The president and the top general in Egypt both signaled Wednesday that they were prepared to fight to
the death for power, edging the country closer to chaos as the final hours ticked down before a military deadline.
In a call to arms, the military put up a Facebook post titled “The Final Hours” and quoted its leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as saying that it would be an honor to die rather than subject the Egyptian people to threats or terror.
“We swear to God to sacrifice with our blood for Egypt and its people against any terrorist, extremist or ignoramus,” the statement said. “Long live Egypt and its proud people.” In a televised speech overnight, President Mohammed Morsi clung to control and said:
“I am prepared to sacrifice my blood for the sake of the security and stability of this homeland.” Protesters again massed by the thousands in Tahrir Square in Cairo, demanding that Morsi step down and call a new election. The government said at least 16 people had been killed and about 200 injured in clashes with security forces at Cairo University. The military gave Morsi until roughly 5 p.m. local time, or 11 a.m. ET, to meet the demands of the protesters.
The ultimatum, issued Monday, has been denounced by supporters of Morsi as a military coup. Hours ahead of the deadline, civilian political leaders were summoned to meet with the top generals. Those civilian leaders included Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of the U.N. nuclear weapons agency and a critic of Morsi. The Associated Press reported that a leading Muslim cleric and the head of Egypt’s Coptic Christians were also at the meeting.
The army appeared to have taken control of the state television building. Non-essential staff were told to go home early, sources told NBC News, and Reuters reported that the building was being guarded by armored vehicles.
There were other signs that support for Morsi was slipping. A senior member of a hardline Islamist party allied with the president told Reuters that the party was trying to broker a peaceful transfer of power to avoid bloodshed. “We find ourselves faced with the necessity of convincing the president to accept a referendum on early presidential elections,” Tarek al-Zumar of Gamaa Islamiya said in a telephone interview. “This is what we hope will be reached in the next few hours.”
The military controlled Egypt from February 2011, when protesters forced the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, until June 2012, when Morsi won a competitive election and was sworn in. While Morsi is still supported by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, furious protesters are dissatisfied with his performance.
The Obama administration and the United Nations have encouraged Morsi to listen to his people. Tamarod, a protest movement, called for supporters to rally at the headquarters of the Republican Guard, where Morsi was believed to be staying. The opposition Dustour Party, whose name means Constitution, said Morsi was leading the country toward violence.
It asked the army to protect the people “after Morsi lost his mind and incited bloodshed of Egyptians.” The military has said it will impose its own “road map” for the future if Morsi does not meet the protesters’ demands Wednesday. In his speech, which was loud and passionate, Morsi blamed loyalists of Mubarak, his predecessor, for fighting against democracy and challenging his leadership through the current wave of protests.
He asked Egyptians not to confront the military or use violence against its forces, the police or the interior ministry. Earlier in the day, he had demanded that the armed forces withdraw their ultimatum. The Muslim Brotherhood, backing Morsi, called for counter-demonstrations, and a pro-Morsi rally in a Cairo suburb appeared to attract about 100,000 people, journalists for Reuters said.
The U.S. Embassy warned Americans in Egypt to avoid large gatherings and monitor local news. “Even demonstrations or events intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence,” it said, adding the embassy was closed. The crisis could have a significant effect on the global economy.
The benchmark price of crude oil for delivery in August rose by $2.22 to $101.82 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest since early May last year. Egypt is not an oil producer, but its control of the Suez Canal — one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, which links the Mediterranean with the Red Sea — gives it a crucial role in maintaining global energy supplies.