THE RETURN OF MORSI AS PRESIDENT IS NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE THIS WILL BE VERY DECISIVE AND THERE WILL BE VERY MASSIVE DEMONSTRATIONS DAILY BY HIS OPPONENTS AND THE COPTS.
'I doubt that protesters really think Morsi's return is possible' - Egyptian journalist
Photo: EPA
On Monday evening, hundreds of pro-Morsi supporters clashed with security forces in Cairo as they rallied for the return of the ousted Egyptian President. Seven have been confirmed killed. Police used tear gas to disperse protesters, in a standoff that comes amid the ongoing visit by US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns to Egypt. The Voice of Russia discussed current situation in Egypt with Sara Khorshid, who is an Egyptian journalist and columnist specializing on Egypt and on Muslim-Western relations.
The clashes took place after hundreds of angry protesters blocked the main October 6 Bridge in central Cairo. Security forces fired tear gas to drive back protesters, who hurled rocks at police and chanted anti-government slogans. The bridge was later reopened with no reports of casualties.
The clashes reportedly ended after about ten minutes. They were the first since 50 Morsi supporters were killed outside the Republican Guard compound in Cairo, where ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is thought to be held.
Separately, tens of thousands of pro-Morsi protesters gathered outside Cairo’s Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, where they have been holding a round-the-clock vigil [vidjil] to demand Mr Morsi's reinstatement.
Earlier on Monday, US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns urged Egypt’s divided factions to start a dialogue and end violence. He confirmed his country’s readiness to remain committed to Egypt that Burns described as - quote – “stable, democratic, inclusive and tolerant.”
The statement came amid efforts by Egypt’s military leadership to install a new cabinet that is due to oversee the transition to parliamentary and presidential elections. Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood defiantly insists on his reinstatement and insists the ousting was a coup.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi is expected to unveil his full cabinet shortly.
Earlier, Mohamed ElBaradei, a former senior UN diplomat, was sworn in as vice president of Egypt.
Sara Khorshid, an Egyptian journalist and columnist specializing on Egypt and on Muslim-Western relations.
What is your forecast on further development of the situation in Egypt? Do you expect more violence in the coming days?
It depends on negotiations behind closed doors between the Muslim Brotherhood leaders and the military. As to the protesters, they are followers or members of the Muslim Brotherhood, they are ordered to do this by their leadership and they will listen to the orders of the leadership to leave.
The country is obviously very much divided right now and you said a lot will depend on how the two sides will negotiate with each other. But how much willingness is there on both sides to stop violence and protest, sit down and talk and move on?
The Muslim Brotherhood has made it clear openly to the public that they will be blocking the roads engaging and having those situations that lead to clashes until Morsi is back. This is what they are saying, although I doubt that they really think that this is possible. I think they are trying to raise the feeling of demand so that it would give them an advantage when they sit for negotiations with the military leadership secretly. So, we can look at 2 sides: what is behind closed door of negotiations between the Muslim Brotherhood and military leadership and what is on the street. They are raising the feeling of demand possibly to get the best in those negotiations. But the protest will not end until the leadership decides to end it.
The US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns is visiting your country and his visit is actually supposed to bring calm to the country and bring the 2 sides to the negotiating table but what we are seeing now, there seems to be so much negativity on both sides of the divide towards the US. Why is that?
The US is in a reluctant situation, its main interest obviously is their own interest, not the one of the two sides primarily. It has interest in one side, and it has interest in the other side, interest in the military, and interest in the Muslim Brotherhood. It had long relations with Egyptian army that has been taking annually 1.3 billion dollars of American tax payers money and has been getting training in the US Military Academy, and it has been maintaining the peace treaty with Israel and engaging in security and intelligence cooperation with the US, Israel, Turkey parties. So, this is on the one part. On the other hand, there is also the new relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood and the US and the Muslim Brotherhood helped the US, Morsi when he was in power, he help to recede fire between Hamas and Israel over Gaza several months ago.
Do you think that agreement will be intact between Gaza and Israel?
Both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Military have no general interest in changing it. Both sides have been alternating over the leadership of Egypt in the past 2 years. We haven’t seen yet other entities come to power but those who are in power and those who have been in power for the last 3 years have no he would keep the treaty in place and he said that in the interview with the New York Times a few months after he ascended to the presidency. And the same for the military, nothing has changed for it, they have been respecting the treaty for 30 years now. If a new man comes to power, things might change.
http://sputniknews.com/voiceofrussia/2013_07_16/I-doubt-that-protesters-really-think-Morsis-return-is-possible-Egyptian-journalist-5803/
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