General defends Morsi’s ouster

Islamist group’s assets frozen

In his first remarks since Mohammed Morsi’s ouster, Egypt’s military chief said on Sunday the armed forces acted according to the will of the people because the former Islamist government had stumbled.

Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi made his comments on the eve of another round of mass protests by Morsi’s Islamist supporters who have accused the military of staging a coup and demanded the reinstatement of Egypt’s first democratically elected president.

Also Sunday, Egypt’s chief prosecutor froze the assets of Mohammed Badie, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which Morsi hails, and at least 13 other senior members of the Islamist group. The U.S. State Department’s No. 2 diplomat, William Burns, arrived in Cairo on Sunday, the first visit by a high-level American official since Morsi’s ouster. Burns was scheduled to meet with Egypt’s interim government officials as well as civil society and business leaders during his two-day visit. The State Department says Burns would underscore in his meetings U.S. support for the Egyptian people and a transition leading to a democratically elected civilian government.

The July 3 overthrow of Morsi has come under criticism from many in the international community because of concerns about its effect on Egypt’s efforts to become a democracy following the February 2011 toppling of autocrat Hosni Mubarak’s regime in a popular uprising.

El-Sissi said the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces respected the June 2012 elections that propelled Morsi to power and tried to stay out of politics. But he said it could no longer stand on the sidelines as millions of Egyptians took to the streets in protest.