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| Egypt's president pledges to protect embassies after film protests | Egypt's president pledges to protect embassies after film protests |
| (8 days later) | |
| Egypt's president, Mohamed Morsi, has moved to limit damage to sensitive relations with the US by pledging to protect foreign embassies on the eve of new protests called by the Muslim Brotherhood against a controversial film about the prophet Muhammad. | Egypt's president, Mohamed Morsi, has moved to limit damage to sensitive relations with the US by pledging to protect foreign embassies on the eve of new protests called by the Muslim Brotherhood against a controversial film about the prophet Muhammad. |
| Morsi had been criticised for reacting slowly to Tuesday's attack on the US embassy in Cairo – and for asking the Egyptian embassy in Washington to take legal action in the US against the film's producers before commenting on the assault itself. Violent clashes in central Cairo raged on Wednesday and early on Thursday. | Morsi had been criticised for reacting slowly to Tuesday's attack on the US embassy in Cairo – and for asking the Egyptian embassy in Washington to take legal action in the US against the film's producers before commenting on the assault itself. Violent clashes in central Cairo raged on Wednesday and early on Thursday. |
| "I call on everyone to take that into consideration, to not violate Egyptian law … to not assault embassies," Morsi said on Thursday. "I condemn and oppose all who … insult our prophet. [But] it is our duty to protect our guests and visitors from abroad." | "I call on everyone to take that into consideration, to not violate Egyptian law … to not assault embassies," Morsi said on Thursday. "I condemn and oppose all who … insult our prophet. [But] it is our duty to protect our guests and visitors from abroad." |
| While international attention was focused on the fatal violence in Libya, also triggered by the film, many observers in Cairo were concerned about the consequences for relations between the US and Egypt, which have entered uncharted territory since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak and the installation of Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood veteran, as the country's first democratically elected president. | While international attention was focused on the fatal violence in Libya, also triggered by the film, many observers in Cairo were concerned about the consequences for relations between the US and Egypt, which have entered uncharted territory since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak and the installation of Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood veteran, as the country's first democratically elected president. |
| Those concerns mounted after Barack Obama said of Egypt: "I don't think we would consider them an ally, but we don't consider them an enemy. They are a new government that is trying to find its way." It was a lukewarm comment from the leader of a country that provides Egypt with $2bn in annual, mostly military, aid as the price for maintaining its 33-year-old peace treaty with Israel. | Those concerns mounted after Barack Obama said of Egypt: "I don't think we would consider them an ally, but we don't consider them an enemy. They are a new government that is trying to find its way." It was a lukewarm comment from the leader of a country that provides Egypt with $2bn in annual, mostly military, aid as the price for maintaining its 33-year-old peace treaty with Israel. |
| On Thursday attempts were being made to defuse tensions. The Salafi al-Nour party said it was withdrawing from demonstrations. The Brotherhood said its members would stand silently outside mosques on Friday and not march to Tahrir Square or the nearby US embassy. | On Thursday attempts were being made to defuse tensions. The Salafi al-Nour party said it was withdrawing from demonstrations. The Brotherhood said its members would stand silently outside mosques on Friday and not march to Tahrir Square or the nearby US embassy. |
| Mahmoud Hussein, secretary general of the Brotherhood, criticised "small groups" that attacked the embassy and replaced its flag with a black banner similar to al-Qaida's. "This is the work of about 20 people, not hundreds of protesters," he said. "It's proof that some groups in the US and Egypt want to sabotage American-Egyptian relations." Morsi is due to pay his first official visit to the US this month. | Mahmoud Hussein, secretary general of the Brotherhood, criticised "small groups" that attacked the embassy and replaced its flag with a black banner similar to al-Qaida's. "This is the work of about 20 people, not hundreds of protesters," he said. "It's proof that some groups in the US and Egypt want to sabotage American-Egyptian relations." Morsi is due to pay his first official visit to the US this month. |
| US experts and commentators have suggested Morsi is prioritising the appeasement of Islamists over national security issues that worry Washington. Tensions with Israel over Gaza and violence in the Sinai peninsula are other concerns. | US experts and commentators have suggested Morsi is prioritising the appeasement of Islamists over national security issues that worry Washington. Tensions with Israel over Gaza and violence in the Sinai peninsula are other concerns. |
| Exchanges on Twitter provided a revealing glimpse of double-talk and strains behind the scenes. The Brotherhood's English-language Twitter account @Ikwanweb reposted a message from the group's deputy head, Khairat el-Shater, saying he was "relieved none of @USembassycairo staff was hurt" and expressing his hope that US-Egypt relations could weather the storm. | Exchanges on Twitter provided a revealing glimpse of double-talk and strains behind the scenes. The Brotherhood's English-language Twitter account @Ikwanweb reposted a message from the group's deputy head, Khairat el-Shater, saying he was "relieved none of @USembassycairo staff was hurt" and expressing his hope that US-Egypt relations could weather the storm. |
| This was posted, however, while the Brotherhood's Arabic-language Twitter account and official website were praising the protests and calling for a million-man march on Friday. One Arabic-language article on the Brotherhood's site carried the headline "Egyptians rise to defend the Prophet". | This was posted, however, while the Brotherhood's Arabic-language Twitter account and official website were praising the protests and calling for a million-man march on Friday. One Arabic-language article on the Brotherhood's site carried the headline "Egyptians rise to defend the Prophet". |
| Noting the contradiction, the US embassy in Cairo tweeted a tart response: "Thanks. By the way, have you checked out your own Arabic feeds? I hope you know we read those too." The Brotherhood responded: "We understand you're under a lot of stress, but it will be more helpful if you point out exactly the Arabic feed of concern." | Noting the contradiction, the US embassy in Cairo tweeted a tart response: "Thanks. By the way, have you checked out your own Arabic feeds? I hope you know we read those too." The Brotherhood responded: "We understand you're under a lot of stress, but it will be more helpful if you point out exactly the Arabic feed of concern." |
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