The Military Joins Protesters to Take Egypt Back from the Moslem Brotherhood

The powerful Egyptian military warned on Monday it will intervene if Mohammed Morsi, the Islamist president supported by th Moslem Brotherhood, doesn't "meet the people's demands," giving him and his opponents two days to reach an agreement in what it called a last chance. Hundreds of thousands of protesters massed for a second day calling on Morsi to step down. Military helicopters, some waving Egyptian flags, flew over Cairo's Tahrir Square where many protesters broke into cheers with the army's announcement on state television. The army's statement encouraged the crowds moving into city squares around the country. In Cairo, the protests were peaceful, but deadly violence broke out in several parts of the country, often when marchers came under gunfire, apparently from Islamists, with at least 17 dead and more than 700 injured. The military said it would not take part in party politics or rule," but said it has a responsibility to act because Egypt's national security is facing a "grave danger," adding that the people's demands have to be met. The military is giving all sides 48 hours "as a last chance to shoulder the burden of the historic moment." So far, President Morsi has vowed he will remain in his position, but the opposition and crowds in the street - who numbered in the millions nationwide on Sunday - have made clear they will accept nothing less than his departure and a transition to early presidential elections. Military intervention risks creating a backlash from Morsi's Islamist supporters, who include hard-line former militants. Morsi met Monday with Egypt's military chief General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Prime Minister Hesham Kandil, according to the president's Facebook page, without giving further details. Troops on Monday manned checkpoints on roads leading to a pro-Morsi rally of Islamists near his palace. They checked cars for weapons, after repeated reports that some Islamists were arming themselves. Morsi's backers have been infuriated by what they call an opposition move to forcibly overthrow Egypt's first president chosen in a democratic election. Some see the campaign as aimed at defeating the "Islamist project.". The pro-Morsi demonstration near the Ittihadiya palace was large, although it was eclipsed by the opposition rallies. Its participants blew whistles and waved banners with Morsi's picture. Monday's military statement was its second ultimatum. Earlier, el-Sissi gave the two sides a week to reach an agreement. That ultimatum expired on Sunday, with Morsi repeating his longstanding offer for dialogue, which the opposition rejected. Tamarod, the group organizing the opposition protests, issued its own ultimatum earlier on Monday, giving Morsi until Tuesday at 5 p.m. (1300 GMT) to step down or face an escalating campaign with larger marches and "complete civil disobedience." Since Sunday evening the Cairo Moslem Brotherhood headquarters has been under attack by protesters pelting it with stones. Brotherhood members barricaded inside opened fire on them in clashes that went on for hours and left eight dead. In the early hours Monday, protesters breached the walls of the six-story luxury villa and stormed inside. Footage on local TV networks showed smashed windows, blackened walls and smoke billowing out of the fortified villa in the Muqattam district in eastern Cairo. A fire was still raging on one floor hours after the building was stormed. One protester tore down the Muslim Brotherhood sign from the building's front wall, while another hoisted Egypt's red, black and white flag out an upper-story window and waved it in the air in triumph. Morsi's critics view the Brotherhood headquarters as the seat of real power in Egypt, claiming that the Islamist group's spiritual leader, Mohammed Badie and his powerful deputy, Khairat el-Shater, actually call the shots behind Morsi. Morsi and Brotherhood officials have denied this and say they have tried to give opponents a greater voice, only to be spurned. The military has for some time been giving subtle hints that it was not pleased with the policies pursued by Morsi and his Brotherhood. Morsi was clearly scolding el-Sissi when he said in a televised address last Wednesday that the armed forces should focus on improving its capabilities to protect the security and safety of the nation. ~~~~~ Dear readers, while Morsi has said he will not quit, later on Monday, the military essentially gave him an ultimatim, telling him to cooperate and share power or be removed. Events are moving fast in Egypt. News is coming at a rapidfire pace and changes often in detail. But, what seems clear is that the Egyptian military is taking back its power and promising new presidential elections. What is equally clear is that the military and the Egyptian people have had enough of the experiment with Moslem Brotherhood Islamist government. Egypt is critical to the order of the Middle East's Arab world. We should all be wishing the military and Egyptian citizens well and pray for their successful transition to real self-government.