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| Morsi won't resign, tells military not to 'take sides' - USA TODAY Posted: 03 Jul 2013 08:59 AM PDT About two dozen people are reported dead in clashes between supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. Huge protests are filling the streets, while the Egyptian military says if Morsi doesn't solve the crisis, it will. (July 3) CAIRO — President Mohammed Morsi refused to step down Wednesday in the face of demands by the military Wednand called on the military not to "take sides" even as the army chief of staff met with opposition figures and religious leaders to discuss its "road map" for dramatic political reform. Morsi called instead for the formation of an interim coalition government, led by a prime minister approved by the major political parties. In the last minute statement before an afternoon deadline imposed by the military, Morsi again rejected army intervention, saying abiding by his electoral legitimacy was the only way to prevent violence. He criticized the military for "taking only one side." "One mistake that cannot be accepted, and I say this as president of all Egyptians, is to take sides," he said in the statement issued by his office. "Justice dictates that the voice of the masses from all squares should be heard." Morsi's spokesman denied a report on Al Hayat local TV that Morsi had been placed under house arrest, but AFP reported that the security forces had placed a travel ban on Morsi and top Islamists. The military had called on Morsi 48 hours ago to yield to the mass protests or step aside to defuse the political deadlock that had sent millions of protesters into the street. As the deadline approached, crowds swelled Cairo's Tahrir Square where, according to the state news agency MENA, police were handing out juice and water to anti-Morsi protesters. State media reported that the "road map" would include a new interim leadership, installed by the military, and a suspension of the Islamist-backed constitution and the Islamist-dominated parliament. The BBC reported that the army asked all but essential staff to leave the state TV building ahead of the deadline, which expired around 4:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. ET.). At least 39 people have died since the protests began on Sunday. Many of the latest deaths occurred after gunfire erupted outside Cairo University in Giza, where pro-Morsi demonstrators gathered to show support for the president, who comes from the 85-year-old Muslim Brotherhood, the Associated Press reported. The meeting between opposition groups and army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was announced by opposition spokesman Khaled Dwoud in a live telephone interview with state television. It included Mohamed ElBaradei, Egypt's leading democracy advocate, who represents the opposition National Salvation Front coalition and the youth groups leading anti-Morsi protesters. Also in attendance to discuss the proposed political "road map" were Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar mosque, and Pope Tawadros II, patriarch of Egypt's Coptic Christian minority. Freedom and Justice party members say they refused an invitation to take part in the meeting. Mohamed Abou El Ghar, president of the Egyptian Social Democratic party, tells USA TODAY that the opposition is demanding that Morsi must go, and that there should be a "civilian, temporary, honorary president, preferably from the higher constitutional court and a civilian prime minister with a small cabinet to run the country in the coming period." "The military and the police should only guard the borders and the security inside the country," he said. "So, it should be clear in the minds of the West that this is not a coup. This is not a military coup." Moving forward, he added, the opposition does not want to isolate the Muslim Brotherhood. "We want the Muslim Brothers to share in the future elections and the future parliament," he said. As the deadline loomed, Morsi showed little interest in compromise, however, going on national TV Tuesday night to reject calls for his ouster. A spokesman for Morsi, Ayman Ali, told Reuters that that president believes it is better "to die standing like a tree" than turn back history. "It is better for a president, who would otherwise be returning Egypt to the days of dictatorship, from which God and the will of the people has saved us, to die standing like a tree," Ali tells the news agency."Rather than be condemned by history and future generations for throwing away the hopes of Egyptians for establishing a democratic life." In an emotional 46-minute speech, Morsi warned the military against removing him, saying such action will "backfire on its perpetrators." Morsi, who took office almost exactly one year ago, pledged to protect his "constitutional legitimacy" with his life. He accused loyalists of his ousted autocratic predecessor Hosni Mubarak of exploiting the wave of protests to topple his regime and thwart democracy. "There is no substitute for legitimacy," said Morsi, who at times angrily raised his voice, thrust his fist in the air and pounded the podium. He warned that electoral and constitutional legitimacy "is the only guarantee against violence." Morsi said he is prepared to sacrifice his blood for the sake of the homeland, and he accused former regime loyalists of battling democracy. Although Morsi has only been in office a year, his opponents have grown increasingly angry over a deteriorating economic and political situation, as well as what they see as attempts by the Brotherhood to monopolize power. As the crisis continued, there has been no official protection for protesters, and police even failed to intervene when Cairo's Muslim Brotherhood headquarters was attacked then ransacked this week. EGYPT: Ailing economy at heart of unrest Some estimates put the total number of people killed in clashes nationwide over the past several days at more than 40. Violence also permeates Tahrir Square, where 91 women have been sexually assaulted and in some cases raped over the past four days, Human Rights Watch said. One woman needed surgery after she was raped with a "sharp object," volunteers working to prevent sexual assault told the human rights group. Others were beaten with sticks, metal chains and chairs. In some cases, they were assaulted for up to 45 minutes. Anti-Morsi protesters are largely hoping the military will interfere to resolve the current crisis — a shift from when many sought to push the establishment aside and make way for a democratic state and civilian rule after generals governed the country for more than 16 months in the nation's post-revolution period. But in locations across Cairo on Tuesday night, Morsi supporters demanded that Morsi remain in his post as the county is no closer to mending deep political divisions. Douglas Stanglin reported from McLean, Va. |
| Surviving member of Ariz. hotshots crew spotted trouble - USA TODAY Posted: 03 Jul 2013 09:01 AM PDT The 20th Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighter Brendan McDonough survived the Yarnell Hill Fire and those grieving the loss of their loved ones say they wouldn't want it any other way. PRESCOTT, Ariz. — From his lookout position on a scrubby hillside, Brendan McDonough tracked the fast-changing elements of the Yarnell Hill Fire late Sunday: the weather, the landscape, the movement of the flames and smoke. Finally, officials would later say, he made a decision. Weather conditions were changing. The wind was pushing the fire in another direction. McDonough had reached a preset trigger based on those conditions, and he needed to move. He radioed the news to his crew, the 19 other members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who were fighting the fire farther down the hill. STORY: Investigation of fatal Arizona fire getting underway PHOTOS: The Yarnell Hill Fire: Faces of the fallen firefighters As he hiked out of the area, he spoke by radio to another crew, according to a Prescott Fire Department spokesman who recounted the events. When he turned back, he realized the fire had engulfed the lookout point he'd just left. He never heard back from his crew mates, who died when the shifting flames swept across their fire line. The identity of McDonough, the much-discussed 20th member of the hotshot crew, emerged Tuesday through social media, reporters' inquiries and, finally, an official announcement. Then just as quickly, the 21-year-old firefighter pleaded for privacy, a message relayed by authorities who asked the media and the public to give McDonough time to deal with what happened. "He is very distraught, as you might think," said Wade Ward, a Fire Department spokesman. "He is very emotional. He's got all the questions, the why and the why not. He's concerned for the families mostly. I can tell you Brendan has no desire to speak to anybody at this point." STORY: How you can help the Arizona firefighters' families At a community meeting Tuesday, Ward acknowledged the intense interest in McDonough, whose existence was revealed in some of the earliest reports about the deaths of the firefighters. There were questions about his role in the crew and why he wasn't with the other members when fire struck. On Tuesday, officials explained his duties and said that they wanted people to understand that McDonough followed procedures and prepared to move to a new location in advance of his crew, as his assignment required. "He did his job," Ward said. McDonough appeared briefly Tuesday night at an emotional vigil in Prescott, surrounded by firefighters as the crowd cheered. But he has given no interviews and, on his Facebook page, he asked friends and family not to speak with the news media if they were approached. But a sketchy portrait of McDonough came together through social media, public records and statements by fire department officials. On his Facebook page, McDonough said he had lived previously in Oceanside, Calif., a beach city between San Diego and Orange County. As a teenager, he moved to Prescott and attended Prescott High School, where he was involved with the Air Force Junior ROTC. He graduated in 2009 and later enrolled at Yavapai College, where he studied fire science. He joined the Granite Mountain Hotshots in 2011, "my dream job," he wrote in an April 2011 Facebook post, "full of excitement and an adrenaline rush I can't explain. (I) work with the best people I could." Just weeks earlier, he had become a father. In March 2011, the Prescott Daily Courier published a baby announcement that said McDonough and Natalie Nesvig, also of Prescott, had welcomed a baby girl, Michaela Rose McDonough. Nesvig had posted photos of herself and McDonough together in various settings, including in two of her online profile pictures. McDonough was in his third season with the hotshots when the Yarnell Hill Fire erupted last week. On Sunday afternoon, he was working as a lookout. Fire experts say the lookout is critical for firefighters, who need a set of eyes focused on the weather and the movement of the flames. Ward said McDonough's job Sunday was to watch the situation and decide when the various elements reached the "trigger points" that would signal a change in position. When McDonough determined he needed to move, he radioed the supervisor of his hotshot crew. Officials said he radioed that the weather was changing and that the fire was shifting in a new direction. He told his crew members that if they needed anything to contact him. Then, he left with the superintendent of another hotshot crew. Bob Orrill, a member of the Southwest Incident Command team, met with McDonough early Tuesday and brought a message to the community meeting. "Brendan would like to express his appreciation and that of his fallen brothers for the outpouring of support towards this organization and the firefighting community in general," Orrill said. An emotional crowd at the community meeting applauded and cheered as Ward and Orrill relayed McDonough's story. Some of the loudest cheers came as Ward asked the news media to respect McDonough's privacy. On social-media sites, McDonough's family and friends offered support. His father, Scott McDonough, who is in Boston, posted a picture of his son in firefighting gear and said: "Good work in Arizona, son. Proud and glad you're safe!" In Prescott, Juliann Ashcraft, wife of Andrew Ashcraft, one of the fallen firefighters, talked about McDonough on Tuesday. "I hope that he knows we love him," she said. Contributing: Arizona Republic reporters Ken Alltucker, Saba Hamedy, Scott Craven, Rebekah L. Sanders, and KPNX-TV reporter Lissette Martinez. |
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