Kerry: Egypt’s ‘Military Did Not Take Over’ (+video)

By Jeryl Bier

During his visit to Pakistan on Thursday, Secretary of State John Kerry gave several TV interviews including one to Hamid Mir of Geo TV. Mir’s first question for Kerry concerned Egypt. The Obama administration has resisted referring to the military action in Egypt as a coup, but in this interview, Kerry went even further, asserting that “the military did not take over, to the best of our judgment so – so far,” and that its intervention was at the request of “millions and millions of people” concerned about the increasing chaos in the country [emphasis added]:

QUESTION: Thank you very much for giving us time. My first question is about your commitment with democracy. The U.S. believes in democracy, U.S. is a champion of democracy all over the world. But why U.S. is not taking a clear position on military intervention against the democratically elected government of President Morsy in Egypt?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, it’s a very appropriate and important question, and I want to answer it very directly. The military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people, all of whom were afraid of a descendance into chaos, into violence. And the military did not take over, to the best of our judgment so – so far. To run the country, there’s a civilian government. In effect, they were restoring democracy.

Read more from this story HERE.

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Photo Credit: WNDEgypt Hurtling Toward Civil War?

By F. Michael Maloof

As demonstrations increase in intensity in Egypt between the military backers and Muslim Brotherhood supporters, concern mounts that the conflict could lead to major confrontations and civil war, according to a report in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood have ratcheted up demonstrations demanding the reinstatement of President Mohammad Morsi, who was elected last year but ousted by the military after one year in office.

These demonstrations have resulted in increased clashes with the military, raising concerns the confrontations could become more widespread.

Now, the military has added fuel to the fire by accusing Morsi of conspiring with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in killing some 14 guards, while getting help in his 2011 escape from prison.

As WND recently reported, the Brotherhood also has announced the creation of the Egyptian Free Army, a reflection of a similar army created by the opposition in Syria to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A civil war has been under way there for two years, and some 100,000 people have been killed.

Read more from this story HERE.

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Photo Credit: WNDFeds plan to give Egypt armed-to-the-teeth ships

By Steve Peacock

The U.S. Senate has rejected an effort to crack down on U.S. taxpayer monies being forwarded to the violence-ridden nation of Egypt, and now the Obama administration is preparing to send more heavily armed, missile-equipped naval patrol ships to the interim government there.

For that purpose, Washington is hiring private contractors to make the transoceanic delivery on its behalf.

This shipment of Fast Missile Craft, or FMC, comes at a time when congressional interest in suspending U.S. military aid to Egypt had heated up – to the point there was a Senate proposal to cut it off. That aid, according to federal law, must be suspended in response to military coups.

But the White House refuses to designate the military overthrow of deposed President Mohamed Morsi as a coup, and therefore has expressed no more than a commitment to review U.S.-Egyptian aid.

The U.S. Senate this week shot down, 86-13, Sen. Rand Paul’s proposed amendment to the transportation spending bill that would have redirected “certain foreign assistance to the government of Egypt as a result of the July 3, 2013, military coup d’état.” Read more from this story HERE.