Top News: Top Police Generals Acquitted of January 25 Revolution Killings

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The Shubra El-Kheima Criminal Court on Thursday found former Qalyoubia Governorate Director of Security Farouk Lasheen and three police generals, Gamal Hosny, Ahmed Momtaz and Samir Zaki, innocent of charges of killing protesters during the 2011 uprising that led to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. 

GOVERNMENT & OPPOSITION

President Morsi promises Egypt’s students corruption-free future 

[Ahram Online, 9/6/2012] President Mohamed Morsi met on Wednesday with heads of Egypt’s student unions during which, in a speech at the International Cairo Conference Centre, he gave assurances that the era of corruption, which robbed the country of its best resources, is over. Morsi underlined the importance of human capital, adding that students will have a large role to play in raising their country’s status internationally.

Morsi appoints Safwat Abdel Dayem as Secretary General of the Cabinet

[El Watan (Arabic), Al Youm 7 (Arabic) 9/6/2012] President Mohamed Morsi has appointed Dr. Safwat Abdel Dayem as the Secretary General of the Egyptian Cabinet of Ministers, succeeding Dr. Samy Saad Zaghloul. Abdel Dayem has worked in the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, as well as working for the World Bank and the National Water Research Centre.

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COURTS & CONSTITUTION

Top police generals acquitted of January 25 Revolution killings

[Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, EGYNews, (Arabic) 9/6/2012] The Shubra El-Kheima Criminal Court on Thursday found former Qalyoubia Governorate Director of Security Farouk Lasheen and three police generals, Gamal Hosny, Ahmed Momtaz and Samir Zaki, innocent of charges of killing protesters during the 2011 uprising that led to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. The prosecution alleged that the defendants had violently restricted protesters from attempting to reach Cairo on 28 January 2011, resulting in the death of approximately 20 and the injury of 40 others. However, the court ruled that due to insufficient material evidence the defendants should be acquitted.

An emerging constitution

[Egypt Independent, Ahram Online, 9/6/2012] The Constituent Assembly is rushing to complete the new constitution as leaks and comments to the press start to bring several controversial articles more clearly into view. It had been proposed that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces must approve the president’s decision to go to war, along with Parliament. Article 2, which governs the legal status of Islam, remains controversial among the Constituent Assembly members. The majority of assembly members approve of setting the presidential term to four years, while allowing a president to run for two terms. The president will not be the head of the police force under Egypt’s new constitution. A full list of the leaked clauses is available here.

Egypt court exonerates condemned Gamaa Islamiya members

[Ahram Online, 9/6/2012] The Beni Suef Criminal Court on Wednesday exonerated four members of Egypt’s Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya who had been earlier sentenced to death by a military court.  Mostafa Hamza, Refaa Taha, Othaman Siman and Mohamed El-Islamboly had all faced the ultimate penalty after being found guilty of involvement in what has become known as the ‘Albania Returnees Case’ of the late 1990s. Since the sentence was never carried out, the men were eventually referred by a military tribunal to a civil court for re-trial following last year’s revolution, by which they were all found not guilty.

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ECONOMY

Qatar pledges to invest $18 billion in Egypt over the next 5 years to help boost economy

[AP, Al Masry Al Youm (Arabic) 9/6/2012] Egypt’s prime minister says Qatar has agreed to invest $18 billion in Egypt over the next five years to help boost the country’s ailing economy. Prime Minister Hesham Kandil says the investment will target Egypt’s industrial, tourism and energy sectors. Qatar has already delivered around $500 million of a promised $2 billion loan to Egypt’s central bank.

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SECURITY & SINAI

Police checkpoint attacked in Arish

[Egypt Independent, Al Watan, (Arabic) 9/6/2012] Masked gunmen on Thursday fired at a police checkpoint on the road to the Arish airport without causing injuries. Security sources said the assailants were driving an SUV when they shot at police forces, who shot back.  The same checkpoint was attacked several times before, most recently on 25 August, also without causing injuries.

Armed Forces adopt new strategy in Operation Eagle, says military source

[Egypt Independent, Ahram Gateway (Arabic) 9/6/2012] A high-level military source said Wednesday that the Armed Forces, in cooperation with the police, adopted a new strategy in the security crackdown in North Sinai. He added that Operation Eagle has started to pay off and achieve its security objectives. The source said, on condition of anonymity, that the new strategy depends on using light arms instead of heavy military vehicles. Eyewitnesses reported last week that the tanks participating in Operation Eagle withdrew from Sinai. Reuters quoted a security source as saying that the tanks would be replaced with armored vehicles. The Armed Forces is expected to hold a press conference on Saturday in which more details will be revealed about the latest developments in Sinai.

Egypt says identifies suspects in Sinai killings

[Reuters, Akhbar al-Youm (Arabic), 9/6/2012] Egypt has identified seven suspects, including one Egyptian, in the killing of 16 border guards last month that triggered the biggest security sweep along its frontier with Israel in decades, the interior minister said. Interior Minister Ahmed Gamal El-Din told state-owned al-Akhbar that the Egyptian suspect belonged to a dormant local jihadi cell but did not mention the nationalities of the other suspects or say if any of the seven had been detained. Gamal said security forces were still trying to root out members of "disparate" militant groups, some of whom espoused the "takfiri" doctrine, which sees modern society as godless and therefore to be avoided, or attacked.

SOCIETY & MEDIA

After Syrian Embassy violence, MB calls for demonstrations

[Daily News Egypt, IkhwanWeb, 9/6/2012] After clashes outside the Syrian embassy on Tuesday night the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is calling for demonstrations outside mosques all over Egypt next Friday. In an official statement, the Brotherhood said that these protest rallies are to show solidarity with and support for the Syrian people. A group of protesters tried to raise the Free Syrian Army flag at the Syrian embassy in Garden City on Tuesday night, which resulted in clashes with security forces. According to Reuters, five people were arrested in the clashes.

Ultras Ahlawy list six demands after attacking Egyptian Football Association HQ

[Ahram Online, Ahram Online 9/6/2012] Ahly’s die-hard fans (Ultras Ahlawy) have listed six demands that they said should be fulfilled or otherwise “matters will be worse” following an attack on the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) headquarters on Wednesday. The group, incensed by what they perceive the Egyptian authorities’ reluctance to punish the culprits of February’s Port Said disaster, hurled firecrackers at the EFA building in Al-Gezira district, Cairo, before invading it. Ultras Ahlawy have vowed not to allow the EFA to resume domestic football activities unless “justice is done.” Egypt’s sports minister El-Amry Farouk said on Wednesday that the attack would not hamper plans to start the Egyptian Premier League later this month.

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REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Morsy meets Abbas in Cairo to discuss Palestinian reconciliation

[Egypt Independent, 9/6/2012] President Mohamed Morsy met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday. The two presidents discussed the latest developments in Palestinian reconciliation efforts between Fatah and Hamas, and Egypt’s efforts to alleviate the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people.

2,500 Egyptians deported from Syria, 4 arrested

[Egypt Independent, 9/6/2012] The Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the Egyptian Embassy in Damascus deported 2,500 Egyptians in the past few weeks. Egyptian Charge d’Affairs in Damascus Alaa Abdel Aziz, meanwhile, said he received a notification from the Syrian authorities saying four Egyptians were arrested while allegedly attempting to cross the Syrian border coming from Jordan and heading to Lebanon.

Syria slams Egyptian leader’s speech as interference

[Reuters, 9/6/2012] Syria condemned on Thursday calls by Egypt’s president for change in the country, saying they amounted to blatant interference in its internal affairs. The foreign ministry said President Mohamed Mursi’s comments to a meeting of Arab ministers in Cairo were a "clear attack on the right of the Syrian people to choose their future by themselves, without foreign interference".

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Photo Credit: Reuters/President Mohamed Morsy meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas

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