Army out in Egypt, Mursi calls it coup
Cairo, July 3: A top aide of embattled Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi said a military coup was underway in the country, with a travel ban being slapped on the Islamist leader after he refused to quit following the end of a 48-hour Army deadline for him to meet the people’s demands.
The military moved to tighten its control of key institutions, sending troops backed with armoured vehicles to the heart of Cairo in preparation for an almost certain push to remove Mr Mursi. Soldiers ringed cheering protesters at the iconic Tahrir Square.
Just before the military’s deadline expired, Mr Mursi repeated a vow not to step down, and one of his top advisers decried that Egypt is experienc- ing a military coup.
“For the sake of Egypt and for historical accura- cy, let’s call what is happening by its real name: Military coup,” Essam alHaddad, Mr Morsi’s national security adviser, said in a statement posted on Facebook, warning of “considerable bloodshed”. He wrote: “As I write these lines, I am fully aware that these may be the last lines I get to post on this page.”
The Army said that a roadmap for Egypt’s political future will be unveiled, and state media reported that the plan sets a tight schedule for new elections. State TV said Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei and the heads of the Coptic Church and Al-Azhar — Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning — would present the roadmap for the country’s future after Mr Mursi.