Again, Death Comes To Cairo As Pro- and Anti-Military Forces Clash Ahead Of Upcoming Presidential Election

Meet the new boss . . .? According to Jordan’s Al Bawaba news, the the New York Times and others, as many as 20 persons were killed and more than 200 were injured during protests in the Abbasiya neighborhood of Cairo early Wednesday. This occurred in advance of this month’s Presidential elections, and “[pit] opponents of Egypt’s military rulers against groups of men that the protesters said were thugs allied with the security services.” The Abbasiya area is near the Ministry of Defense where anti military government protesters have gathered for days. Jordan’s Al Bawaba news reports at least 20 killed, and the “army and riot police forces have set up a security cordon to separate the two camps in the area . . .” There are no reports of direct army intervention in the disruptions. In addition,

According to eyewitnesses, unidentified assailants attacked at dawn the protesters gathered for several days to call the army’s departure from power. Among the protesters are supporters of Salafist leader Hazem Abu Ismail, who is one of ten candidates disqualified from the presidential race because of irregularities. According to authorities, his mother was granted a U.S. citizenship, contrary to the election law.

Wednesday’s clashes have brought two major candidates – Mohamed Morsi from the Muslim Brotherhood and the moderate Islamist Abdel Moneim Aboul-Futuh to suspend their campaign. Morsi told reporters he was suspending his campaign “for 48 hours in solidarity with the demonstrators “and he held “the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces responsible for the events.”

Protests began several days ago as a sit-in by supporters of a disqualified presidential candidate, Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, an ultraconservative Islamist. It rapidly evolved into a protest against the military.

Fears of revisiting the revolution of 2011 grow. Suspicion that the military government will resist usurpation have always been rife, now they begin to emerge into the forefront. Although there are no re[ports of military involvement in Wednesday’s riots, it is difficult to untie the knot of where military influence begins and ends.

The revolution was never truly secured, and indeed, no one expected it to easily build a stable foundation, yet today’s violence does not bode well for the variety of interests – Islamist, Muslim Brotherhood, Salafists, secularists, and others – who vie for leadership. Of course, Egyptians well know how difficult it is to remove a military government, and it is unlikely they will retreat. Under Mubarak, the military was provided easy entree into business interests and has consequently quite a lot to lose unless it can negotiate these interest successfully with new civilian leadership. Many doubt this is possible. So tonight, Egyptians await the reaction from the The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).

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