Sunday, August 18, 2013

Sunday Roundup - August 18, 2013

This is the weekly selection of news and opinion from sources outside the US mainstream media.  Today the deteriorating situation in Egypt is discussed.  Source: Al Jazeera

The short-lived Egyptian democracy descended into chaos this past week. The violent crackdown on pro-Morsi protesters drew widespread condemnation from world leaders. An estimated 600 people were killed Wednesday when security forces broke up protest camps allied to the Muslim Brotherhood. New protests were held Thursday and Friday with dozens of fatalities.

Al Jazeera's coverage Friday included
reports on the day's clashes
At least a dozen people have been killed in fresh clashes in Egypt as anti-coup protesters returned to the streets to demand the end of the military-led regime...as crowds filled streets across Egypt to heed the Muslim Brotherhood's call for a "Day of Rage", following the deaths of hundreds of protesters on August 14 as police cleared sit-ins opposing the military coup and removal of president Mohamed Morsi.

the UN Security Council's call for maximum restraint :
The UN Security Council has called on the Egyptian government and the Muslim Brotherhood to exercise "maximum restraint", after an emergency meeting on Thursday: "The view of council members is that it is important to end violence in Egypt, and that the parties exercise maximum restraint," Argentine UN Ambassador Maria Cristina Perceval told reporters after the 15-member council met on the situation. "The members first of all expressed their sympathy to the victims and regretted the loss of lives," said Perceval, who is council president for August. "There was a common desire on the need to stop violence and to advance national reconciliation."

Amid the violence, alleged Morsi supporters carried out on dozens of attacks on churches and Christian-owned properties throughout the country. Mina Thabet, an activist with Christian rights group the Maspero Youth Union, told Al Jazeera on Friday that at least 32 churches had been “completely destroyed, burned or looted” in eight different governorates over the previous two days. The group also recorded dozens of other attacks on Christian-owned shops, businesses and schools around the country.
 

In the light of the week's violence, Al Jazeera's Inside Story video segment asks "what are the risks of ignoring the different groups within the country and how will the government deal with worldwide anger?" Besides the global condemnation of the government's action, interim Vice-President Mohamed El Baradei resigned in protest against the government's actions saying that he "could not be responsible for one drop of blood that could be avoided".
 
On Saturday, Al Jazeera reported that "Egyptian authorities have cleared a Cairo mosque of anti-coup protesters, following a day-long siege punctuated by gunfire, tear gas volleys and mob attacks." Apparently there were no deaths reported - unlike Friday when "at least 173 people were killed and 1,330 others were injured nationwide." Al Jazeera also reported that "Egyptian Prime Minister Hazemel-Beblawi...proposed the legal dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood and the government is studying the idea."
 

On Sunday, Al Jazeera had these two feature articles on Egypt's future.

Will Egypt repeat Algeria's 'black decade'? Comparisons between Egypt's present crisis and the upheaval in 1990s Algeria gain credibility.

Egypt's fate in balance amid warnings of war: Armed conflict has been predicted by foreign commentators - but the greater threat is Egypt becoming a failed state.

 

 

 

 
 
 


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