Egypt Crisis Enters Tense New Phase After Mediation Collapses

[Purveyor]

Source: REUTERS

By Angus MacSwan and Tom Perry
CAIRO | Wed Aug 7, 2013 3:19pm EDT

(Reuters) - Egypt's political crisis entered a tense new phase on Wednesday after international mediation efforts collapsed and the army-installed government repeated its threat to take action against supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi.

Both sides called their supporters on to the streets on Thursday and in two protest camps in Cairo, Mursi supporters strengthened sandbag-and brick barricades in readiness for any action by security forces.

The U.S. envoy made his way home after days of trying to broker a compromise between the government and Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood. The European Union special envoy stayed on but Brussels said it was very concerned by the breakdown in talks.

"What I see is that confrontation is mounting and that more people will turn to the streets to protest and the tendency in the armed forces to repress that will mount," said Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans, one of a host of foreign officials who have visited Cairo as the crisis unfolded.

"So I think there's need to be worried about the next days and weeks," he said.

MORE...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/07/us-egypt-protests-idUSBRE9760EF20130807

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/07/us-egypt-protests-idUSBRE9760EF20130807

[CJCRANE]

1. The military should have let the anti-Morsi protests go on for longer.

By toppling Morsi they gave the Brotherhood a legitimacy and sympathy they didn't deserve at the time (but do now to a certain extent).

Maybe they should put him back into power and let the anti-Morsi protests start up again.