"You left the Egyptians. You turned your back on the Egyptians, and they won't forget that," said an indignant Gen. Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, speaking of the U.S. government. "Now you want to continue turning your backs on Egyptians?" If you'd been paying attention, General, you'd have seen that's how Champ treats his friends.
In Cairo's Defense Ministry on Thursday, he provided his most detailed explanation yet of why he decided to oust Morsi, the nation's first
Sissi's comments are a measure of just how thoroughly the Obama administration has alienated both sides in a profoundly polarized and unsettled Egypt, all while trying to remain neutral. Morsi's supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood regularly accuse the United States of acquiescing to a military coup.
I'm pretty sure that disturbs the sleep of The One, since the Brotherhood liked to defecate on the U.S.
Sissi spoke on the same day that Secretary of State John F. Kerry made the administration's most supportive comments to date, saying that Egypt's army was "restoring democracy."
Careful, Jahwn, there's still room under the bus!
U.S. officials have cautioned Sissi and other generals to show restraint in their dealings with protesters, at least 140 of whom have been killed in clashes with security forces.
Baby ducks and innocent fluffy bunnies, right, WaPo?
The Obama administration has also encouraged the military to reconcile with the Muslim Brotherhood. That prospect appears distant, with authorities promising a fresh crackdown on Islamist protests and Morsi continuing to be detained in an undisclosed location, unable to communicate with even his family.
Egypt's commanding general suggested that if the United States wants to avoid further bloodshed in Egypt, it should persuade the Muslim Brotherhood to back down from the Cairo sit-ins it has maintained since July 3.
That'd be a strong move, which makes it unlikely.
"The U.S. administration has a lot of leverage and influence with the Muslim Brotherhood, and I'd really like the U.S. administration to use this leverage with them to resolve the conflict," Sissi said.
One of Morsi's first major acts in office was to sweep away an older generation of military leaders and appoint Sissi to command the country's armed forces. Many observers speculated that Morsi had selected Sissi because he was more sympathetic to the Brotherhood, which had been oppressed by generations of military-backed leaders.
But in the interview, Sissi was unsparing in his criticism of the group, saying that Brotherhood members are more devoted to their Islamist beliefs than they are to Egypt.
Now there's a revelation!
"The idea that gathers them together is not nationalism, it's not patriotism, it is not a sense of a country," he said. Sissi said he had done all he could during the president's year in office to help him succeed. Morsi, he said, had repeatedly failed to heed the general's advice.
Meanwhile, the economy was badly deteriorating, and law and order had begun to break down. Millions of Egyptians took to the streets on June 30, the anniversary of Morsi's inauguration, to demand the end of his rule.
"I expected if we didn't intervene, it would have turned into a civil war," he said. "The most important achievement in my life is to overcome this circumstance, [to ensure] that we live peacefully, to go on with our road map and to be able to conduct the coming elections without shedding one drop of Egyptian blood," he said, before adding, "When the people love you, this is the most important thing for me."