on them," he said.
The Maspero Youth Union, which documented abuses against Christians during Morsi's one year in office, also laid blame for the attacks on supporters of the ousted leader.
"Maspero Youth Union condemns the terrorism Copts are facing now in Egypt after supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi waged a retaliation war against Copts and their churches, homes and businesses," the group said.
"Copts were attacked in nine governorates, causing panic, losses and destruction for no reason and no crimes they committed except being Christians."
Morsi's supporters have often accused Christians of supporting president Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in Egypt's 2011 uprising. Ironically, Christians were also targeted when Mubarak was in power.
On Thursday, the country's interim army-installed government described attacks on Egypt's Christians as a "red line" and pledged that authorities would "respond forcefully" to any new attack.
Shortly afterwards, the defence minister General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief who led the coup, pledged that the military would pay for the rebuilding of the churches attacked on Wednesday.
On Thursday morning, interim prime minister Hazem Beblawi also announced he had met with Coptic Pope Tawadros II to express solidarity in the wake of the attacks.
And state news agency MENA reported that 80 Morsi loyalists had been arrested and turned over to military courts for their alleged involvement in torching churches in Suez province on Wednesday.
The Muslim Brotherhood made its first comment on the attacks on Thursday evening -- a condemnation tempered by the assertion that many Copts supported Morsi's ouster.
"Although some Coptic leaders supported or even participated in the coup, for one reason or another, no such attacks can be justifiable," the group's political arm said on its official Twitter account.
Brotherhood spokesman Gehad el-Haddad had earlier suggested authorities were to blame.
The government's promises have so far failed to convince Christians and activists that authorities would prevent future attacks.
"The state must intervene to protect the population. Concrete action is needed after all the big speeches," said Ishak Ibrahim, an EIPR researcher on religious issues.
He described a "discourse of hatred" against Christians throughout the country, more from the Salafists, the most conservative of Islamists, rather than members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
And he pointed out that most of the attacks had taken place outside the major cities, in areas where security presence is often minimal.
"Families who are too scared to go out to get supplies are waiting for something concrete," added Ibrahim.
In Sohag, residents remain desperately afraid of what awaits them, with Karem, a local, urging authorities to send security forces to help.
"No one is protecting us!"
Source : Sapa-AFP /pk
Date : 16 Aug 2013 08:54 OrigID : LC538710
Egypt's Christians are living in fear after a string of attacks against churches, businesses and homes they say were carried out by angry supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
As police dispersed Morsi supporters from two Cairo squares on Wednesday, attackers torched churches across the country in an apparent response.
"People are terrified; no one dares leave home," Marco, a 27-year-old engineer, told AFP by phone from the central city of Sohag.
The city has become a ghost town, he said, describing an atmosphere of terror where attackers "know where the Copts live" and torched several churches before turning to homes.
The Maspero Youth Union, a Coptic Christian youth movement, denounced what it called a "retaliation war" against the religious minority which makes up around 10 percent of Egypt's population.
The group accused Morsi supporters of targeting them in response to Coptic Pope Tawadros II's support for the July 3 coup that ousted the Islamist leader.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), a local NGO, says at least 25 churches were torched on Wednesday and Thursday, and that attackers also targeted Christian schools, shops and homes across 10 of Egypt's 27 provinces.
Iraq's Chaldean Christian archbishop Louis Sako told AFP that one of his community's churches was among those targeted on Wednesday.
"This is a real disaster," he said, describing the region as a "dangerous volcano."
For Marco, the attacks against the churches were not a surprise --Christian religious buildings have been targeted before.
It was the torching of Coptic Christian homes and the looting of their businesses that shocked him.
The attackers were "people chanting pro-Morsi slogans and wearing headbands with the phrase 'Muslim Brotherhood' written on them," he said.
The Maspero Youth Union, which documented abuses against Christians during Morsi's one year in office, also laid blame for the attacks on supporters of the ousted leader.
"Maspero Youth Union condemns the terrorism Copts are facing now in Egypt after supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi waged a retaliation war against Copts and their churches, homes and businesses," the group said.
"Copts were attacked in nine governorates, causing panic, losses and destruction for no reason and no crimes they committed except being Christians."
Morsi's supporters have often accused Christians of supporting president Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in Egypt's 2011 uprising. Ironically, Christians were also targeted when Mubarak was in power.
On Thursday, the country's interim army-installed government described attacks on Egypt's Christians as a "red line" and pledged that authorities would "respond forcefully" to any new attack.
Shortly afterwards, the defence minister General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief who led the coup, pledged that the military would pay for the rebuilding of the churches attacked on Wednesday.
On Thursday morning, interim prime minister Hazem Beblawi also announced he had met with Coptic Pope Tawadros II to express solidarity in the wake of the attacks.
And state news agency MENA reported that 80 Morsi loyalists had been arrested and turned over to military courts for their alleged involvement in torching churches in Suez province on Wednesday.
The Muslim Brotherhood made its first comment on the attacks on Thursday evening -- a condemnation tempered by the assertion that many Copts supported Morsi's ouster.
"Although some Coptic leaders supported or even participated in the coup, for one reason or another, no such attacks can be justifiable," the group's political arm said on its official Twitter account.
Brotherhood spokesman Gehad el-Haddad had earlier suggested authorities were to blame.
The government's promises have so far failed to convince Christians and activists that authorities would prevent future attacks.
"The state must intervene to protect the population. Concrete action is needed after all the big speeches," said Ishak Ibrahim, an EIPR researcher on religious issues.
He described a "discourse of hatred" against Christians throughout the country, more from the Salafists, the most conservative of Islamists, rather than members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
And he pointed out that most of the attacks had taken place outside the major cities, in areas where security presence is often minimal.
"Families who are too scared to go out to get supplies are waiting for something concrete," added Ibrahim.
In Sohag, residents remain desperately afraid of what awaits them, with Karem, a local, urging authorities to send security forces to help.
"No one is protecting us!"
Source : Sapa-AFP /pk
Date : 16 Aug 2013 08:54 OrigID : LC538710
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Death Toll Soars to 638
Weeping relatives in search of loved ones uncovered the faces of the bloodied, unclaimed dead in a Cairo mosque near the smoldering epicenter of support for ousted President Mohammed Morsi, as the death toll soared past 600 Thursday from Egypt's deadliest day since the Arab Spring began.
World condemnation widened for the bloody crackdown on Morsi's mostly Islamist supporters, including an angry response from President Barack Obama, who canceled joint U.S.-Egyptian military maneuvers.
Violence spread Thursday, with government buildings set afire near the pyramids, policemen gunned down and scores of Christian churches attacked. As turmoil engulfed the country, the Interior Ministry authorized the use of deadly force against protesters targeting police and state institutions.
The Muslim Brotherhood, trying to regroup after the assault on their encampments and the arrest of many of their leaders, called for a mass rally on Friday in a challenge to the government's declaration of a monthlong state of emergency and a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
At least 638 people were confirmed killed and nearly 4,000 wounded in the violence sparked when riot police backed by armored vehicles, snipers and bulldozers smashed the two sit-ins in Cairo where Morsi's supporters had been camped out for six weeks to demand his reinstatement. It was the deadliest day by far since the 2011 popular uprising that overthrew autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak and plunged the country into more than two years of instability.
Also on Thursday, The United Nations Security Council called on both the Egyptian government and the Muslim Brotherhood to exercise "maximum restraint" and end the violence spreading across the country. Council members called for national reconciliation.
The Health Ministry said that 288 of those killed were in the largest protest camp in Cairo's Nasr City district, while 90 others were slain in a smaller encampment at al-Nahda Square, near Cairo University. Others died in clashes that broke out between Morsi's supporters and security forces or anti-Morsi protesters elsewhere in the Egyptian capital and other cities.
Mohammed Fathallah, the ministry spokesman, said earlier that the blood-soaked bodies lined up in the El Iman mosque in Nasr City were not included in the official death toll. It was not immediately clear if the new figures included the ones at the mosque.
Inside the mosque-turned-morgue, the names of the dead were scribbled on white sheets covering the bodies, some of them charred, and a list with 265 names was plastered on the wall. Heat made the stench from the corpses almost unbearable as the ice brought in to chill the bodies melted and household fans offered little relief.
Weeping relatives filled the mosque courtyard and spilled into the streets. In a corner, a woman cradled the head of a slain man in her lap, fanning it with a paper fan. Nearby, an anguished man shouted, "God take revenge on you el-Sissi!" a reference to the powerful military chief, Gen. Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi.
Slumped over the body of his brother, Ihab el-Sayyed said the 24-year-old was getting ready for his wedding next week. "Last time I heard his voice was an hour or two before I heard of his death," he said, choking back tears.
Over the mosque speakers, announcements urged people to leave because their body heat was making the humid conditions worse inside the mosque, where posters of Morsi lay piled up in a corner.
Many people complained that authorities were preventing them from obtaining permits to bury their dead, although the Muslim Brotherhood announced that several funerals had been held Thursday. Fathallah denied that permits were being withheld.
"Bodies are getting decomposed. We only want to bury them. This is unfair," said Hamdan Abdullah, who had traveled from the city of Fayoum to retrieve the body of his niece.
Weeping relatives in search of loved ones uncovered the faces of the bloodied, unclaimed dead in a Cairo mosque near the smoldering epicenter of support for ousted President Mohammed Morsi, as the death toll soared past 600 Thursday from Egypt's deadliest day since the Arab Spring began.
World condemnation widened for the bloody crackdown on Morsi's mostly Islamist supporters, including an angry response from President Barack Obama, who canceled joint U.S.-Egyptian military maneuvers.
Violence spread Thursday, with government buildings set afire near the pyramids, policemen gunned down and scores of Christian churches attacked. As turmoil engulfed the country, the Interior Ministry authorized the use of deadly force against protesters targeting police and state institutions.
The Muslim Brotherhood, trying to regroup after the assault on their encampments and the arrest of many of their leaders, called for a mass rally on Friday in a challenge to the government's declaration of a monthlong state of emergency and a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
At least 638 people were confirmed killed and nearly 4,000 wounded in the violence sparked when riot police backed by armored vehicles, snipers and bulldozers smashed the two sit-ins in Cairo where Morsi's supporters had been camped out for six weeks to demand his reinstatement. It was the deadliest day by far since the 2011 popular uprising that overthrew autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak and plunged the country into more than two years of instability.
Also on Thursday, The United Nations Security Council called on both the Egyptian government and the Muslim Brotherhood to exercise "maximum restraint" and end the violence spreading across the country. Council members called for national reconciliation.
The Health Ministry said that 288 of those killed were in the largest protest camp in Cairo's Nasr City district, while 90 others were slain in a smaller encampment at al-Nahda Square, near Cairo University. Others died in clashes that broke out between Morsi's supporters and security forces or anti-Morsi protesters elsewhere in the Egyptian capital and other cities.
Mohammed Fathallah, the ministry spokesman, said earlier that the blood-soaked bodies lined up in the El Iman mosque in Nasr City were not included in the official death toll. It was not immediately clear if the new figures included the ones at the mosque.
Inside the mosque-turned-morgue, the names of the dead were scribbled on white sheets covering the bodies, some of them charred, and a list with 265 names was plastered on the wall. Heat made the stench from the corpses almost unbearable as the ice brought in to chill the bodies melted and household fans offered little relief.
Weeping relatives filled the mosque courtyard and spilled into the streets. In a corner, a woman cradled the head of a slain man in her lap, fanning it with a paper fan. Nearby, an anguished man shouted, "God take revenge on you el-Sissi!" a reference to the powerful military chief, Gen. Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi.
Slumped over the body of his brother, Ihab el-Sayyed said the 24-year-old was getting ready for his wedding next week. "Last time I heard his voice was an hour or two before I heard of his death," he said, choking back tears.
Over the mosque speakers, announcements urged people to leave because their body heat was making the humid conditions worse inside the mosque, where posters of Morsi lay piled up in a corner.
Many people complained that authorities were preventing them from obtaining permits to bury their dead, although the Muslim Brotherhood announced that several funerals had been held Thursday. Fathallah denied that permits were being withheld.
"Bodies are getting decomposed. We only want to bury them. This is unfair," said Hamdan Abdullah, who had traveled from the city of Fayoum to retrieve the body of his niece.
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Omar Houzien, a volunteer helping families search for their loved ones, said the bodies were carried to the mosque from a medical center at the protest camp in the final hours of Wednesday's police sweep because of fears they would be burned.
Elsewhere, a mass funeral was held in Cairo for some of the 43 security troops authorities said were killed in Wednesday's clashes. Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of the police, led the mourners. A police band played solemn music as fire engines bore the coffins draped in white, red and black Egyptian flags in a funeral procession.
The deadly crackdown drew widespread condemnation from the Muslim world and the West.
Obama canceled joint U.S.-Egypt military exercises scheduled for next month, although he gave no indication that the U.S. planned to cut off its $1.3 billion in annual military aid to the country. The U.S. administration has avoided declaring Morsi's ouster a coup, which would force it to suspend the military aid.
"While we want to sustain our relationship with Egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back," the U.S. president said, speaking from his weeklong vacation in Massachusetts.
Obama said he also ordered his national security team to "assess the actions taken by the interim government and further steps that we may take as necessary with respect to the U.S.-Egyptian relationship."
Egypt's interim government issued a late night statement saying the country is facing "terrorist actions targeting government and vital institutions" by "violent militant groups." The statement expressed "sadness" for the killings of Egyptians and pledged to work on restoring law and order.
The statement also warned that Obama's position "while it's not based on facts can empower the violent militant groups and encourage them in its anti-stability discourse."
Egypt enjoys "full sovereignty and independence of its decision," the statement said.
The biennial Bright Star maneuvers, long a centerpiece of the deep ties between the U.S. and Egyptian militaries, have not been held since 2009, as Egypt grappled with the fallout from the revolution that ousted Mubarak. Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was elected president in 2012 during Egypt's first democratic elections.
Despite the curfew and state of emergency, violence spilled over to a second day Thursday.
The Interior Ministry said its decision to authorize police to use deadly force came after an angry crowd stormed the governor's office in Giza, the city next to Cairo that is home to the pyramids.
Associated Press reporters witnessed the burning buildings, a two-story colonial-style villa and a four-story administrative office on the road leading to the pyramids on the west bank of the Nile River.
"The ministry has given instruction to all forces to use live ammunition to confront any assaults on institutions or the forces," the statement read.
Egypt's military-backed government also pledged to confront "terrorist actions and sabotage" allegedly carried out by Muslim Brotherhood members.
State TV blamed Morsi supporters for the arson and broadcast footage showing firefighters evacuating employees from the larger building.
The Brotherhood's website IkhwanOnLine said thousands of Morsi supporters marched through Giza but were attacked by pro-military "militias." It did not say how the government buildings were set on fire.
Attackers also set fire to churches and police stations across the country for a second day Thursday.
In the country's second-largest city of Alexandria, Islamist protesters exchanged gunfire with an anti-Morsi rally, leaving scores injured, witnesses and security officials said. Attempts to storm police stations in the southern city of Assiut and northern Sinai city of el-Arish left at least six policemen dead and others injured.
Ishaq Ibrahim of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said his group had documented at least 39 cases of violence against churches, monasteries, Coptic schools and shops in different parts of the country on Wednesday.
Cairo, a city of some 18 million people, was uncharacteristically quiet Thursday, with only a fraction of its usually hectic traffic and many stores and government offices shuttered. Many people hunkered down at home for fear of more violence. Banks and the stock market were closed.
Fearful of more violence Friday in response to calls for more protests by both the Brotherhood and anti-Morsi camps, some main streets were closed and people in many neighborhoods set up cement blocks and metal barricades. Residents checked IDs in scenes reminiscent of the 2011 revolution when vigilante-style groups set up neighborhood watches to prevent looting and other attacks.
In Cairo's Nasr City neighborhood, smoke rose from the burned-out Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque compound that had been the epicenter of support for Morsi, its floor covered with black debris and nearby trees and grass charred. A makeshift field hospital was also gutted, its walls blackened and floors covered in pools of brackish water.
The turmoil is the latest chapter in a bitter standoff between Morsi's supporters and the interim leadership that took over the Arab world's most populous country following a July 3 coup. The military ouster came after millions of Egyptians took to the streets to demand Morsi step down, accusing him of giving the Brotherhood undue influence and failing to implement vital reforms or bolster the ailing economy.
Morsi has been held at an undisclosed location ever since. Other Brotherhood leaders, including several arrested Wednesday, have been charged with inciting violence or conspiring in the killing of protesters.
The Brotherhood has spent most of its 85 years as an outlawed group or enduring crackdowns by successive governments. The latest developments could provide authorities with the grounds to once again declare it an illegal group and consign it to the political wilderness.
Source : Sapa-AP /mom
Date : 16 Aug 2013 03:43
Elsewhere, a mass funeral was held in Cairo for some of the 43 security troops authorities said were killed in Wednesday's clashes. Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of the police, led the mourners. A police band played solemn music as fire engines bore the coffins draped in white, red and black Egyptian flags in a funeral procession.
The deadly crackdown drew widespread condemnation from the Muslim world and the West.
Obama canceled joint U.S.-Egypt military exercises scheduled for next month, although he gave no indication that the U.S. planned to cut off its $1.3 billion in annual military aid to the country. The U.S. administration has avoided declaring Morsi's ouster a coup, which would force it to suspend the military aid.
"While we want to sustain our relationship with Egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back," the U.S. president said, speaking from his weeklong vacation in Massachusetts.
Obama said he also ordered his national security team to "assess the actions taken by the interim government and further steps that we may take as necessary with respect to the U.S.-Egyptian relationship."
Egypt's interim government issued a late night statement saying the country is facing "terrorist actions targeting government and vital institutions" by "violent militant groups." The statement expressed "sadness" for the killings of Egyptians and pledged to work on restoring law and order.
The statement also warned that Obama's position "while it's not based on facts can empower the violent militant groups and encourage them in its anti-stability discourse."
Egypt enjoys "full sovereignty and independence of its decision," the statement said.
The biennial Bright Star maneuvers, long a centerpiece of the deep ties between the U.S. and Egyptian militaries, have not been held since 2009, as Egypt grappled with the fallout from the revolution that ousted Mubarak. Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was elected president in 2012 during Egypt's first democratic elections.
Despite the curfew and state of emergency, violence spilled over to a second day Thursday.
The Interior Ministry said its decision to authorize police to use deadly force came after an angry crowd stormed the governor's office in Giza, the city next to Cairo that is home to the pyramids.
Associated Press reporters witnessed the burning buildings, a two-story colonial-style villa and a four-story administrative office on the road leading to the pyramids on the west bank of the Nile River.
"The ministry has given instruction to all forces to use live ammunition to confront any assaults on institutions or the forces," the statement read.
Egypt's military-backed government also pledged to confront "terrorist actions and sabotage" allegedly carried out by Muslim Brotherhood members.
State TV blamed Morsi supporters for the arson and broadcast footage showing firefighters evacuating employees from the larger building.
The Brotherhood's website IkhwanOnLine said thousands of Morsi supporters marched through Giza but were attacked by pro-military "militias." It did not say how the government buildings were set on fire.
Attackers also set fire to churches and police stations across the country for a second day Thursday.
In the country's second-largest city of Alexandria, Islamist protesters exchanged gunfire with an anti-Morsi rally, leaving scores injured, witnesses and security officials said. Attempts to storm police stations in the southern city of Assiut and northern Sinai city of el-Arish left at least six policemen dead and others injured.
Ishaq Ibrahim of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said his group had documented at least 39 cases of violence against churches, monasteries, Coptic schools and shops in different parts of the country on Wednesday.
Cairo, a city of some 18 million people, was uncharacteristically quiet Thursday, with only a fraction of its usually hectic traffic and many stores and government offices shuttered. Many people hunkered down at home for fear of more violence. Banks and the stock market were closed.
Fearful of more violence Friday in response to calls for more protests by both the Brotherhood and anti-Morsi camps, some main streets were closed and people in many neighborhoods set up cement blocks and metal barricades. Residents checked IDs in scenes reminiscent of the 2011 revolution when vigilante-style groups set up neighborhood watches to prevent looting and other attacks.
In Cairo's Nasr City neighborhood, smoke rose from the burned-out Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque compound that had been the epicenter of support for Morsi, its floor covered with black debris and nearby trees and grass charred. A makeshift field hospital was also gutted, its walls blackened and floors covered in pools of brackish water.
The turmoil is the latest chapter in a bitter standoff between Morsi's supporters and the interim leadership that took over the Arab world's most populous country following a July 3 coup. The military ouster came after millions of Egyptians took to the streets to demand Morsi step down, accusing him of giving the Brotherhood undue influence and failing to implement vital reforms or bolster the ailing economy.
Morsi has been held at an undisclosed location ever since. Other Brotherhood leaders, including several arrested Wednesday, have been charged with inciting violence or conspiring in the killing of protesters.
The Brotherhood has spent most of its 85 years as an outlawed group or enduring crackdowns by successive governments. The latest developments could provide authorities with the grounds to once again declare it an illegal group and consign it to the political wilderness.
Source : Sapa-AP /mom
Date : 16 Aug 2013 03:43
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Egypt's Tourism Faces Meltdown
Egypt's tourist industry was facing meltdown on Friday as foreign governments warned their citizens to stay away and told visitors already there to remain in their hotels.
Fears of nationwide unrest in the wake of a violent crackdown by the military-backed interim government earlier this week have resulted in a string of countries issuing official advice against all but essential travel to Egypt.
That has dealt another blow to a sector that was already struggling with the fallout from the political instability that has ensued since the 2011 Arab Spring.
Russia, which has more than 50,000 of its nationals currently on holiday in Egypt and a similar number booked to go there in the coming months, advised travel agents to stop selling packages to the north African state.
Britain, which had previously excluded Egypt's popular Red Sea resorts from its travel advisory, on Friday told its nationals visiting the Red Sea resort of Hurghada to stay in their hotels, in line with advice received from the Egyptian police.
The warning followed a death in Hurghada on Wednesday.
"Hurghada police advised tourists to remain in hotel grounds," a statement from the Foreign Office said. "We advise you to follow their advice".
"You are strongly advised to avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings.
"If you become aware of any nearby protests, leave the area immediately. Do not attempt to cross road blocks erected by the security forces or protestors."
British travel association ABTA estimates that there are currently around 40,000 Britons in Red Sea resorts such as Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, which is an eight-hour drive from Cairo.
Tour operator Thomas Cook said it had cancelled excursions from the Red Sea resorts to Cairo, Luxor, Moses Mountain and Saint Catherine's monastery.
But a spokeswoman added: "Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada are fully operational and holidaymakers are continuing to enjoy these popular resorts."
Italy, which has an estimated 19,000 citizens in Egypt, advised them to remain in hotels and holiday resorts.
"We strongly advise you to avoid excursions outside of tourist areas, particularly in cities," the foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.
The ministry also said the security situation in the northern part of the Sinai peninsula was "very precarious" and advised against any travel there.
"There is a risk of terrorist attacks. There should be particular caution in the region bordering the Gaza Strip, in Cairo and Alexandria," it said.
"Great prudence is recommended in crowded areas".
The federation of Italian tour operators Fiavet said earlier this week that there had been an 80-percent drop in the number of Italians visiting Egypt this year.
The warnings issued by Britain and Italy were mirrored in France, Germany and Spain.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius indicated that a possible evacuation of French nationals was being kept under review. "We will see how the situation evolves," he said, adding that, in the meantime, citizens in Egypt were "very strongly advised to stay at home."
Source : Sapa-AFP /lk
Date : 16 Aug 2013 14:26
Egypt's tourist industry was facing meltdown on Friday as foreign governments warned their citizens to stay away and told visitors already there to remain in their hotels.
Fears of nationwide unrest in the wake of a violent crackdown by the military-backed interim government earlier this week have resulted in a string of countries issuing official advice against all but essential travel to Egypt.
That has dealt another blow to a sector that was already struggling with the fallout from the political instability that has ensued since the 2011 Arab Spring.
Russia, which has more than 50,000 of its nationals currently on holiday in Egypt and a similar number booked to go there in the coming months, advised travel agents to stop selling packages to the north African state.
Britain, which had previously excluded Egypt's popular Red Sea resorts from its travel advisory, on Friday told its nationals visiting the Red Sea resort of Hurghada to stay in their hotels, in line with advice received from the Egyptian police.
The warning followed a death in Hurghada on Wednesday.
"Hurghada police advised tourists to remain in hotel grounds," a statement from the Foreign Office said. "We advise you to follow their advice".
"You are strongly advised to avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings.
"If you become aware of any nearby protests, leave the area immediately. Do not attempt to cross road blocks erected by the security forces or protestors."
British travel association ABTA estimates that there are currently around 40,000 Britons in Red Sea resorts such as Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, which is an eight-hour drive from Cairo.
Tour operator Thomas Cook said it had cancelled excursions from the Red Sea resorts to Cairo, Luxor, Moses Mountain and Saint Catherine's monastery.
But a spokeswoman added: "Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada are fully operational and holidaymakers are continuing to enjoy these popular resorts."
Italy, which has an estimated 19,000 citizens in Egypt, advised them to remain in hotels and holiday resorts.
"We strongly advise you to avoid excursions outside of tourist areas, particularly in cities," the foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.
The ministry also said the security situation in the northern part of the Sinai peninsula was "very precarious" and advised against any travel there.
"There is a risk of terrorist attacks. There should be particular caution in the region bordering the Gaza Strip, in Cairo and Alexandria," it said.
"Great prudence is recommended in crowded areas".
The federation of Italian tour operators Fiavet said earlier this week that there had been an 80-percent drop in the number of Italians visiting Egypt this year.
The warnings issued by Britain and Italy were mirrored in France, Germany and Spain.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius indicated that a possible evacuation of French nationals was being kept under review. "We will see how the situation evolves," he said, adding that, in the meantime, citizens in Egypt were "very strongly advised to stay at home."
Source : Sapa-AFP /lk
Date : 16 Aug 2013 14:26
OrbitalDawn
Ulysses Everett McGill
Grant
Honorary Master
You have to admit, that water looks pretty damn inviting
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Meanwhile in Egypt....
[video=youtube;EahIsb4qadE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EahIsb4qadE[/video]
[video=youtube;EahIsb4qadE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EahIsb4qadE[/video]
daveza
Honorary Master
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Protestors mowed down by heavy gunfire...
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7a_1376615614
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a7a_1376615614
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Jordan backs Egypts efforts to impose law
Jordan said on Friday it backs Egypt's efforts to "impose rule of law" and "combat terrorism," in its first official reaction to the deadly crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.
"Jordan stands by Egypt in its serious efforts to impose the rule of law and restore security and stability," Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said in a statement carried by state-run Petra news agency.
"Egypt is seeking to combat terrorism and attempts (by others) to meddle in its affairs," he said.
Judeh hailed remarks by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, who pledged his country's support to Egypt's fight on "terrorism."
"All Arabs and Muslims should stand firm against attempts to tamper with Egypt's security and stability," Judeh said.
Earlier in the day around 1,000 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan demonstrated in Amman to protest against the crackdown.
"Down with military rule," the demonstrators chanted, in reference to the Egyptian armed forces who deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3 after millions clamoured for his resignation.
The protesters, waving Jordanian and Egyptian flags, also demanded the expulsion of the Egyptian ambassador and called on the government to recall the envoy from Cairo.
Hamzeh Mansur, head of the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Brotherhood in Jordan, also sent a letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur demanding the government condemn the crackdown in Egypt.
Egypt has faced international condemnation since nearly 600 people were killed in clashes on Wednesday when police broke up protest camps of Morsi supporters.
On Friday thousands of Islamists protested across Egypt, sparking violence that killed at least 70 people and turned parts of Cairo into battlefields after police authorised the use of live ammunition
Source : Sapa-AFP /kn
Date : 16 Aug 2013 19:51
Jordan said on Friday it backs Egypt's efforts to "impose rule of law" and "combat terrorism," in its first official reaction to the deadly crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.
"Jordan stands by Egypt in its serious efforts to impose the rule of law and restore security and stability," Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said in a statement carried by state-run Petra news agency.
"Egypt is seeking to combat terrorism and attempts (by others) to meddle in its affairs," he said.
Judeh hailed remarks by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, who pledged his country's support to Egypt's fight on "terrorism."
"All Arabs and Muslims should stand firm against attempts to tamper with Egypt's security and stability," Judeh said.
Earlier in the day around 1,000 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan demonstrated in Amman to protest against the crackdown.
"Down with military rule," the demonstrators chanted, in reference to the Egyptian armed forces who deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3 after millions clamoured for his resignation.
The protesters, waving Jordanian and Egyptian flags, also demanded the expulsion of the Egyptian ambassador and called on the government to recall the envoy from Cairo.
Hamzeh Mansur, head of the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Brotherhood in Jordan, also sent a letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur demanding the government condemn the crackdown in Egypt.
Egypt has faced international condemnation since nearly 600 people were killed in clashes on Wednesday when police broke up protest camps of Morsi supporters.
On Friday thousands of Islamists protested across Egypt, sparking violence that killed at least 70 people and turned parts of Cairo into battlefields after police authorised the use of live ammunition
Source : Sapa-AFP /kn
Date : 16 Aug 2013 19:51
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
killadoob
Honorary Master
Captain obvious, you realize there are no more peaceful protests, government slaughtering people and the people doing what they can to fight back.
Trouble is the protests by the pro morsi guys lead to the resignation of the vice president, so what you have on the street are anti military and pro morsi along with christians now as well. The government cannot differentiate the three or four different camps.
OrbitalDawn
Ulysses Everett McGill
Seems shouting 'Allahu Akhbar' doesn't make you bulletproof.