Pro-Morsi Encampments Fortify For Battle
By William Booth and Sharaf Al-Hourani, Sunday, August 11, 6:43 PM
CAIRO — Past the bouncy castle and the inflatable kiddie pool, past the potted plants, cashew vendors and signs welcoming visitors to come in peace to the protest rally and sit-in by supporters of the Egypt’s ousted president, security teams led by the Muslim Brotherhood were busy early Monday filling sandbags and erecting brick walls reinforced with rebar.
They were fortifying themselves for what the backers of toppled President Mohammed Morsi say could be a bloody siege of two massive encampments in Cairo, both still filled with women and children.
Egyptian security officials warned media Sunday that time was running out for the tens of thousands of pro-Morsi demonstrators who have been camped out around Cairo University and Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque for more than a month.
Two weeks ago, the cabinet of the military-backed interim government signaled it had given the go-ahead to Interior Ministry forces to use “all necessary measures” to break up the two sprawling sit-in sites.
More than 130 of Morsi’s supporters were killed in two deadly incidents when they confronted security forces. Many were shot by military snipers or plainclothes police.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/pro-morsi-encampments-fortify-for-battle/2013/08/11/e1f3e846-02aa-11e3-a07f-49ddc7417125_story.html