Morsi Snubs Ultimatum, Army Readies
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SUBSCRIPTION WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2013 SHAABAN 24, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Filipina maid Snowden’s Russian Lisicki and content after options narrow rocket Radwanska trials and as nations explodes in star on day of tribulations5 reject asylum7 Kazakhstan10 understudies20 Morsi snubs ultimatum, Max 47º Min 34º army readies ‘roadmap’ High Tide 07:25 & 21:25 President, Sisi in crisis talks • Brotherhood urges ‘martyrdom’ Low Tide 01:16 & 15:01 40 PAGES NO: 15858 150 FILS CAIRO: Opponents of Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi poured onto the streets of Cairo yesterday to press their demand that he step down after the Islamist president snubbed an ultimatum from the army to agree to the “people’s demands” or face an imposed solution. Morsi and army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi have been locked in talks all day to “discuss the current crisis”, a military source said. Egypt’s military has drawn up a plan to suspend the Islamist- backed constitution, dissolve the Islamist-dominated leg- islature and set up an interim administration headed by the country’s chief justice if Morsi fails to reach a solution with his opponents by the end of today’s deadline, the state news agency later reported. The report yesterday provided the first details on the road map that the military has said it will implement if Morsi fails to meet its ultima- tum. Most businesses remained closed and very few cars were on the streets, as tensions soared ahead of today’s deadline, which the president’s supporters have con- demned as a coup threat. Pro-Morsi demonstrators also massed in two parts of Cairo to defend the legitimacy of the president. Clashes erupted between Morsi supporters and opponents in the Cairo neighbourhoods of Giza and Helwan as well as in the northern province of Beheira - away from the main rallies - leaving around 30 people injured, security officials said. A senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood called on its supporters to be ready to sacrifice their lives to prevent an army takeover, recalling that hundreds had died during the 2011 revolution that ousted veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak. The main opposition coalition said it was ready to join the urgent talks on a negotiated transition called for by the army and named former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei as its chief negotiator. Military sources earlier told Reuters that once a two- day deadline set by the head of the armed forces expires at 5 pm (1500 GMT) today, the military intended to install an interim council, composed mainly of civilians from dif- ferent political groups and experienced technocrats, to CAIRO: Opponents of Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed run the country until an amended constitution was draft- Morsi shout slogans and wave national flags in Tahrir ed within months. That would be followed by a new presi- Square yesterday. (Inset) A military helicopter flies over as dential election, but parliamentary polls would be a protestor waves a flag in Tahrir Square. (Inset right) A delayed until strict conditions for selecting candidates supporter of Morsi holds up his image during a rally out- were in force, they said. side Cairo University. — AP/AFP Continued on Page 15 69 Islamists jailed in More prominent figures register UAE coup plot trial Candidates call for participation • Convicted Fadhl flees Bahrain jails 8 Shiites By B Izzak KUWAIT: More prominent figures registered for the ABU DHABI: Sixty-nine convicted coup abuser of basic human rights,” said polls yesterday including some members who were plotters received jail terms of up to 10 Nicholas McGeehan, Gulf researcher at with the opposition and boycotted last December’s years in the United Arab Emirates yester- Human Rights Watch. “Today’s judge- elections, as most candidates urged voters to head to day after a trial that targeted Islamists ments mark yet another low point for the ballots on July 27. Former MPs Adnan Abdusamad, and drew criticism from human rights the UAE’s worsening human rights Mohammad Al-Abduljader, Ahmad Al-Mulaifi, Jaber Al- groups. Among those sentenced were record.” Alkarama, a Swiss-based Arab Muhailbi and Duaij Al-Shemmari, a former member of academics, lawyers and members of human rights group, called the verdicts the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM), registered prominent UAE families, including a politically driven and said they should to run in the polls and urged the opposition to join. cousin of the ruler of one of the seven be overturned. Amnesty International Others included former members of the opposition emirates in the oil-rich federation, a slammed the verdicts, saying the trial Ahmad Al-Azemi, who was a member of the scrapped longtime foe of Islamist groups seeking was “grossly unfair” and the charges a role in politics and state affairs. Eight were “bogus”. Feb 2012 assembly, Tarqi Al-Mutairi and Mohammad Al- men were sentenced in absentia by the “Not only do the defendants appear Enezi, who joined the opposition in boycotting the Dec Federal Supreme Court to 15 years in to have been targeted simply because of 2012 election. Almost all those who registered yester- prison, in a judgement rights groups their views, but they have been convict- day, particularly those who had links with the opposi- said showed growing intolerance in the ed on bogus charges and denied the tion, said they decided to run in the election after last US-allied Gulf Arab country. basic right to a fair trial,” said Hassiba month’s constitutional court ruling which upheld the The government said the sentences Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty’s Middle East controversial amendment to the electoral law that could not be appealed. “These verdicts and North Africa deputy director. reduced the number of candidates a voter can pick cement the UAE’s reputation as a serious Continued on Page 15 from a maximum of four to just one. DAR ES SALAAM: US President Barack Obama and former US President Continued on Page 15 George W Bush pause for a moment of silence during a wreath laying cere- mony yesterday to honor the victims of the US Embassy bombing. — AP Smooth Qatar handover Obama joins Bush at Saudis extend rooted in ex-emir’s past Tanzania memorial amnesty for Ex-PM loses QIA position DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania: Democratic ecessor: “They’re learning from us.” illegal expats DUBAI/DOHA: Qatar’s outgoing emir in office, Sheikh Hamad, 61, stepped President Barack Obama and Republican The Obamas departed Africa for RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yesterday extended by four more wanted to abdicate while he was still down following 18 years in office and predecessor President George W Bush home shortly after crossing paths with months an amnesty enabling illegal foreign workers to able to help his 33-year-old heir consoli- made way for his son, Sheikh Tamim bin found common ground in Africa yester- the Bushes, who were hosting the sum- regularise their status or return home without prosecu- date his authority, so ensuring minimal Hamad Al-Thani. Sheikh Hamad, a force- day, honoring the victims of a terrorist mit promoting the role of African first tion. King Abdullah has ordered “extending the time discord inside a family with a long record ful, independent-minded personality attack in an unprecedented encounter a ladies in bringing change to their coun- limit” of the amnesty due to expire today until of palace intrigue. While no one other who now takes the title “Father Emir”, world away from home. The US presi- tries. Bush ended up joining the current November, the interior ministry said in a statement car- than outgoing emir Sheikh Hamad bin explained in an abdication speech that dents observed a moment of silence president for the wreath-laying ceremo- ried by the official SPA news agency. English-language Khalifa Al-Thani can know his full motiva- he wanted a new generation “with their together at a monument to victims of ny honoring the Tanzanian victims of the daily Arab News said the amnesty would now expire on tions, foremost among them appears to innovative ideas and active energies” to the 1998 embassy bombing here in the simultaneous attacks at the US Nov 4. The ruler of the oil powerhouse had announced have been a need for stability in a take over. east African city where Bush coinciden- embassies here and in Kenya master- the amnesty on April 3, granting foreign workers a dynasty that has ruled for more than 130 Left unspoken were other, related pri- tally happened to be as Obama wrapped minded by Osama bin Laden. Both presi- three-month grace period to regularise their residency years. That is the picture of last week’s orities. The outgoing ruler has had kid- up a weeklong tour of the continent. dents have bin Laden in common. Bush’s or leave Saudi Arabia to avoid being jailed, fined or placed on a blacklist. Security forces will launch a wide- abdication that emerges from diplomats ney problems, and while the condition While the two leaders didn’t say anything two terms were tinged by the 9/11 ter- reaching campaign across the kingdom to crack down and others familiar with a country that was not the reason for his decision, publicly, their wives engaged in a warm rorist attacks carried out in New York and on illegal foreign workers once the amnesty has during his rule rose from obscurity and diplomats said, his continued ability to and chatty joint appearance at a summit Washington by bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda expired, the interior ministry warned. relative poverty to global prominence in master Qatar’s complex dynastic politics on African women. Initially the two presi- network; Obama ordered the US military dents weren’t even planning to meet raid that ended with bin Laden’ death The embassies of Asian countries from which most of finance, diplomacy, sport and media.