Military Takes Over in Egypt, President Morsi ousted

Late Wednesday, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the head of Egypt’s army, announced that President Morsi was no longer in office during a speech on state television.

Police later began arresting key presidential aides and the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Sisi also suspended the country’s constitution, saying that new parliamentary elections will be held.

The army chief declared Head of Supreme Constitutional Court Adli Mansour as the interim president.

Though President Morsi had said on his Facebook page that the army’s move was a “military coup,” asking the Egyptians to “abide by the constitution and the law and not to respond to this coup.”

Meanwhile, Egyptian security forces have detained two senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood close to Morsi. Rashad Bayoumi, the group’s deputy leader, and Saad al-Katatni, the leader of the Brotherhood’s political arm, were arrested just hours after Morsi’s overthrow.

State media also reported that arrest warrants had been issued for a total of 300 Brotherhood officials.

Egyptian army troops have been deployed throughout the country amid clashes between the supporters and opponents of Morsi.

According to Egyptian security officials, at least seven people have died in clashes between security forces and Morsi’s supporters in the city of Alexandria and the eastern city of Marsa Matrouh.

In reaction to the events in Egypt, US President Barack Obama expressed deep concern over the Egyptian army’s removal of Morsi and urged a quick return to a civilian government.

“I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible,” Obama said in a statement.

The statement also said that Obama had ordered a review of the implications for the USD 1.3-billion annual US military aid to Egypt as well as millions more in economic assistance in the wake of the removal of Morsi.