Bloodshed in Egypt saps support for military-led transition
At least 40 people were killed Monday at a street demonstration, prompting one of the main religious parties to withdraw support for the military-led transitional government.
At least 40 people were killed Monday at a street demonstration, prompting one of the main religious parties to withdraw support for the military-led transitional government.
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Hopes for the creation of an inclusive interim government in Egypt took a sharp blow this morning, when at least 40 people were killed and hundreds wounded at a Muslim Brotherhood protest outside the Cairo headquarters of the army's Republican Guard.
Reuters reports that the Brotherhood said its members, who had been peacefully protesting outside the barracks where they believe ousted President Mohamed Morsi is being held, came under fire during morning prayers.
But another protester told Agence France-Presse that while the military used tear gas and warning shots to disperse the crowd, the initial gunfire came from a group of men in civilian clothing, who attacked the protesters directly.
"The Republican Guard fired tear gas but the thugs came from the side. We were the target," protester Mahmud al-Shilli told AFP.
A military source described the attack as launched by "armed terrorists" who attempted to storm the barracks, killing one officer and injuring 40 more. The source said that the army opened fire only after coming under attack.
Regardless of who initiated the violence, the attack has threatened the army's efforts to establish an interim government with support of various anti-Morsi parties. Al Nour, a Salafist party that was the only Islamist group to support Mr. Morsi's ouster, said it was withdrawing from talks in response to the bloodshed, reports The Washington Post.
The Post notes that the group's departure "was a significant blow to an already fragile political process, whose organizers had sought not to exclude Islamists altogether."
The alienation of Egypt's Islamists and the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest and most firmly established political organization, poses a serious challenge to the country's future. Nathan Brown, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, told 海角大神 last week that the Brotherhood needs to be included in the transition, which must be deliberate and inclusive.