Egypt Army Chief Ousts Morsi
The Egyptian army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday after a week of bloodshed that killed nearly 50 people as millions took to the streets to demand an end to his turbulent single year of rule.
The announcement, made on state television by Morsi's own defense minister, armed forces chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, drew a rapturous welcome from the protesters who have camped out on the streets of Cairo for days.
Sisi also announced a freezing of the Islamist-drafted constitution and early presidential elections.
Thousands of people immediately took to the streets of the capital to celebrate, cheering, whistling, letting off firecrackers, and honking car horns in joyous scenes.
But Morsi's office rejected the move as "illegal" and called on Egyptians to peacefully resist the "coup."
Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president, came under massive pressure in the run-up to Sunday's anniversary of his maiden year in office, with his opponents accusing him of failing the 2011 revolution by concentrating power in Islamist hands.
The embattled 62-year-old proposed a "consensus government" as a way out of the country's worst crisis since the 2011 uprising ended three decades of authoritarian rule by Hosni Mubarak.
But the United States urged Morsi to "do more" as a military deadline passed for him to meet the demands of the people following a week of bloody unrest during mass protests calling for him to quit.
The advice came too late, however, as the army said the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly al-Mansour, a previously little known judge, would become the new leader of the Arab world's most populous country.
Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief, and the heads of the Coptic Church and al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, sat alongside the armed forces chief as he announced Morsi's overthrow on state television.
The choreography was designed to show broad civilian support for the military's move to topple Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, dashing the hopes of supporters who had seen his elevation to the presidency after years underground as one of the key achievements of the 2011 revolution.
Morsi's camp had earlier denounced the army's intervention as a coup.
"For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let's call what is happening by its real name: military coup," Essam al-Haddad, Morsi's national security adviser, said in a statement on Facebook.
As tension mounted and crowds poured onto 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."
AFP correspondents reported seeing dozens of armoured personnel carriers heading towards Islamist gatherings at Cairo University, Heliopolis and Nasr City.
But in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the security forces looked on as tens of thousands of anti-Morsi protesters rallied in a demonstration that dwarfed that of the embattled president's supporters in Nasr City, on the opposite side of town.
"Come here O Sisi, Morsi isn't my president," the flag-waving protesters chanted in the square, referring to the army chief.
The crowd swelled at nightfall, after a scorching day that saw police officers hand out water to the demonstrators in the middle of Tahrir, epicenter of the 2011 uprising that ended three decades of authoritarian rule by Hosni Mubarak.
The powerful military had issued a 48-hour deadline on Monday for Morsi to meet the "people's demands", a day after millions of protesters took to the streets across the troubled country calling for him to resign.
Thousands of people also gathered in Nasr City in a show of support for Morsi, despite an attack that killed 16 of them and injured 200 overnight.
That spate of bloodletting took to almost 50 the number of people killed in Egypt since the latest crisis flared a week ago ahead of Sunday's anniversary of Morsi's swearing-in.
Opponents accuse Morsi of having betrayed the revolution by concentrating power in Islamist hands and of sending the economy into freefall. His supporters said he inherited many problems, and that he should be allowed to see out his mandate, which had been supposed to run until 2016.
In a late night speech on Tuesday, a defiant Morsi said he had been freely elected more than a year ago and intended to carry on his duties. The only alternative was more bloodshed.
Upping the stakes, senior armed forces commanders meeting on Wednesday swore to defend Egypt with their lives, a source close to the military told AFP.
"We swear to God that we will sacrifice our blood for Egypt and its people against all terrorists, extremists and the ignorant," they declared in an oath led by General Sisi, the source said.
Egypt's press had predicted Wednesday would be the day of Morsi's departure.
"Today: Ouster or Resignation," splashed the state-owned mass circulation al-Ahram newspaper. "The End," declared the independent al-Watan.
Aside from Tahrir, Nasr City and a few other areas, Cairo's streets were unusually quiet, with many choosing to stay home over fears of more violence.
"The Islamists declared war on the rest of the population yesterday. I'm very scared," said resident Soha Abdelrahman.
All eyes were on the military, after al-Ahram reported details of the its roadmap for the future.
The plan provides for an interim administration, of up to one year, which would include the head of the supreme constitutional court and a senior army figure.
The constitution, controversially approved by Morsi's Islamist allies in December, would be suspended for up to 12 months while a new one was drawn up and put to a referendum, before presidential and parliamentary elections.
almost 11 years
You are right!
almost 11 years
Let that be lesson to the extremists everywhere that applying your own religious believes and forcing them on everyone would not work. What happened in Egypt is very healthy... Soon in Syria and when they hang the dictator Bashar upside-down, hopefully the Syrian people will be smart enough after they learn from the experience in Egypt that replacing the Baath party with an Islamic regime and forcing it on everyone WOULD NOT WORK.
almost 11 years
why do you want to replace Bashar with people worse than the MB, i.e., Nusra front? havent you seen how they're treating Chiaas, Alawists and Christians? I am not saying Bashar is making love to Sunnis but the army is definitely not killing on a secterian basis.
almost 11 years
A high-ranking March 14 delegation is traveling ASAP to Egypt to stand by and comfort the Muslim Brotherhood of Sanni Lunacy and Berserkness while another delegation is doing the same for those of Sidon, and then of Arsal and then of Tripoli and then of Akkar and then... wherever. Thank you March 14 for such humanity and for bringing onto Lebanon its 21st century version of the Pales-Syrian problem mixed with Sanni lunatics. After all, as Dr. Arreet 7akeh calls them, they are from his "minnina."
almost 11 years
Good riddance
while religion can be used for guidance, it should never be the sole source. Egypt depended on tourism and its entertainment industry--the tourism industry is basically dead and the entertainers have moved to the UAE and other venues because they had no freedoms at home.
almost 11 years
when they are not in power, they strive to get power. once in power they do not want to go.
if those same guys would really look at those who preceded them, they would realize they would have to go some day.
I sincerely hope that hizbushaitan realizes that fact soon, and that they will make amends to the Lebanese people.
nasrallah = hitler
almost 11 years
@geha
Indeed, HA would do well to heed the momentous event in Egypt. Rigid Islamist Ideology like the MD or HA is no longer viable. When the masses reach critical mass nothing can stand in their way and that is why neither HA, Iran nor Assad can win the Syrian war, the masses will not allow it in the long run.
Unfortunately, judging from HA latest behavior and attitude, they are much too enthralled with the power of their arms to heed the historical signs being made almost on a daily bases in the Arab world.
almost 11 years
Power really does corrupt.
almost 11 years
This is not good.
Granted, Morsi was an SOB, but a democratically elected SOB. They should have gotten rid of him the democratic way, even if it took time. Peaceful, persistent civil disobedience leading to his impeachment or resignation is a perfectly democratic way to do it. Opening the way for the Army to intervene like they just did will actually set Egypt back more than Morsi did.
Guess what is going to happen now? The MB, robbed of its democratic right to govern, will start making trouble. And it is not going to be pretty.
almost 11 years
@ jabal10452
Understand and logically agree with your sentiment, however, democracy is not only a one man one vote proposition. The MB immediately started to monopolize power based on their thin winning electoral margins and marginalized the opposition. If that was not bad enough, they made a bad economic situation much worse to boot. They were interested only with Islamist Ideology not the people - BIG mistake.
The opposition could not have wielded so many Egyptian demonstrators if not for most of those that voted for Morsi having changed their minds and joined in.
almost 11 years
I understand what you say, but it looks like the revolution of the Egyptian people did not stop when Morsi got elected, and all the signs tell us it won't stop until a legitimate leader for all Egyptians takes office.
almost 11 years
Geha, I hope they never see it and they never make amends.. Why do you want that?
I hope war in Syria will continue, Hizbullah keeps sending their young men to Syria, only to be perished there. Hizbullah will be depleted. Assad will eventually be hung by its own people. Hizbullah will realize that they lost the battle of Syria. Parents of the young men who died in Syria will realize that their sons died for a lost cause. They will blame Nassrallah for sending their sons there. Nassrallah the rat will get weaker and weaker. Hizbullah will get divided among themselves for making this very bad decision that cost the lives of so many young men… This will be the end of Hizbullah… What we see right now is the beginning of the end of Hizbullah. Even though things may look in their favor and the Baath regime favor but soon the reality on the ground will change dramatically…
almost 11 years
jabal10452 if the army keeps their word and call for election, who cares what the Muslim Brotherhood would do or think.. Once they have an honest election in Egypt, the MB will be marginalized... Enough bombing churches and killing the tourism and economic industries by these bastards.. Egypt can not wait for these idiots to surrender power...
almost 11 years
Zahle we should care what the MB does. Remember Algeria in the 90's? Back then, the Islamists won the election fair and square. When they were denied the rights that they had acquired through legal means (fair elections), they went under ground and plunged the country in a decade-long bloodbath. This is the risk that I see Egypt running today.
almost 11 years
When did they bomb churches?
almost 11 years
Good job by the Egyptian army. If Lebanon had 3 or 4 courageous high ranking officers back in the 1970's, the civil war would not have degenerated the way it has and destroyed the country.
almost 11 years
jabal10452 I see your point... I guess it all depends now how successful the next president of Egypt will be in moving Egypt forward...
almost 11 years
Congratulations to the Egyptian people. 3a2bel all the GCC terrorist leaders.
almost 11 years
That is the best news for lebanon. If Egypt cannot hold a "moderate" islamist in power, it will certainly not have a salafi. Islamists for all their noise are not an issue for egypt.
Whomever rules syria will look very carefully at egypt... And since syria is more open and less islamist than Egypt, islamists will be even less strong there.
Where does that put lebanese islamists? A bunch of underdogs financed by mikati who are going nowhere. That makes our only problem the Hezballah milicia.
almost 11 years
But still, I agree with Lebnanfirst that this is not democratic procedure and not good for egypt. Now every jobless or unsatisfied bloke will take to the streets to change governemnt. Dangerous precedent. Pressure is one thing, and removing a democratically elected president is another thing.
almost 11 years
how did he lie?
almost 11 years
Bigjohn, you are correct. Many seem to think that the egyptians revolted against religious rule when there wasent even a religious rule with the exception of statements or small things. They revolted for the same reasons they revolted against mubarak. Nothing changed in egypt and i dont see how it will change when the army has as much power as it does? The next who becomes president will be equally preassured in to joining the same alliance mursi joined.
almost 11 years
He was deposed because unemployment is at a high of 13%. Unemployment is high because of lack of trust. Lack of trust because of islamists. Ma tit3ab. He started with his arrogant backwards islamist constitution, and ended up begging sawiris to come back to egypt.
Good riddance. The MB were leading Egypt back into the dark ages.