DDMA Headline Animator

Saturday, July 6, 2013

South American leaders demand apology in plane row

July 05, 2013

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia (AP) — South America's leftist leaders rallied to support Bolivian President Evo Morales after his plane was rerouted amid suspicions that NSA leaker Edward Snowden was on board and they demanded an apology from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

Spain's foreign minister insisted Friday that no apology was needed, insisting that Spanish airspace was never closed to Morales. The presidents of Argentina, Ecuador, Suriname, Venezuela and Uruguay joined Morales in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba late Thursday to denounce the treatment of Morales, who warned that he would close the U.S. Embassy in Bolivia if necessary.

Morales again blamed Washington for pressuring European countries to refuse to allow his plane to fly through their airspace on Tuesday, forcing it to land in Vienna, Austria, in what he called a violation of international law. He had been returning from a summit in Russia during which he had suggested he would be willing to consider a request from Snowden for asylum.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said Friday that his nation and other European countries were told Snowden was aboard the Bolivian presidential plane. He did not say who supplied the information and declined to say whether he had been in contact with the United States.

Garcia-Margallo insisted, however, that Spain did not prevent Morales' plane from landing in its territory. He said Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca gave him written assurances that Snowden was not on the plane.

"Spain does not have to make any apology," he told public Television Espanola. "The airspace was never closed." Latin American leaders were outraged by the incident, calling it a violation of national sovereignty and a slap in the face for a region that has suffered through humiliations by Europe and several U.S.-backed military coups.

"United we will defeat American imperialism. We met with the leaders of my party and they asked us for several measures and if necessary, we will close the embassy of the United States," Morales said in the city where he started his political career as a leader of coca leaf farmers. "We do not need the embassy of the United States."

Morales' government has had a conflictive relationship with Washington. It expelled the U.S. ambassador and agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2008 for allegedly inciting the opposition. The Andean nation restored full diplomatic ties with the U.S. in 2011. But relations soured again amid mutual distrust on drug war politics and hit an especially low point after Secretary of State John Kerry referred to the Western Hemisphere as Washington's "backyard" in April 2013.

Morales expelled the U.S. Agency for International Development in May for allegedly seeking to undermine his government. In a joint statement read after the summit, the presidents also said they would back Bolivia's official complaint with the U.N. Human Rights Commission

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said that he and other leaders were offering full support to Morales following the rerouting of the plane, calling it an aggression against the Americas. "We're not going to accept that in the 21st century there's first, second and third rate countries," Correa said.

"The leaders and authorities in Europe have to take a lesson in history and understand that we're not 500 years behind. This Latin America of the 21st century is independent, dignified and sovereign."

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro protested alleged attempts by Spanish officials to search the Bolivian presidential plane and accused the CIA of encouraging several European countries to deny the presidential plane their airspace.

"A minster of one of those European governments told me personally that it was the CIA who gave the order to the aeronautical authorities, the one who gave the alert that Snowden was on the plane," he said at a rally at a sports arena ahead of the summit. "The CIA is more powerful that governments."

Maduro also said that the U.S. was applying strong pressure to countries in the region to avoid asylum for Snowden. He said Kerry himself had called Venezuela's foreign ministry to block what Maduro described as "humanitarian aid for this youth of 29 years who has made incredible revelations."

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez said Latin Americans treasured freedom after fighting for their independence from Europe in the 19th century and then surviving Washington's 20th-century history of backing repressive regimes in the Americas.

She then demanded an apology for the plane ordeal. "I'm asking those who violated the law in calm but serious manner, to take responsibility for the errors made, it's the least they can do," Fernandez said. "To apologize for once in their life, to say they're sorry for what they've done."

Morales has said that while the plane was parked in Vienna, the Spanish ambassador to Austria arrived with two embassy personnel and they asked to search the plane. He said he denied them permission. Morales received a hero's welcome in an airport in the Bolivian capital of La Paz late Wednesday night. His return followed the dramatic, unplanned 14-hour layover in Vienna.

Ahead of the meeting, Morales said that his ordeal was part of a plot by the U.S. to intimidate him and other Latin American leaders and urged European nations to "free themselves" from the U.S. France sent an apology to the Bolivian government. But Morales said "apologies are not enough because the stance is that international treaties must be respected."

Amid the tensions, the U.S. embassy in La Paz cancelled Independence Day celebrations scheduled for Thursday. In the eastern city of Santa Cruz, Bolivian government sympathizers painted protest slogans on the doors of the American consulate.

Morales said he never saw Snowden when he was in Russia, and that Bolivia had not received a formal request for asylum for him. Bolivia has said that it will summon the French and Italian ambassadors and the Portuguese consul to demand explanations.

Despite the complaints, there were no signs that Latin America leaders were moving to bring Snowden to the region that had been seen as the most likely to grant him asylum. Although Latin American presidents sympathized with Morales and condemned his ordeal, several key regional leaders missed the summit.

Brazil was represented at the meeting by President Dilma Rousseff's top international adviser but Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota missed the summit because he is attending meetings in Europe. The presidents of Colombia, Chile and Peru, who have strong ties to the U.S., did not attend.

It's still unclear whether European countries did block the plane and, if so, why. French, Spanish and Portuguese officials have all said the plane was allowed to cross their territory. The emergency stop in Austria may have been caused by a row over where the plane could refuel and whether European authorities could inspect it for signs of Snowden.

The U.S. has declined to comment on whether it was involved in any decision to close European airspace, saying only that "US officials have been in touch with a broad range of countries over the course of the last 10 days," about the Snowden case.

"The message has been communicated both publicly and privately," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday. "He should be returned to the United States." Snowden remains out of public view, believed to be stuck in a Moscow airport transit area, seeking asylum from one of more than a dozen countries.

__ Associated Press writers Carlos Valdez and Paola Flores in La Paz, Bolivia, Vivian Sequera in Bogota, Colombia, Marco Sibaja in Brasilia, Brazil, Bradley Brooks in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Luis Andres Henao in Santiago, Chile contributed to this report.

China, Russia hold largest-ever joint naval drills

July 05, 2013

BEIJING (AP) — China and Russia kicked off their largest-ever joint naval drills on Friday in the Sea of Japan, a further sign of the broad-based progress in ties between the former Communist rivals.

Eighteen surface ships, one submarine, three airplanes, five ship-launched helicopters and two commando units were taking part in the "Joint Sea-2013" exercise that runs through July 12. The drills will cover anti-submarine warfare, close maneuvering and the simulated take-over of an enemy ship.

The drills are considerably bigger than anything China's navy has previously held with a foreign partner. China's increasingly formidable navy is contributing four destroyers, two latest-generation guided missile frigates and a support ship, all of which sailed Monday from the port of Qingdao, where China's Northern Fleet is based, to the rallying point in Peter the Great Bay near Vladivostok.

"This is our strongest lineup ever in a joint naval drill," Rear Admiral Yang Junfei, commander of the Chinese contingent, was quoted as saying by state media. China has long been a key customer for Russian military hardware, but only in the last decade have the two countries' militaries begun training jointly. The naval drills are to be followed by another round of anti-terrorism joint drills in Russia's Ural Mountain region of Chelyabinsk from July 27 to Aug. 15.

China's armed forces are eagerly pursuing stronger links with most regional militaries with the notable exception of Japan, with which China is embroiled in a strongly emotional spat over control of an uninhabited East China Sea island group north of Taiwan.

China began deploying ships to the anti-piracy flotilla off the coast of Somalia in 2008 and in recent years its navy has joined in a series of joint drills in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Chinese land units also have taken part in border security and anti-terrorism exercises organized by the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Cooperation with the U.S. Navy, the predominant maritime force in the region, has been more limited, although China will take part next year in the U.S.-organized multinational Rim of the Pacific exercises, the world's largest maritime drills.

France backs Tunisia as 'model', contrasts with Egypt

TUNIS | Fri Jul 5, 2013

(Reuters) - France's president told Islamist-led Tunisia on Friday it was heading in the right direction, drawing a positive contrast with countries like Libya and Egypt.

President Francois Hollande said Paris would provide 500 million euros ($645 million)in loans and grants to support the North African state. Sixty million euros of Tunisian debt would also be converted into investment projects.

Tunisia's democratic transition was "a model in the region", Hollande said.

"You are heading in the right direction. In Libya the transition has been tainted by violence; in Egypt the transition was stopped after the removal of the elected president; and in Syria, desire for change led to war", he added.

Hollande said Islam and democracy were "on the same path" and France would not impose lessons on its former colony.

Hollande is on the first visit to Tunisia by a French head of state since the 2011 revolution that toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and launched Arab Spring uprisings across the region.

Tunisia, now ruled by an Islamist-led government, has voiced condemnation of Wednesday's military overthrow of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood, describing it as a coup.

Tunisia's revolution inspired those in Egypt and Libya but it has faced criticism in recent weeks from the European Union, which urged the government to reform its laws on freedom of expression.

The government is led by a moderate Islamist party, Ennahda, but hardline Islamist Salafists are seeking a broader role for religion, alarming a secular elite which fears this could undermine individual freedoms, women's rights and democracy.

(Reporting By Tarek Amara; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/05/us-tunisia-france-idUSBRE9640GD20130705.

Syrian troops advance in rebel-held parts of Homs

July 06, 2013

BEIRUT (AP) — An activist and Syrian state media say regime troops are advancing in parts of the rebel-held city of Homs.

Homs-based activist Tarik Badrakhan said Saturday that Syrian troops seized control of buildings in the rebel-held district of Khaldiyeh, the first time government forces entered Homs neighborhoods held by rebels for over a year. Syrian state media said troops were advancing and they had killed rebels in the area.

Badrakhan says troops began the move Friday night. He says regime forces continued to pound the area with mortar shells and missiles Saturday, part a major offensive by President Bashar Assad's troops to seize control of territory they lost to rebels.

Homs is a strategic city located between the capital Damascus and the Syrian coast, a stronghold for the Assad regime.

Lebanese protesters rally in support of fugitive sheikh

SIDON, Lebanon | Fri Jul 5, 2013

(Reuters) - More than 300 Lebanese rallied in the coastal city of Sidon in support of a fugitive Sunni Islamist cleric on Friday, a day after an audio recording believed to be his voice urged followers to demonstrate.

The protest march prompted fears of more sectarian fighting in Sidon two weeks after the cleric's supporters and soldiers clashed there, in the worst outbreak of violence in Lebanon so far fuelled by the two-year conflict in neighboring Syria.

Angry demonstrators waved banners and cheered their support for Sheikh Ahmed al-Assir, a firebrand Sunni Muslim cleric.

Assir, now on the run, was a staunch supporter of Syria's Sunni-led uprising and accused the army of backing the interests of the Shi'ite Muslim guerrilla group Hezbollah, which is now openly fighting on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad.

Local residents said the route of the march passed near a Shi'ite neighborhood, which they feared could spark clashes. More than 40 people were killed in the fighting two weeks ago.

"With blood and soul, we sacrifice for you Assir," the sheikh's supporters shouted as they clapped their hands and marched out of the charred and bullet-scarred buildings around the cleric's Bilal Bin Rabah mosque complex.

The area became a battle zone for two days last month after a group of Assir backers attacked an army checkpoint in response to the arrest of one of the cleric's supporters.

Demonstrators attacked television journalists and photographers during Friday's march and broke some cameras, local residents said.

"God protect you, Sheikh Assir," other protesters cheered.

An audio recording was released on YouTube on Thursday that was said to be the voice of Assir, though it was badly distorted and therefore difficult to verify conclusively.

The message, which his supporters celebrated as proof that Assir is still alive, repeated the cleric's claims that the army had conspired with Hezbollah to attack him.

Sporadic violence and rising regional tensions have strained fragile sectarian relations across Lebanon and sparked fears that Syria-related clashes could eventually plunge the tiny country back into war. Lebanon is still struggling to heal from its 1975-1990 civil war.

(Reporting by Ali Hashisho, writing by Erika Solomon, Editing by Gareth Jones)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/05/us-syria-crisis-lebanon-idUSBRE9640DR20130705.

Afghan Taliban vow attacks over Ramadan after being hacked

KABUL | Fri Jul 5, 2013

(Reuters) - The Afghan Taliban promised on Friday to continue attacks over Ramadan, rejecting as a fake an insurgent email promising a halt in violence over the coming Muslim holy month and saying it was the work of government intelligence.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the message sent in his name promising a temporary cessation of violence with next week's start of Ramadan was the latest incident in a simmering cyber war between intelligence agencies and the insurgents.

"In that mail the enemy losers have tried to influence attacks by mujahideen fighters," Mujahid said. "We strongly reject sending any such email on a stoppage of operations."

Afghan spy agency the National Directorate of Security has increasingly targeted the Taliban's sophisticated messaging network, which includes websites and email accounts, social media and spokesmen using noms de guerre.

The Taliban use Afghanistan's improving phone network to distribute anti-government messages and use Twitter to claim largely improbable successes as most foreign combat troops look to leave the country by 2014.

The Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan with an iron fist from 1996 to 2001, are seeking to overthrow the U.S.-backed government and end foreign occupation.

While Ramadan is usually a relatively quiet month for insurgent attacks marked mainly by the use of roadside bombs rather than direct assaults by armed fighters, Zabihullah said the month also carried extra religious significance for insurgents.

"During the holy month of Ramadan, jihad has major rewards. And mujahideen will continue to employ all their fighting techniques to mount attacks on the enemy," he said.

Taliban fighters in 2011 used car bombs to attack a British government cultural center in the Afghan capital over the Ramadan period, killing almost a dozen people.

This year the militants have stepped up attacks ahead of the Afghan summer months. Insurgents including a suicide bomber attacked a foreign logistics and supply company last week in Kabul, the latest in a string of daring assaults in the capital.

Kabul's police chief General Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said on Friday that security forces had arrested three people in a night raid and seized five suicide bomb vests.

(Reporting by Rob Taylor and Mirwais Harooni; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/05/us-afghanistan-taliban-idUSBRE9640DT20130705.

Ghana eyes repeat of 2009 success at U20 World Cup

July 05, 2013

ISTANBUL (AP) — Ghana has narrowly avoided elimination from the Under-20 World Cup twice, and now the 2009 champions believe they can go all the way and win the title again.

Ghana lost its first two group matches but advanced on goal difference last week. The team had to come from 2-1 behind in the closing 10 minutes to defeat Portugal in the first knockout round on Wednesday.

"If God is on our side, history keeps on repeating," striker Frank Acheampong told The Associated Press on Friday. "We have to give thanks to God. (Against Portugal) we were down but we were able to come out with flying colors in the game."

The only African nation still in the tournament, Ghana plays Chile in the last quarterfinal on Sunday. The winner will face France or Uzbekistan for a place in the final. In the other quarterfinals, it's Iraq vs. South Korea and Uruguay vs. Spain.

"The beginning of the tournament was difficult but now we are improving with every match," Acheampong said. "So we think, if it's the will of God we will win this next game." Coach Sellas Tetteh believed the edgy start could ultimately work in Ghana's favor.

"We are the only team among the eight teams that started badly," Tetteh said. "If you see where we've come from and what we've reached, we should be more motivated than the others. " Ghana advanced from what was arguably the toughest group, containing tournament favorite Spain, France and the United States.

"We know we have met difficult teams in our group, and Portugal was one of the best," Tetteh said. "So now we believe any other team we meet, we can beat." Ghana's youth team usually performs well at the World Cup. Apart from winning the title four years ago, it finished runner-up in 1993 and 2001. Ghana reached the semifinals in four of its five previous appearances.

Tetteh led Ghana to the African and the world title in 2009 but left the following year. After a stint as head coach of Ruanda, Tetteh returned just before the African Under-20 Championship earlier this year. Ghana reached the final, losing to Egypt after a penalty shootout.

The winning coach who came back "is a motivation factor for the team," Tetteh said. "The boys are so relieved they have someone who's already done it. So definitely they have confidence in me." In his 21-man squad for Turkey, Tetteh picked just five players from European clubs, including Acheampong (Anderlecht, Belgium) and Yiadom Boakye (Sassuolo, Italy), who scored the late winner against Portugal.

The team's standout player so far, Ebenezer Assifuah, is still with Liberty Professionals in Ghana. Assifuah scored three times in qualifying and twice in the decisive group match against the United States.

For the national team, Tetteh has always favored talents who are still playing in the domestic league. "They are more willingly, they are hungrier to play," Tetteh said. "You need a team with determination, and that is what they have. That pushes them ... So it's good for the team. And it's good for our development as it encourages local players in the country, too."

One of the foreigners on the team, Acheampong supports his coach's philosophy to mainly rely on locally based players. "When they get the chance to play in this tournament, they bring out all what they have so the whole world can see them," Acheampong said.

Tetteh brought in the five players from abroad to add international experience. "They enhance the local boys," the coach said. "That brings a blending and that keeps us going."

Host Turkey beats Australia to reach U20 knockout

June 28, 2013

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey rallied to beat Australia 2-1 in their final Group C match at the Under-20 World Cup on Friday to join group winner Colombia in the knockout stage.

Turkey midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu scored with a diagonal strike into the far corner and Okay Yokuslu added a 20-meter (yard) chip over Australia goalkeeper Paul Izzo after Jamie Maclaren had given Australia the lead in the 52nd minute with a shot from inside the area.

The host will play France in the round of 16 on Tuesday. Australia failed to go beyond the group stage for a fourth straight time and hasn't won a match in the competition since 2003. Colombia won the group after defeating El Salvador 3-0. Andres Renteria opened the scoring for the South American champions in the 21st and Jhon Cordoba converted a penalty four minutes later after he was brought down by El Salvador defender Olivier Ayala. Juan Quintero scored the third in injury time.

Earlier Friday, Greece and Paraguay drew 1-1 in their final Group D match, which was enough for both teams to advance to the first knockout round. They ended with identical records, and drawing of lots saw Greece anointed group winner.

Striker Dimitrios Diamantakos gave tournament newcomer Greece the lead in the 68th minute before Brian Montenegro leveled five minutes later. Paraguay was reduced to 10 men after 24 minutes when defender Gustavo Gomez received a second yellow card.

In the other Group D match, Mexico bounced back from losing its opening two matches and defeated Mali 4-1. Mexico finished third to leave itself a chance of also reaching the last 16, while Mali has been eliminated.

Marco Bueno and Jesus Corona scored in the first 13 minutes to give Mexico a comfortable early lead. The South Americans squandered several more chances before Samba Diallo reduced Mali's deficit with a 20-meter (yard) volley in the 62nd.

Jesus Escoboza scored seven minutes later and Uvaldo Luna made it 4-1 in the 86th to improve Mexico's chances of advancing as goal difference will likely become a decisive factor.

Egypt on edge after clashes and Islamist pushback

July 06, 2013

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptians were on edge Saturday morning after supporters and opponents of ousted President Mohammed Morsi fought overnight street battles that left at least 30 dead across the increasingly divided country.

Cairo's emblematic Tahrir Square and nearby approaches to the River Nile were largely empty but left strewn with debris. Thousands of Morsi's Islamist supporters had marched to the area demanding his reinstatement but ended up fleeing under a hail of stones, fireworks and sometimes gunfire.

Enraged at his overthrow by millions of protesters backed by the country's powerful military, tens of thousands of Morsi's supporters took to the streets on Friday, holding rallies they say they will continue until the former leader is returned to office.

The chaotic scenes that played out in the capital, mostly on a bridge leading to Tahrir, ended only after the army rushed in with armored vehicles to separate the warring groups. Some of Morsi's opponents jumped on at least one vehicle to try to show that the military was on their side.

The clashes had accelerated after the supreme leader of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood defiantly proclaimed his followers would not give up street action until the return of the country's first freely elected president. Morsi's opponents had called out the public to defend against the Brotherhood, deepening the battle lines.

"God make Morsi victorious and bring him back to the palace," Brotherhood chief Mohammed Badie proclaimed Friday before cheering supporters at a Cairo mosque in his first appearance since the overthrow. "We are his soldiers we defend him with our lives."

Badie said it was a matter of honor for the military to abide by its pledge of loyalty to the president, in what appeared to be an attempt to pull it away from its leadership. Hours later, his deputy, Khairat el-Shater, considered the most powerful figure in the organization, was arrested in a Cairo apartment along with his brother on allegations of inciting violence, Interior Ministry spokesman Hani Abdel-Latif told The Associated Press.

After the speech, a large crowd of Islamists surged across 6th October Bridge over the Nile toward Tahrir, where a giant crowd of Morsi's opponents had been massed all day. Battles broke out there and near the neighboring state TV building. Pro-Morsi youth shielded themselves from flying stones and fireworks with sheets of metal. A car burned at the top of an exit ramp amid the sounds of automatic weapons and shotguns. At least three people were killed at the bridge.

Across the country, clashes erupted as Morsi supporters tried to storm local government buildings or military facilities, battling police or Morsi opponents. Besides the 30 killed throughout the day, some 210 were wounded, Heath Ministry official Khaled el-Khatib told The Associated Press.

Islamists descended on anti-Morsi rally, opening fire with guns in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, where at least 12 people were killed, mostly Morsi opponents, emergency services official Amr Salama said. One man was stabbed and thrown from the roof of a building by Morsi supporters after he raised an Egyptian flag and shouted insults against the ousted president, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.

Militants killed five policemen in shootings around the Sinai city of el-Arish, according to security officials speaking on condition of anonymity because not authorized to talk to the press. The U.S. State Department condemned the violence and called on all Egyptian leaders to denounce the use of force and prevent further bloodshed among their supporters.

An interim president — senior judge Adly Mansour — was sworn in Thursday, and a Cabinet of technocrats is to be formed to run Egypt until new elections can be held, although officials have not said when that will be. Mansour dissolved the interim parliament — the upper house of the legislature — which was overwhelmingly dominated by Islamists and Morsi allies. He also named the head of General Intelligence, Rafaat Shehata, as his security adviser.

The Brotherhood has said it will not work with the new military-backed leadership, and Morsi's supporters say the armed forces have wrecked Egypt's democracy by carrying out a coup against an elected president.

They accuse loyalists of former leader Hosni Mubarak, ousted in 2011, and liberal and secular opposition parties of turning to the army for help because they lost the election to Islamists. Many also see it as a conspiracy against Islam.

Friday's turmoil began in the afternoon when army troops opened fire as hundreds of his supporters marched on the Republican Guard building in Cairo. That site is where Morsi was staying when he was toppled before being taken into military custody at an undisclosed location.

The crowd approached a barbed wire barrier where troops were standing guard. When one person hung a sign of Morsi on the barrier, soldiers tore it down and told the crowd to stay back. A protester put up a second sign, and the soldiers opened fire, according to an AP photographer.

A protester fell dead with a gaping, bleeding wound in the back of his head, while others were bloodied and wounded. Witnesses told AP Television News at the scene that men in plain clothes fired the lethal shots. The Health Ministry said a total of four were killed at the site, though it was not known how all died.

Badie, made his appearance three hours later on a stage in front of tens of thousands of Islamists massed at Rabia al-Adawiya Mosque, not far from the Republican Guard building. The circumstances of his appearance were a mystery. Security officials had said he was taken into custody from a villa on the Mediterranean coast soon after Morsi's removal Wednesday night and flown to Cairo, part of a sweep that netted at least five other senior Brotherhood figures and put around 200 more on wanted lists.

Fears have been running high over an Islamist backlash to Morsi's overthrow. Extremist Islamist groups that gained considerable freedom to operate during Morsi's year in office have already vowed violence in retaliation.

AP correspondent Tony G. Gabriel contributed to this report.

Clashes erupt as Islamists push back in Egypt

July 06, 2013

CAIRO (AP) — Enraged Islamists pushed back Friday against the toppling of President Mohammed Morsi, as tens of thousands of his supporters took to the streets vowing to win his reinstatement and clashed with their opponents in violence that killed 30 and drove the divided nation toward an increasingly dangerous showdown.

In a battle on a bridge over the Nile River in Cairo, gunfire rang out and flames leaped from a burning car as the rival camps threw volleys of stones and fireworks at each other. Military armored vehicles raced across the bridge in a counterattack on Morsi's supporters.

The clashes accelerated after the supreme leader of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood defiantly proclaimed that his followers would not give up street action until the return of the country's first freely elected president, swept out of power days earlier by the military. Morsi opponents called out the public to defend against the Brotherhood, deepening the battle lines.

In scenes of mayhem, troops opened fire on peaceful pro-Morsi protesters. Islamists threw one opponent off a rooftop. "God make Morsi victorious and bring him back to the palace," Brotherhood chief Mohammed Badie proclaimed before cheering supporters at a Cairo mosque in his first appearance since the overthrow. "We are his soldiers we defend him with our lives."

Badie said it was a matter of honor for the military to abide by its pledge of loyalty to the president, in what appeared to be an attempt to pull it away from its leadership. "Your leader is Morsi. ... Return to the people of Egypt," he said. "Your bullets are not to be fired on your sons and your own people."

Hours later, Badie's deputy, Khairat el-Shater, considered the most powerful figure in the organization, was arrested in a Cairo apartment along with his brother on allegations of inciting violence, Interior Ministry spokesman Hani Abdel-Latif told The Associated Press.

After the speech, a large crowd of Islamists surged across 6th October Bridge over the Nile toward Tahrir Square, where a giant crowd of Morsi's opponents had been massed all day. Battles broke out there and near the neighboring state TV building. Pro-Morsi youth shielded themselves from flying stones and fireworks with sheets of barricaded metal. A car burned at the top of an exit ramp amid the sounds of automatic weapons and shotguns.

"They are firing at us, sons of dogs! Where is the army?" one Morsi opponent shouted as another was brought to medics with his jeans soaked in blood from leg wounds. At least three people were killed at the bridge.

The fighting ended when at least seven armored personnel carriers sped across the bridge, chasing away the Morsi supporters. Young civilians jumped onto the roofs of the APCs, shouting insults at the Islamists and chanting, "The people and army are one hand."

Across the country, clashes erupted as Morsi supporters tried to storm local government buildings or military facilities, battling police or Morsi opponents. At least 30 people were killed throughout the day in Egypt, with 210 wounded, Heath Ministry official Khaled el-Khatib told The Associated Press.

Islamists descended on anti-Morsi rally, opening fire with guns in the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, where at least 12 people were killed, mostly Morsi opponents, emergency services official Amr Salama said. One man was stabbed and thrown from the roof of a building by Morsi supporters after he raised an Egyptian flag and shouted insults against the ousted president, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.

Five policemen killed by militants in shootings around the Sinai city of el-Arish, according to security officials speaking on condition of anonymity because not authorized to talk to the press. The U.S. State Department condemned the violence and called on all Egyptian leaders to denounce the use of force and prevent further bloodshed among their supporters.

"The voices of all who are protesting peacefully must be heard — including those who welcomed the events of earlier this week and those who supported President Morsi," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. "The Egyptian people must come together to resolve their differences peacefully."

Col. Ahmed Ali, a spokesman for the armed forces, said the Muslim Brotherhood was trying to "pick a fight" with the army and "drag it to a clash in order to send a message to the West that what happened in the country is a coup and that the military is cracking down on the peaceful protesters."

That mirrored a statement from an umbrella group of Morsi opponents — including the National Salvation Front and youth groups. The group urged the public to take to the streets immediately "to defend popular legitimacy" against what they called a "malicious plot" by the Brotherhood.

Islamists vowed to show by their numbers and the turmoil that the military had made a mistake by removing Morsi on Wednesday night. The action followed mass demonstrations for four days this week by the president's opponents in the biggest rallies the country has seen.

"The military got itself in a trap by taking one side. Now they see the masses in the streets and now they realized that there are two peoples," Hamada Nassar, a figure from the hard-line former militant group, Gamaa Islamiya, told AP.

An interim president — senior judge Adly Mansour — was sworn in Thursday, and a Cabinet of technocrats is to be formed to run Egypt until new elections can be held, although officials have not said when that will be. Mansour dissolved the interim parliament — the upper house of the legislature — which was overwhelmingly dominated by Islamists and Morsi allies. He also named the head of General Intelligence, Rafaat Shehata, as his security adviser.

The Islamists called rallies Friday to express their outrage at Morsi's ouster. The Brotherhood has said it will not work with the new military-backed leadership, and Morsi's supporters say the armed forces have wrecked Egypt's democracy by carrying out a coup against an elected president.

They accuse loyalists of former leader Hosni Mubarak, ousted in 2011, and liberal and secular opposition parties of turning to the army for help because they lost the election to Islamists. Many also see it as a conspiracy against Islam.

The turmoil began in the afternoon when army troops opened fire as hundreds of his supporters marched on the Republican Guard building in Cairo. That site is where Morsi was staying when he was toppled before being taken into military custody at an undisclosed location.

The crowd approached a barbed wire barrier where troops were standing guard. When one person hung a sign of Morsi on the barrier, soldiers tore it down and told the crowd to stay back. A protester put up a second sign, and the soldiers opened fire, according to an AP photographer.

A protester fell dead with a gaping, bleeding wound in the back of his head, while others were bloodied and wounded. Witnesses told AP Television News at the scene that men in plain clothes fired the lethal shots. The Health Ministry said a total of four were killed at the site, though it was not known how all died.

Protesters threw stones at the troops, who responded with volleys of tear gas. Many of those injured had wounds typical of birdshot. The BBC's Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, was hit by birdshot in the head as he covered the clashes but said his injuries were superficial.

Badie made his appearance three hours later on a stage in front of tens of thousands of Islamists massed at Rabia al-Adawiya Mosque, not far from the Republican Guard building. Morsi "is my president and your president and the president of all Egyptians," Badie proclaimed, thrusting his arms in the air, as a military helicopter circled low overhead.

The gray-haired Badie is a revered figure among the Brotherhood's followers, who swear an oath of absolute obedience to him — to "hear and obey." The circumstances of his appearance were a mystery. Security officials had said Badie was taken into custody from a villa on the Mediterranean coast soon after Morsi's removal Wednesday night and flown to Cairo, part of a sweep that netted at least five other senior Brotherhood figures and put around 200 more on wanted lists.

Just before his speech, the Brotherhood's political party said on its webpage that Badie had "been released." On stage, however, Badie denied he had been arrested. There was no immediate explanation from security officials.

Authorities also announced the release of Saad Katatni, head of the Brotherhood's political arm the Freedom and Justice Party, as well as one of Badie's deputies, Rashad Bayoumi, pending further investigation.

Fears have been running high over an Islamist backlash to Morsi's overthrow. Extremist Islamist groups that gained considerable freedom to operate during Morsi's year in office have already vowed violence in retaliation.

The first major militant attack came before dawn Friday in the tumultuous Sinai Peninsula, killing at least one soldier. Masked assailants launched a coordinated attack with rockets, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns on the airport in the northern Sinai city of el-Arish, where military aircraft are located. Also hit was a security forces camp in Rafah on the border with Gaza, and five other military and police posts.

One of military's top commanders, Gen. Ahmed Wasfi, arrived at el-Arish to lead operations there as the army declared a "war on terrorism" in Sinai. A crowd of Morsi supporters tried to storm the governor's office in the city but were dispersed by security forces.

On the night of Morsi's ouster, jihadi groups rallied in el-Arish, vowing to fight. "War council, war council," a speaker shouted, according to online video of the rally. "No peacefulness after today."

Islamic militants hold a powerful sway in the lawless northern Sinai. They are heavily armed with weapons smuggled from Libya and have links with militants in the neighboring Gaza Strip, run by Hamas. After the attack, Egypt indefinitely closed its border crossing into Gaza, sending 200 Palestinians back into the territory, said Gen. Sami Metwali, director of Rafah passage.

At the Rabia al-Adawiya Mosque rally earlier in the day, the crowd filled much of a broad boulevard, vowing to stay until Morsi is reinstated. The protesters railed against what they called the return of the Mubarak regime.

"The old regime has come back ... worse than before," said Ismail Abdel-Mohsen, an 18-year-old student at the mosque rally. He described the interim president as "the military puppet." "After sunset, President Morsi will be back in the palace," they chanted. "The people want God's law. Islamic, Islamic, whether the army likes it or not."

Many held copies of the Quran in the air, and much of the crowd had the long beards of ultraconservative men or encompassing black robes and veils worn by women. One protester shouted that the sheik of Al-Azhar, Egypt's top Muslim cleric who backed the military, was "an agent of the Christians" — reflecting a sentiment that the Christian minority was behind Morsi's ouster.

In southern Egypt, Islamists attacked the main church in the city of Qena. In the town of Dabaiya near the city of Luxor, a mob torched houses of Christians, sending dozens seeking shelter in a police station.

AP correspondent Tony G. Gabriel contributed to this report.

Egypt interim head of state dissolves parliament

CAIRO | Fri Jul 5, 2013

(Reuters) - The interim Egyptian head of state who was appointed after the army ousted President Mohamed Mursi dissolved parliament by decree on Friday, state television said.

Only the upper house, the Shura Council, had remained active after the lower house was dissolved by military-led authorities shortly before Mursi was elected a year ago.

State TV also said that Adli Mansour, the constitutional court chief justice sworn in as head of state on Thursday, had appointed Mohamed Ahmed Farid as head of intelligence.

He replaces Mohamed Raafat Shehata, a Mursi appointee, who becomes national security adviser to Mansour.

(Reporting by Tom Perry; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/05/us-egypt-protests-decree-idUSBRE9640M220130705.

Fighting in central Cairo, amid protests

CAIRO | Fri Jul 5, 2013

(Reuters) - Fighting broke out in central Cairo on Friday evening between supporters and opponents of ousted President Mohamed, witnesses said.

A group of Islamist supporters of Mursi gathered outside the national broadcasting headquarters on the banks of the Nile, about a kilometer (half a mile) from Tahrir Square, where Mursi's liberal opponents have set up camp.

Television images showed groups of youths running. Some threw fireworks which landed among groups of rival protesters.

(Reporting by Patrick Werr, Amr Abdallah Dalsh and Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

Source: Reuters.
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/05/us-egypt-protests-march-idUSBRE9640VW20130705.

African Union suspends Egypt's membership

By Hadra Ahmed | IANS

Addis Adaba, July 5 (IANS) Following the overthrow of Egypt's elected president Mohammed Morsi by the military, the African Union (AU) Friday suspended that country's membership until restoration of constitutional order.

The decision was taken at the emergency session of the AU's Peace and Security Council (PSC) here.

"The PSC will deliberate on the situation in Egypt and take the required decisions on the basis of the relevant AU instruments, including the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the Algiers Decision and the Lome Declaration," a statement said.

PSC chairperson Nkosazana Dilamini Zuma said that the AU recognized the situation in Egypt as an "exceptional" but stands by the principles of constitutional changes of government.

"It is the responsibility of all Egyptian leaders to work towards the fulfillment of these legitimate aspirations," she said.

However, the Egyptian ambassador to Ethiopia and the AU noted that it was the Egyptian people that brought Morsi to power and were the ones that revolted against him and the army's involvement was just to fulfil their aspirations.

"The source of legitimacy has come from the people. The army and other powers in Egypt were just supporting the will of the people," he said.

The AU has also decided to dispatch a team of eminent persons to Egypt to hold discussions with the ruling authorities and other Egyptian stakeholders.

AU likely to suspend Egypt

Friday 5 July 2013

ADDIS ABABA: The African Union is likely to suspend Egypt from all its activities after the Egyptian military suspended the constitution and overthrew the elected president, Muhammad Mursi, a senior AU source said yesterday.

AU commissioner Lamamra Ramtane told the Associated Press yesterday that the AU's peace and security council will meet today to deliberate on Egypt's political crisis and that the members were likely to implement the AU's usual response to any interruption of constitutional rule by a member state.

During the meeting, the African Union official said, the continental body will discuss political events in Egypt, where the country's democratically leader was ousted by the military.

"The belief is that the doctrine will be applied, which is suspension for any country where an unconstitutional change has taken place," he said.

In March, the AU also suspended the Central African Republic after rebels overthrew the government there.

"We intend to dispatch a mission and urge the Egyptian authorities to establish dialogue," Lamamra said.

The AU usually suspends the membership of countries where the military ousts an elected government. Hinting that such a move could be coming, the head of the AU Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on Wednesday said the body has "a principled position on unconstitutional changes of government."

Dlamini-Zuma had urged Egyptians to hold dialogue to end the crisis within the framework of Egyptian law. Egypt's military toppled President Mursi on Wednesday.

Source: Arab News.
Link: http://www.arabnews.com/news/457023.

Kenyan peacekeepers accused of creating buffer state inside Somalia

By Fredrick Nzwili, Correspondent
July 5, 2013

Mogadishu says Nairobi is creating an autonomous state of Jubaland on its border and backing a hand-picked warlord to run it. It's asking Kenyan troops to leave.

NAIROBI, KENYA

Increasingly open efforts by Kenya to establish a small buffer state inside Somalia – one that Kenya holds sway in – is starting to create tensions and recrimination between what have been allies in the Horn of Africa.

The buffer state, or “security zone” as Kenyans are calling it, is known as Jubaland and sits just inside Somalia on its border with Kenya.

On July 1, and in angry tones, the government of Somalia asked Kenyan peacekeeping troops to leave the country – saying Nairobi was pushing to establish its own leader in Jubaland, and saying that in May, Kenyan troops took sides in factional fighting in Kismayo, the largest port in the area, that killed 65 Somalis and wounded another 155.

Kenya denies taking sides in Somalia and calls itself neutral, even though many analysts now agree that Nairobi is pursuing a security zone on its border aimed at repulsing militants like the Islamist radical group Al Shabab that are linked to Al Qaeda.

“Kenya has been seeking to establish a ‘state’ so that it can take care of its security interests. It had been neutral on the Somali issues from 1991-2011, but we think this changing,” says Abdiwahab Sheikh Abdisamad, a Nairobi-based Horn of Africa specialist.

A letter reveals new details

Tensions were exacerbated yesterday by a misdirected letter to the African Union from Fawzia Yusuf Adam, the Somali deputy prime minister and foreign minister, stating that Kenyan forces are not being neutral, and that the Kenyan commander in charge in the Jubaland area is “incompetent.”

The letter, obtained and authenticated by the BBC, was wrongly sent out to “press contacts” in addition to officials of the African Union – and is the first verification of the degree of anger and diplomacy by Mogadishu regarding Nairobi.

Last fall Kenyan troops based in Somalia took Kismayo, a strategic port some 300 miles south of Mogadishu, from the control of Al Shabab, which carries out attacks on Western and international groups on the Horn, most recently exploding a suicide bomb at a UN compound in Mogadishu.

To maintain control of Jubaland and Kismayo, Kenya has been tacitly backing Sheikh Ahmed Madobe. Mr. Madobe is a former warlord whose Ras Kamboni militia supported Kenyan troops since they entered Somalia in 2011 as part of the African Union contingent designed to stabilize Somalia, say officials and analysts.

In May, Mr. Madobe, using his militia as a political base, was elected president of Jubaland at a conference at Kismayo University attended by 550 delegates.

The current Somali government in Mogadishu – now recognized by Washington and the International Monetary Fund – rejected the election as unconstitutional.

Some five warlords in Jubaland currently are calling themselves president of the area; the Somali government does not recognize any of them.

'We are just trying to rebuild'

Kenyan military officials, such as spokesman Col. Cyrus Oguna, have stressed that Kenyan forces are neutral and merely trying to promote security and rebuild the country.

Yet “Kenya needs to be cautious," says Mr. Abdiwahab. "There is a complex web of politics involving clans that it must not lose sight of. I am afraid, if it has not understood this, then ... it’s making a political miscalculation that may jeopardize security in north eastern Kenya and parts of Somalia."

For Fred Nyabera, a conflict resolution consultant in Nairobi, the Jubaland buffer zone may be an important idea, but it needs further thinking.

“Kenya needs security along the porous border and I think the buffer zone is important. It will contribute to the security of region including Somalia. The problem is that other actors in the region think that Kenya sees this only as a Kenyan issue,” says Mr. Nyabera.

Nyabera also says that Somalian officials must see the situation from Nairobi’s security perspective.

He warns, however, that if Kenyan authorities don’t make clear a time frame for their troops to leave, that they will be increasingly seen as “an occupying force. They need a clear calendar for exit.”

Source: Christian Science Monitor.
Link: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2013/0705/Kenyan-peacekeepers-accused-of-creating-buffer-state-inside-Somalia.