Egypt Authorizes Police Use Of Deadly Force After 638 Killed

[Purveyor]

Source: CBC NEWS

Egyptian authorities have given police the go-ahead to use deadly force to protect themselves and key state institutions, new measures that come after supporters of the deposed Islamist president torched two government buildings in Giza, and U.S. President Barack Obama cancelled next month's U.S.-Egypt military exercises.

The Interior Ministry, which is in charge of national security, announced the new measures in a statement Thursday, a day after Egypt put in place a nationwide state of emergency. Clashes between Egyptian police and supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi have resulted in at least 638 deaths, Egypt's health ministry said Thursday, an increase from the previous tally of 525 killed in Wednesday's violence.

The city of Giza is next to Cairo and home to the famed pyramids.

Egypt's military-backed government also pledged Thursday to confront "terrorist actions and sabotage" allegedly carried out by members of former President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group since he was ousted in a military coup July 3.

The government buildings burned in Giza were a two-storey colonial-style villa and a four-storey administrative building. The offices are on Pyramids Road on the west bank of the River Nile.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/08/15/egypt-morsi-violence-protests-coup.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. Yesterday's sorrow

Last edited Thu Aug 15, 2013, 06:36 PM - Edit history (1)

will become tomorrows anger and extremism...........for years to come.

Protests are expected to spread to all cities tomorrow.

[leveymg]

2. So, is this CBCs way of cueing us that the deadly force by police yesterday was unauthorized?

Or, just another sad comment on the decline of journalism?

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes, the headline editor has the final say on the article.

[tiny elvis]

7. a government warning, certainly

police authorization is distinct from inherent military authority to kill

probably a response to the call for a 'day of anger', which sounds like hell is coming

[Swede Atlanta]

3. Obama needs to take more forceful action....

There is little we can do on the ground but we can ensure that we are not MORE complicit in the violence.

The longer we play the game of ignoring there was a coup which, by law, would require us to suspend all further military aid, the worse it will be for American interests.

We are falling back into our historical beliefs that we should go with the sure thing, the strong player on the scene. This played out in Iran, Central America, Chile, the Philippines, etc. and in every case the U.S. lost. The Shah was kicked out of Iran and we ended up with a theocracy. I think other possibilities existed had the Shah not behaved the way he did. Our loss of Subic Bay and other interests in the Philippines may not have occurred or at least not so quickly had we not saddled up to Ferdinand Marcos.

When will we learn that simply because one power seems to be more closely aligned with our interests that that choice will serve us well into the future? I agree that the Egyptian military, for now, has the strength to battle the violence and that the Muslim Brotherhood mismanaged their first lawful opportunity to govern the country.

But just as in Iran, etc., as the populace become more disenchanted with authority (the Egyptians have never had free and fair elections until the last election and even that is rumored to have been highly engineered) they will turn against authority.

Obama needs to immediately terminate all aid to the Egyptian military and take other appropriate actions such as preventing Egyptair from landing in the U.S. and freezing other programs. The Egyptian military is the largest conglomeration of business interests in Egypt. Once they begin to feel the squeeze of international sanctions they will change their tune.

[happyslug]

8. Forceful action? Like send in troops to suppress the Moslem Brotherhood?

Remember, the US (with Obama as its leader) SUPPORTS THE COUP. Our other main allies in the region (Israel AND Saudi Arabia) supports the coup. Turkey, Iran and Iraq are to tied up with each country's own internal problems AND Syria to be concerned about Egypt (And those five countries are only real powers in the region).

The push from the US and its Allies is to SUPPORT the Coup, not reverse it. Yes, Obama has made speeches about how bad the coup is and democracy must be supported, but then does all he can to support the coup (i.e. he VERBALLY opposes the coup, and then gives money to the people who did the coup).

Remember a track on any track vehicle lasts only about 2000 miles. At that point it has to be replaced. Egypt can not produce those tracks, thus all the US has to do is cut off exports to Egypt and within six months the coup will be done. Egypt can produce guns and ammunition and has oil (and can get oil from Saudi Arabia) but to get the spare parts for its tanks, APCs and other equipment it needs trade with the US, trade the US can use as a hammer to end the coup. Obama has refused to do that, instead the spare parts keep on going to Egypt, which implies one thing, Obama supports the coup.

Egypt is also a net grain importer, Obama can stop shipment of grain, which would lead to increased tensions in Egypt, and force the military to give in. Another thing Obama has refused to do.

Thus, by Obama's action it is clear he supports the coup, thus the only thing he can do to further that support is to send in troops. Is that what you are asking for?

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. Is that a real headline, or is it an especially macabre effort of the Onion?

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. Coming next: "Egyptian Judges Grant Posthumous Execution Orders on 638 Terrorists"

[Igel]

6. "Muslim Brotherhood lives ruled unconstitutional" n/t

[happyslug]

9. "Egyptian Court Sentence President Mursi to death for killing these 638 citizens of Egypt"

Last edited Fri Aug 16, 2013, 10:25 AM - Edit history (1)

Sorry, we are into Orwellian terminology, the crimes of the State is blamed on the victim (i.e. "You forced me to kill you, when you refused to get out of the way of my bullets" Thus the killing was self defense not murder)