ElBaradei quits as Egypt vice president in protest at crackdown

[cali]

Egypt's interim vice president, Mohamed ElBaradei, resigned on Wednesday after the security forces violently broke up protest camps set up by supporters of the deposed president, Mohamed Mursi.

In a resignation letter to Interim President Adly Mansour, ElBaradei said that "the beneficiaries of what happened today are those who call for violence, terrorism and the most extreme groups".

"As you know, I saw that there were peaceful ways to end this clash in society, there were proposed and acceptable solutions for beginnings that would take us to national consensus," he wrote.

"It has become difficult for me to continue bearing responsibility for decisions that I do not agree with and whose consequences I fear. I cannot bear the responsibility for one drop of blood."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/14/us-egypt-protests-elbaradei-idUSBRE97D0X720130814

[backscatter712]

1. And with this, the coup loses its legitimacy.

El Baradei carries the respect of people in and out of Egypt. And by resigning, he preserved that respect.

The military government has just lost what little respect it had left.

[cali]

2. well, except for a sizable chunk of the Egyptian population

who appear to still support the actions of the military.

[backscatter712]

3. Fair point, but I suspect that popular support for this coup may be lagging.

Granted, Morsi was a fundie douchebag who was carrying out his own coup, but now that the new revolution has turned to slaughtering people in the streets, I wonder how many people are going to continue to cheer for this.

[cali]

4. Maybe. Dan Murphy

who has written some awfully good pieces for the CSM, doesn't seem sanguine about that.

[David Krout]

6. Did you poll egyptians after el Baradei quit?

[cali]

7. No. I've done a lot of background reading.

If you're interested in the reasoning, it goes like this: Following the mass murder of unarmed MB supporters today, there will be (and already has been) reprisal attacks, mostly against soft targets because the military is too formidable. That will in turn, solidify the anger and hate on the side of those supporting the military and round and round and round we go.

[oberliner]

8. Of the Christian Science Monitor?

But it's also a fact that many millions of Egyptians support the Muslim Brotherhood and are now being spoken of as vermin, as animals that deserve death. Many of them will inevitably fight back, and with the military too strong to attack head on, soft targets and civilians will likely be their targets. Scores of unarmed Brotherhood supporters died today.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Backchannels/2013/0814/As-military-makes-its-move-forget-about-liberal-democracy-in-Egypt

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. Where are the cool kids of Tamarod now?

You know, those coffee-sipping liberal fans of democracy who demanded the coup after they lost the elections.