{"id":49139,"date":"2013-07-10T08:39:47","date_gmt":"2013-07-10T07:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/breaking-news\/washington-ousted-egypts-morsi\/49139\/"},"modified":"2013-07-10T08:39:47","modified_gmt":"2013-07-10T07:39:47","slug":"washington-ousted-egypts-morsi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/breaking-news\/washington-ousted-egypts-morsi\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington Ousted Egypt's Morsi"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

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\nWashington Ousted Egypt’s Morsi<\/b><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nby Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nPrevious articles discussed it. So did The New York Times<\/span><\/a>. More on that below.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nWashington manipulates most regional events. It’s dirty hands orchestrate them. Geopolitical ones matter most. In 2011, Obama officials choreographed Mubarak’s ouster. They deposed Morsi in similar fashion.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMichel Chossudovsky<\/a><\/span> said Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) “tows the line. (I)t takes orders from Washington, DC.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nAround $1.5 billion annually buys lots of influence. America’s long arm tolerates no outliers. Independent governments are targeted. Subservient ones are supported.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel as well as the US Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey were in permanent liaison with the architects of the coup in the two weeks preceding the military takeover,” said Chossudovsky.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nEgypt’s the largest Arab country. It’s strategically important. It’s a vital US ally. SCAF generals don’t act without US approval.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThey’re in close liaison with Israel. Controlling events on the ground is important. Washington manipulates them. SCAF’s ordered to prevent them from spinning out of control.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nGiven strong commitment on both sides, it won’t be easy. Civil war’s unlikely but possible. Events at times exceed what observers expect. Egypt’s a virtual tinder box. Nothing ahead will surprise.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOn Monday, SCAF killed dozens of peaceful pro-Morsi protesters. Hundreds more were injured. They knelt to pray in front of Republican Guard headquarters. Morsi’s believed to be held there under house arrest.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOne injured protester explained what happened, saying:<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nSoldiers opened fire “like pouring rain. They started shooting tear gas and then live ammunition. We were shouting ‘peaceful, peaceful,’ but the shooting continued.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“There were dawn prayers and then I heard someone calling for help, so the imam finished the prayers quickly.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“Just before we finished, the shooting started. The army units that were standing in front of the Republican Guard headquarters first started shooting teargas, then live ammunition above people’s heads.”\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“I was taking cover with another guy behind some rubble and I felt something hit my head. I held my prayer mat in my hand and I started to cover my head with it. But I couldn’t stop the bleeding because there was so much blood.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nAnother injured man said “I swear to God no one was doing anything.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nA pro-Morsi doctor said:<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“We were out on the street to defend legitimacy. But then the army shot us in broad daylight.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nA SCAF spokesman lied. He claimed Morsi supporters attacked the compound with stones and live fire. They’re “armed terrorists,” he said. He defended the indefensible. He called cold blooded murder self-defense.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“The army had no choice but to return fire,” he claimed.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nEvidence showed otherwise. The New York Times<\/span><\/a> headlined “Video of Army Shooting Islamists in Cairo Stokes Anger,” saying:<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nImages showed “shots being fired by army snipers.” Protesters were killed in cold blood. \u00a0Video clips were posted on Facebook and You Tube.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOne was viewed about half a million times. It showed “close-up footage of a man in uniform firing down from a rooftop.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nSeparately The Times said:<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nSCAF “provided little evidence to back its claim that the fighting had been instigated by the Islamists.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nBullet casings proved soldiers used live fire. Independent munitions expert Nic Jensen Jones examined photos. He confirmed SCAF’s responsibility.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nSenior Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian called what happened “an outright massacre (by) a fascist coup government.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHe and other MB officials called for a national “uprising” against military dictatorship ruthlessness.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOn July 8, NYT editors<\/span><\/a> headlined “Bloodshed in Egypt,” saying:<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nIt’s been “all downhill (since SCAF) ousted President Mohaned Morsi last week.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nEgypt’s “military claimed its soldiers fired in response to an attack by gunmen from an unnamed ‘terrorist group.’ ”\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“But other evidence – bullet casings with the army stamp, indications that the gunfire came from the top of a nearby building – suggest a military all too willing to use excessive force.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nObama “refused to label the coup a coup because to do so (requires) “cut(ting) of $1.5 billion in (mostly) military…aid to a country” vital to America’s regional strategic interests.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nTimes editors stopped short of explaining Washington’s direct role. They said America “cannot control Egypt’s future.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOrwell explained best, saying:<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“Those who control the present, control the past, and those who control the past control the future.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nWhat’s ongoing won’t end easily or quickly. It’ll likely continue. Resolution’s nowhere in sight.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nConditions are deplorable. They’re worse now than ever. Decades of neoliberal harshness reflect socioeconomic terrorism. People take so much before exploding.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nConditions are deteriorating in real time. Public anger on both sides is real. Longstanding grievances remain unaddressed.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nJunta power runs Egypt. Politicians serve at its behest. Washington has final say. Longstanding neoliberal harshness is policy. Police state terror keeps things in check.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nAmerica benefits from instability. Egypt’s kept unable to function viably. Neocolonialism prevents it. It’s true throughout the region.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOn July 6, New York Times<\/span><\/a> writers David Kirkpatrick and Mayy El Sheikh explained what NYT editors omitted. They headlined “Morsi Spurned Deals, Seeing Military as Tamed.”\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nAhead of his ouster, he huddled with aides. “(H)e received a call from an Arab foreign minister with a final offer to end a standoff with the country’s top generals, senior advisors with the president said.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe unnamed official was Washington’s emissary. He offered Morsi a deal he knew he’d reject.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHe asked if he’d “accept the appointment of a new prime minister and cabinet, one that would take over all legislative powers and replace his chosen provincial governors.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMorsi rejected a similar proposal earlier. “This before that,” he said. He repeated a “vow to die before accepting what he considered a de facto coup\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00a6.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nEssam el-Haddad was his key foreign policy advisor. He left the room. He phoned Anne Patterson. She’s Washington’s Egypt ambassador.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOn return, he said he spoke to Susan Rice. She’s Obama’s national security advisor. She represents the worst of US imperial interests.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nShe told el-Haddad the coup was about to begin. An aide texted an associate saying:<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“Mother America just told us that we will stop playing in one hour.”\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nDuring Morsi’s final days, White House and State Department officials kept low profiles. According to The Times:<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“The abrupt end of Egypt\u2019s first Islamist government was the culmination of months of escalating tensions and ultimately futile American efforts to broker a solution that would keep Mr. Morsi in his elected office, at least in name, if not in power.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“A new alliance of youthful activists and Mubarak-era elites was driving street protests.” Strings were pulled in Washington.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nLast fall, Morsi knew he might be ousted. He told close advisers:<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“Do you think this is the peak? (It’ll) be when you see my blood flowing on the floor.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHe erred thinking SCAF supported him. After Mubarak’s ouster, he was MB’s designated envoy for talks with ruling generals. He thought he developed close ties.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nClose aides said he was the last to know his days were numbered. An old poker saying goes “If you can’t spot the sucker in 30 minutes or less, you’re it.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nAround mid-June, Morsi’s inner circle saw imminent trouble. SCAF head General Abdul Fatah al-Sisi warned of a growing “split in society.”\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nDivisions between Morsi and opponents compels the military “to intervene,” he said.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMorsi didn’t expect a coup. Al-Sisi told him his statement “was to satisfy some of his men. It was nothing more than an attempt to absorb their anger.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nSteps to remove Morsi were underway. Opposition leaders were energized by the prospect. Large scale protests followed. Millions turned out nationwide.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nTop Morsi advisers met with ambassador Patterson. They spoke to Susan Rice. They argued that ousting him would be “a long term disaster. Egyptians and others throughout the Arab world would “lose faith in democracy.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nAn uncontrollable “explosion in the streets” would follow. They knew about Washington’s involvement.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“Nobody who knows Egypt is going to believe a coup could go forward without a green light from the Americans,” they said.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMixed messages followed. Morsi advisers met with al-Sisi. They accepted earlier concessions he proposed.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThe same evening Morsi spoke publicly. His defiant address called opponents “traitorous conspirators.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nIt didn’t matter either way. The die was cast. Coup steps were underway. Obama officials ordered them.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMorsi took refuge inside Republican Guard headquarters. He chose the wrong place. After his final meeting with aides, al-Sisi ordered “Lock the gates.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMorsi was seized. He remains under house arrest. Junta power rules. Police state repression terrorizes resisters. Expect lots more spilled blood.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nWashington rules apply. America’s dirty hands run things. Obama has final say. Egyptians were again betrayed.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nLongstanding grievances remain unaddressed. Bread and butter ones matter most.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nNeoliberal harshness remains policy. Brute force targets challengers. Nothing ahead looks promising. Coup authority spurns democratic rights.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nEgyptians are on their own like always. Unity against state terror is vital. Real change won’t come any other way. It’s true throughout the region. It’s true everywhere.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nChallenging entrenched power takes organized people. It takes unity. Divisions are self-defeating.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nIt takes commitment for nothing less than what serves everyone equitably. It takes longterm struggle for justice. It’s never possible easily or quickly.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nStephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHis new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanII.html<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nVisit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nListen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nIt airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.dailycensored.com\/washington-ousted-egypts-morsi\/<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Republished with permission from: Stephen Lendman<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington Ousted Egypt’s Morsi by Stephen Lendman Previous articles discussed it. So did The New York Times. More on that below. Washington manipulates most regional events. It’s dirty hands orchestrate them. Geopolitical ones matter most. In 2011, Obama officials choreographed Mubarak’s ouster. They deposed Morsi in similar fashion. Michel Chossudovsky said Egypt’s Supreme Council of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[487],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-49139","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-breaking-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49139\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}