Blast in Egypt train as police crush pro-Morsi protests

#Cairo (AFP) – Two people were killed in clashes, and a #bomb blast in a train wounded nine, security officials said, as police quashed protests marking the anniversary Thursday of Egyptian president Mohamed #Morsi’s ouster.

The violence came as the pro-Morsi Muslim Brotherhood-led Anti-Coup Alliance issued an aggressive rallying cry demanding a ”day of anger” to mark the occasion.

Nine people were wounded when a bomb hidden in a briefcase near a passenger seat exploded inside a train compartment in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria late Thursday, security officials and state media said.

One person was killed by gunshot during clashes in a Cairo district as pro-Morsi supporters clashed with police, while a policeman was killed also by gunshot when his checkpoint was torched by protesters late Thursday in the capital, security officials said.

Three other policemen also suffered burn injuries when the checkpoint was torched.

Police closed off several main squares in Cairo and scoured neighbourhoods to head off protests earlier on Thursday.

In the capital’s Ain Shams district, black-clad riot policemen fired tear gas and shotguns to disperse a few dozen protesters who burned tyres on a road. Police also broke up protests elsewhere in Cairo.

Thirty-nine wanted activists were arrested ahead of Thursday’s protests, and 157 allegedly illegal demonstrators were detained during the day, the interior ministry said.

The Muslim Brotherhood was listed as a terrorist group after Morsi’s overthrow on July 3, 2013 and many of its leaders, including the ex-president himself, have been jailed and are on trial.

The ex-army chief who toppled him, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has been elected to replace him.

Security forces were also on high alert for further bombings, days after two senior policemen were killed when devices they were defusing outside the presidential palace exploded.

Since Morsi was deposed after a turbulent year in power, at least 1,400 people, mostly his Islamist supporters, have been killed in street clashes and more than 15,000 imprisoned.

Despite the crackdown, the Islamists have insisted on continuing their protests with the aim of making Egypt ungovernable for Sisi.

Meanwhile, militants have launched scores of attacks that killed several hundred policemen and soldiers, mostly in the restive Sinai Peninsula.

And the military said troops killed 17 jihadists in northern Sinai and arrested three Thursday.

Bloodiest crackdown

Rights groups say the crackdown has been the bloodiest seen in Egypt in decades.

Among the Brotherhood leaders arrested is its supreme guide Mohamed Badie, who was sentenced to death in a speedy mass trial.

”A surge in arbitrary arrests, detentions and harrowing incidents of torture and deaths in police custody… provide strong evidence of the sharp deterioration in human rights in Egypt in the year since President Mohamed Morsi was ousted,” Amnesty International said.

The repression has further divided Egypt, a regional powerhouse and the Arab world’s most populous country, as a fast-growing population of 86 million stretches its dilapidated infrastructure.

The military removed Morsi after days of huge protests demanding the resignation of the polarising Islamist.

Almost 23 million voters went on to endorse Sisi in a May presidential election against a token leftist candidate.

Sisi’s supporters view him as a strong leader who can restore stability in the often tumultuous country.

Yet the Brotherhood, which had won every vote since an uprising toppled veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak in 2011, still commands a loyal following.

”Let us turn our wealth of revolutionary defiance into an overwhelming power,” the Anti-Coup Alliance said Wednesday.

That night, two men were killed while apparently preparing an explosive device in an apartment south of Cairo, security officials said.

In the capital itself, a small bomb went off inside a car near a military installation late Wednesday. Police arrested a man who was in the car, but another escaped.

The government says the Brotherhood has been behind militant attacks, a charge the group denies.
Manilla Buliten

Egypt's Sisi takes office to cool reception from West

Egyptians celebrate after the swearing-in ceremony of President elect Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, in front of the Presidential Palace in Cairo, June 8, 2014. by Reuter/Asamaa

Abdel Fattah al-#Sisi promised to rule #Egypt in an inclusive manner after he was sworn in as president on Sunday but gave no indication he would reconcile with the Muslim Brotherhood movement he removed from power nearly a year ago.

In an inauguration ceremony with low-key attendance by Western allies concerned by a crackdown on dissent, the former army chief called for hard work and the development of freedom "in a responsible framework away from chaos".

Last month's election, which officials said Sisi won with 97 percent of the vote, followed three years of upheaval since a popular uprising ended 30 years of rule by former air force commander Hosni Mubarak.

Security in Cairo was extra tight, with armoured personnel carriers and tanks positioned in strategic locations. Sisi said combating terrorism would be his top priority for the time being, a reference to Islamist foes he describes as a threat to national security.

"As for those who shed the blood of the innocents, there will be no place for them in this path," Sisi said in his first speech to the nation.

"And I say it loud and clear, there will be no soft stand with anyone who resorts to violence or whoever wants to delay our march towards the future that we want for our children."

Sisi toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Brotherhood last July after mass protests against his rule.

Security forces then killed hundreds of Brotherhood supporters in the streets and jailed thousands of others in a crackdown that polarised the biggest Arab state, which controls the strategic Suez Canal and has a peace treaty with Israel.

In an earlier speech to foreign dignitaries, Sisi called for "an inclusive national march" in an apparent bid to heal political divisions and put an end to street protests that have hammered the economy.

Critics fear Sisi will become yet another authoritarian leader who will preserve the interests of the military and the Mubarak-era establishment, crushing the hopes of democracy.

Near Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of the revolt against Mubarak where protesters now rarely tread, young men sold t-shirts with the image of Sisi in his trademark dark sunglasses.

Commentators on state and private media heaped praise on him, turning a blind eye to what human rights groups say are widespread abuses, in the hope that he can deliver stability and rescue state finances.

Many Egyptians share that hope, but they have limited patience, staging street demonstrations that toppled two leaders in the past three years, and the election turnout of just 47 percent shows Sisi is not as popular as when he toppled Mursi.

"Sisi has to do something in his first 100 days, people will watch closely and there might be another revolution. That's what people are like in this country," said theology student Israa Youssef, 21.

Western countries, who hoped the overthrow of Mubarak in 2011 would usher in a new era of democracy, have watched Egypt's political transition stumble. Mursi was the country's first freely elected president, but his year in power was tarnished by accusations that he usurped power, imposed the Brotherhood's views on Islam and mismanaged the economy, allegations he denied.

GULF LIFELINE

Mursi's ouster was applauded by Egypt's Gulf Arab allies, who were alarmed by the rise of the Brotherhood, the international standard-bearer of mainstream Sunni political Islam.

The 86-year-old movement with branches in many countries, is seen as a threat to Gulf dynasties. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait extended a lifeline exceeding $12 billion in cash and petroleum products to help Egypt stave off economic collapse after Sisi appeared on television and announced that the Brotherhood was finished. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia urged Egyptians this week to back Sisi and said they should disown "the strange chaos" of the Arab uprisings. Kuwait's Emir, the King of Bahrain, the Crown Princes of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi are attending Sisi's inauguration, according to a list provided by the Egyptian presidency.

In contrast, the United States only sent a senior advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry and most European countries only planned to send ambassadors.

"Just having ambassadors shows very clearly that while the governments are recognising the new transfer of power they are certainly not doing so with a huge amount of enthusiasm," said H.A. Hellyer, non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Diplomatic manoeuvring's pale as a problem for Sisi compared with an urgent need to fix state finances and tackle an Islamist insurgency to lure back tourists and investors.

The economy is suffering from corruption, bureaucracy and a widening budget deficit aggravated by fuel subsidies that cost nearly $19 billion a year. Officials forecast economic growth at just 3.2 percent in the fiscal year that begins July 1, well below levels needed to create enough jobs for a rapidly growing population and ease widespread poverty.

Child nursery employee Kamal Mahmoud, 25, said he was optimistic but would give Sisi only two years to bring change.

If he doesn't succeed "he has no right to hold that position and he should join the others sitting in prison", he said.

Sisi has no strong political opponents, with the Brotherhood forced underground.

Parliamentary elections are expected later this year, but government opponents have been crushed and political parties weakened. Only one other candidate contested the presidential election. The military is unlikely to turn against Sisi unless mass street protests erupt. "Sisi was the best option we had, so even if I still have worries about his stand on freedoms and even if he lets Mubarak people come back, he is still the best candidate for now," said Mohamed Ahmed, an employee in a private firm. The world knew little of Sisi before he appeared on television on July 3 to announce the removal of Mursi after vast crowds demanded he resign, and to promise democracy. Sisi had kept a low profile as Mubarak's head of military intelligence. That approach dates back to his childhood in the run-down Cairo neighbourhood of Gamaliya.

While most boys played along alleys, Sisi kept to himself, focusing on his studies, working in his father's shop after school and weightlifting, people who knew him say.

But Sisi will need more than iron discipline to come up with solutions for Egyptians like Fathi Bayoumi, 60, who had hoped the 2011 revolt would ease hardships in his slum, where there are puddles of open sewage.

“He will do his best but it is not in his hands because the country has fallen. He does not have a magic wand… May God be with him," said Bayoumi.

Poverty is just one of the challenges facing Sisi. He is likely to face the same protracted challenge from Islamists as his predecessors. The Brotherhood has been declared a terrorist group and weakened but it has survived repression before.

"Sisi does not enjoy legitimacy or support from the people," said Mursi supporter Wael Kamel, a physician who lives in the town of Fayoum, south of Cairo. "The election was a farce."

Radical Islamist groups, who have threatened to bomb their way into power, have proven resilient despite army offensives. Militants based in the Sinai Peninsula have stepped up attacks on police and soldiers since Mursi's ouster, killing hundreds. Other militants operating along the border with chaotic Libya are now seen by Sisi as a major threat.

Egypt court protects judgment

Supporters of Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi prepare to burn tires during clashes with security forces in Cairo, Dec 27, 2013. Egyptian security forces firing water cannon and tear gas clashed across the country with hundreds of rock-throwing supporters of the ousted ex-president Friday and several people were killed, according to authorities. (AP Photo/Mostafa Darwish)

CAIRO: An #Egyptian court that sentenced to death 37 Islamists and handed life terms to 492 others defended its verdict on Sunday, saying the men were “demons” who followed Jewish scripture.

The court in the central city of Minya had triggered international outrage earlier this year for sentencing to death hundreds of alleged supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in two separate mass trials which only lasted minuted.

In one trial in March 529 were sentenced to death for the killing of a police officer but the court later upheld the sentencing against only 37 of them, while the rest were jailed for life.

In a statement on Sunday to justify its decision, the court said: “The accused came out of the depths of hell... to plunder #Egypt’s wealth, tyrannise its people and they killed the deputy commissioner.”

It described the men as “enemies of the nation” who used mosques to promote the teachings of “their holy book, the Talmud,” the central scripture of Judaism. Dawn News

Sissi sweeps 92 percent of votes in Egypt election

Election poster of Egypt's former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is seen on a column at Al-Hussein mosque in the old Islamic area of Cairo, May 8, 2014 Photo by Reuters

With nearly all the ballots counted, #Egypt's former military chief has won a crushing #victory over his sole opponent with more than 92 percent of the votes, according to results announced by his campaign early Thursday.

The campaign of retired field marshal Abdel-Fattah el-#Sissi said he won 23.38 million votes, with left-wing politician Hamdeen Sabahi taking 735,285. Invalid votes were 1.07 million, or nearly 350,000 more than the number of votes for the 59-year-old Sabahi.

El-Sissi's win was never in doubt, but the career infantry officer, also 59, had hoped for a strong turnout to bestow legitimacy on his ouster last July of Egypt's first freely elected president, the Islamist Mohammed Morsi.

However, el-Sissi's campaign said turnout nationwide was around 44 percent, even after voting was extended for a third day Wednesday — well below the nearly 52 percent won by Morsi in June 2012.

In his final campaign TV interview last week, el-Sissi set the bar even higher, saying he wanted more than 40 million voters — there are nearly 54 million registered voters — to cast ballots to "show the world" the extent of his popular backing.

El-Sissi supporters held all-night celebrations in Cairo, with several thousands gathered at the central Tahrir square, birthplace of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. They waved Egyptian flags, el-Sissi posters and danced. There were similar celebrations in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and a string of other cities north of the capital and in the Oasis province of Fayoum southwest of Cairo.

Critics said the lack of enthusiasm at the polls was in part due to apathy among even el-Sissi supporters, knowing that his victory was a foregone conclusion. Others said it showed discontent with el-Sissi, not just among his Islamist foes but also among a broader section of the public that believes he has no concrete plans for Egypt's woes and fears he will return Egypt to the autocratic ways of Hosni Mubarak.

The tepid turnout was particularly embarrassing because the government and media had been whipping up adulation for el-Sissi over the past 10 months, depicting him as a warrior against terrorism and the only person able to tackle Egypt's economic problems, high unemployment, inflation and instability.

El-Sissi's supporters in the Egyptian media have been in a panic the past two days. Political talk show hosts and newscasters urged people to vote, warning that otherwise the Brotherhood will be encouraged to step up its challenge to the new government.

Prominent TV talk show host Amr Adeeb angrily said that by not voting, Egyptians might as well "go directly to the prison and return Mohammed Morsi to power."

"Tell him, 'Your excellency, President Mohammed Morsi, please come out and rule us,'" he said.

The abrupt decision by the election commission to add another day of voting Wednesday raised complaints that authorities were tipping the playing field in el-Sissi's favor.

U.S.-based Democracy International, which had been observing the vote, said the extension "raises more questions about the independence of the election commission, the impartiality of the government, and the integrity of Egypt's electoral process."

It said its observer teams outside of Cairo had ended their mission as scheduled on Tuesday. Some other international monitoring teams also left the country, since they had only planned for two days of voting, though EU monitors stayed on.

Sabahi, el-Sissi's only opponent in the race, protested the extension, saying it aimed to "distort" the will of the people. His campaign pulled its representatives from polling stations Wednesday in protest against what it called a campaign of intimidation and arrests of its campaign workers. He, however, refused to bow to pressure from his camp to withdraw in protest, arguing that staying in the race qualifies him to "fight future battles."

Sabahi's spokesman, Hossam Moenis, told ONTV network that a member of the campaign has been referred to a military tribunal.

"We are digging a channel for democracy ... in the face of an undemocratic project," he said. "The same mentality that we thought we managed to topple on Jan. 25, is back and ruling" — a reference to the start of the 18-day, anti-Mubarak uprising in 2011.

Only a handful of voters, or none at all, were at polling centers in multiple districts toured by The Associated Press reporters Wednesday. At some, music played and kids painted Egyptian flags or el-Sissi's name on their faces as the occasional voter drifted in. TV images beamed from more than a dozen locations across Egypt showed similar scenes.

"People are lazy, depressed or frustrated. They knew what the result will be even before the vote," said Amani Fikry, a manager in a privately-owned company. "They are exhausted from three years of constant troubles."

In Cairo's Sayeda Zeinab district, loudspeakers played patriotic songs at an empty polling center. Two el-Sissi backers scribbled words of support on posters of the candidate that had been defaced with insulting graffiti.

"Sissi doesn't need a program," said one, Mohammed Hussein. "We just want security."

Morsi's Brotherhood supporters and other Islamists boycotted the vote and scattered protests by Morsi supporters were quickly dispersed by security forces.

In Fayoum, the province southwest of Cairo, riot police fired tear gas after protesters hurled stones and fire cracks while marching and chanting slogans against elections.

Along with Islamists, some of the youths who took part in the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak either stayed away from the polls or supported Sabahi.

"Where are the youth? What do they want? Do they want to destroy Egypt?" Said Sayyed, a laundry worker in his 70s, said of the boycott.
Source: Haaretz

Egypt court jails 102 Morsi supporters for 10 years: TV

President Mohammad Morsi

CAIRO: An #+Morsi Meter - مرسي ميتر  to 10 years in prison Saturday over protest violence, state television reported.
Egyptian court sentenced 102 supporters of ousted #Islamist president Mohamed
The army-installed government has rounded up thousands of Morsi supporters and put them on mass trials since overthrowing him in July.
 
The Cairo court sentenced two others to seven years in prison.
Last week a court in the southern city of Minya sentenced 683 people, including the leader of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, to death in an initial ruling.
Source: The Dawn News