Counter-Terrorism: Morocco Had A Plan And It Worked

Of all the Arab countries Morocco has had the least problems with Islamic terrorism. There are several reasons for this. First there is geography. Morocco is the westernmost (from Arabia) Moslem country and like the easternmost nation (Indonesia) is least affected by the Islamic radicalism that arose in Arabia in the 7th century and has survived there ever since. Then there is the ethnic factor. While Morocco is nominally an Arab country most of the people were originally Berber, the people native to North Africa for over 40,000 years. Many Moroccans are aware of their Berber ancestry and take pride in it. Berbers resisted, often successfully, the initial advance by Arab Moslem armies and while most eventually converted to Islam, they tend to wear their religion lightly and are not considered the best recruits for Islamic terrorist groups. Yet Islamic radicalism and Arab nationalism still appeals to some young Moroccans but not nearly as many as in other Arab countries. At least a thousand Moroccans are fighting with rebel groups in Syria and since September 11, 2001 thousands of local Islamic radicals have been arrested in Morocco. Most of these were freed largely because they had decided to abandon and avoid Islamic radicalism and actually did so.

 

The main Moroccan antidote to Islamic terrorism is an ancient monarchy that follows the moderate Malikite form of Sunni Islam. Most North Africans are nominally Malikite but outside of Morocco a greater number are tempted to sample the much more radical Wahhabism from Saudi Arabia. In Morocco the ancient monarchy was always at the center of Malikite worship. The last two kings (Hasan II 1961-99 and Mohammed VI from 1999 to the present) have encouraged democracy and good government as well as adherence to the moderate Malikite Islam. For example the current king has had over 1,600 Malikite religious teachers trained since 2006 and sent them to the 50,000 mosques throughout the country to show local clergy how to better serve their congregations and resist the temptations of Islamic radicalism. This program was in response to radical missionaries sent to Morocco by Saudi Arabia and Iran in the last decade as well as the radical propaganda spread by the Internet and Arab language satellite news channels.

  

Islamic terrorist groups have tried to establish themselves in Morocco since the 1990s but have found the going very difficult. There have been few Islamic terrorist attacks and those that do occur are swiftly dealt with. For example, in April 2011 a terrorist bomb went off a popular tourist café in Marrakech killing 16 people. Most of the dead were foreign tourists and it was the worst terror attack in eight years. The bomber was sloppy however and police were able to track him down along with two accomplices. What they found was a determined al Qaeda admirer who was unable to connect with al Qaeda central or travel to current terrorist hotspots (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Chechnya) because the Moroccan police were monitoring anyone going to those places. But the arrested man was able to get a workable bomb design on the Internet, and was able to get bomb making materials locally. There is a lot of official al Qaeda "how to be a terrorist" stuff on the Internet, but wannabes tend to pay insufficient attention to the need for security. The incident also demonstrated that as long as there is a lot of pro-terrorist propaganda out there some small percentage (often less than one percent) of the population will buy into to it, and seek to carry out terror attacks. Since there are so few terror attacks in places like Morocco, each one that does occur is a big deal. But it's not much of a trend.

 

A year earlier Morocco announced it had destroyed a 24 man terrorist cell. Four of those arrested had previously been in jail for terrorist activities. This cell was not only planning attacks, but had also been active in recruiting Moroccans for terrorist groups in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. Since 2003, when Islamic radicals throughout the Arab world became enraged by the American invasion of Iraq, Morocco shut down 60 Islamic terrorist cells. In early 2010 there were over a thousand Islamic radicals jailed in Morocco. Despite all this, Morocco was having a peculiar problem with Islamic radicalism. Iran sent missionaries for a while. These fanatics were armed with lots of cash and engaged in aggressive attempts to convert Moroccans to the militant brand of Shia Islam favored in Iran. This so angered Morocco that diplomatic relations with Iran were cut in 2009. Morocco also cracked down on Wahhabi missionaries from Saudi Arabia, and Islamic radicals in general. The king had an advantage in that he is a direct descendent of the Prophet Mohammed (important for any Moslem leader) and is generally popular. The Moroccan government is not as corrupt and inept as others in the Arab world, but is not a whole lot better either.

 

Meanwhile Morocco helps other North African and Sahel countries deal with Islamic terrorism. Morocco sends religious teachers and is always ready to discuss specific problems that Morocco had already taken care of at home. One problem Morocco has handled well is economics. Without oil Morocco has prospered by making it easy to start and operate businesses and resisted the temptation to nationalize sectors of the economy. While Morocco does not have the highest per-capita GDP in North Africa it recognized as having the best quality of life.

Celebrations in Cairo as Egyptian military suspends constitution

The head of Egypt's armed forces has suspended the constitution and appointed the head of the constitutional court as interim head of state.

In a televised broadcast, flanked by military leaders, religious authorities and political figures, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi effectively declared the removal of elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.

General al-Sisi called for presidential and parliamentary elections, a panel to review the constitution and a national reconciliation committee that would include youth movements.

He said the roadmap had been agreed by a range of political groups.

The army said President Mursi had failed to meet demands of the Egyptian people and a technocratic government committee will review the constitution.

Egypt’s State-run paper, Al-Ahram said the army told president Mursi at 5pm GMT that he was no longer president.

Earlier a statement from President Mohammed Mursi's national security advisor said a military coup was under way.

Reports suggest a travel ban has been issued against Mr Mursi, and the Muslim Brotherhood chief and deputy chief.

Mr Mursi spent the day working as normal at a regular presidential office in a compound of the Republican Guard in suburban Cairo however it is unclear if the president will be free to leave the compound.

Soon after the army-imposed deadline passed, a military helicopter circled over the anti-Mursi crowds in Tahrir Square, which was transformed into a sea of furiously waving Egyptian flags.

Millions were in the main squares of major cities nationwide, demanding Mr Mursi's removal, in the fourth day of the biggest anti-government rallies the country has seen.

Troops including commandos and in full combat gear, deployed just as darkness fell across much of the Egyptian capital at key facilities, on bridges over the Nile River and at major intersections.

Earlier, the Egyptian presidency said a coalition government should be part of a solution but appeared to offer no new compromises.

A statement reiterated that President Mursi held opposition parties responsible for obstructing a political initiative that would also set up a panel to prepare amendments to the constitution passed into law last December.

Security sources reported that Egyptian troops with armoured vehicles had secured the central Cairo studios of state television.

Sources said staff not involved in working on live broadcasts had left the building.

The army said it had set no times for issuing statements or speeches as the deadline approached.

They said they were willing to shed blood against "terrorists and fools" after Mr Mursi refused to give up his elected office.

In an emotional, rambling television address last night, Mr Mursi said he was democratically elected and would stay in office to uphold the constitutional order, declaring: "The price of preserving legitimacy is my life."

State news agency MENA said civil servants were occupying the cabinet office and would not let Prime Minister Hisham Kandil enter the building.

The official spokesman of Mr Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood movement said supporters were willing to become martyrs to defend him.

At least 16 people, mostly supporters of the president, were killed and about 200 wounded when gunmen opened fire overnight on pro-Mursi demonstrators at Cairo University campus.

The Muslim Brotherhood accused uniformed police of the shooting. The Interior Ministry said it was investigating.

For the first time in many months, uniformed police were back patrolling the streets, and the Interior Ministry said in a statement it would "confront all forms of violence".

Fireworks and cheering erupted in Cairo's Tahrir Square after the army's commander told the people of Egypt that a political roadmap had been agreed with opposition and religious leaders.

US urges compromise in Egyptian crisis

The United States has urged compromise and defended the legitimacy of Mr Mursi's election to lead the biggest Arab nation.

President Barack Obama told Mr Mursi by telephone that talks with opponents were needed.

Mr Mursi said on Twitter that he would not be "dictated to internally or internationally".

A senior European diplomat said world powers would have no choice but to condemn the military removal of an elected head of state, even if the generals have support on the streets.

Egypt's army to end parliament under roadmap

Egypt's army will suspend the constitution and dissolve parliament under a draft political roadmap to be pursued if President Mohammed Mursi and the liberal opposition fail to agree by tomorrow.

The sources told Reuters the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) was still discussing details and the plan, intended to resolve a political crisis that has brought millions of protesters into the streets, could be changed based on political developments and consultations.

Chief-of-staff General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called in a statement for Mr Mursi to agree within 48 hours on power-sharing with other political forces, saying the military would otherwise set out its own roadmap for the country's future.

Mr Mursi has rejected an army ultimatum to force a resolution to Egypt's political crisis, saying that he had not been consulted and would pursue his own plans for national reconciliation.

The leader described as potentially confusing yesterday’s 48-hour deadline set by the head of the armed forces for him to agree on a common platform with liberal rivals.

His opponents have drawn millions into the streets demanding Mr Mursi's resignation.

Members of his Muslim Brotherhood have used the word "coup" to describe the military manoeuvre, which carries the threat of the generals imposing their own plans for the nation.

But in a statement issued at nearly 2am, nine hours after General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi delighted Mr Mursi's opponents by effectively ordering the president to heed the demands of demonstrators, the president's office used considerably less direct language to indicate he would try to take little notice.

"The president of the republic was not consulted about the statement issued by the armed forces," it said.

"The presidency sees that some of the statements in it carry meanings that could cause confusion in the complex national environment."

Official video was released showing Mr Mursi meeting General Sisi. It is unclear when it was shot.

The statement from Mr Mursi's office continued: "The presidency confirms that it is going forward on its previously plotted path to promote comprehensive national reconciliation ... regardless of any statements that deepen divisions between citizens."

Describing civilian rule as a great gain from the revolution of 2011, Egypt's first freely elected leader, in office for just a year, said he would not let the clock be turned back.

But in referring to his plans for reconciliation as those he had spelt out before, he was speaking of offers that have already been rejected by the opposition.

That means it is improbable that such compromises would be agreed before General Sisi's deadline.

Mr Mursi also spoke to US President Barack Obama by phone yesterday, the presidency said in a separate statement.

Mr Mursi stressed that Egypt was moving forward with a peaceful democratic transition based on the law and constitution, it said.

A sense of disintegration in the administration since the protests on Sunday has been heightened by the resignations tendered by several ministers who are not members of Mr Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood.

This morning the state news agency said the foreign minister, Mohamed Kamel Amr, had also asked to step down.

Attacks on Brotherhood offices have added to feelings among Islamists that they are under siege.

Some Brotherhood leaders, who swept a series of votes last year, said they would look to put their own supporters on the streets.

After the destruction of the Brotherhood's headquarters in a battle overnight on Monday in which eight people were killed, the possibility of wider violence seems real.

No question of negotiating

The coalition that backed Sunday's protests said there was no question of it negotiating now with Mr Mursi on the general's timetable and it was already formulating its positions for discussion directly with the army once the 48 hours are up.

General Sisi, in his broadcast statement, insisted that he had the interests of democracy at heart - a still very flawed democracy that Egyptians have been able to practise as a result of the army pushing aside Hosni Mubarak in the face of a popular uprising.

That enhanced the already high standing of the army among Egyptians.

Military helicopters dropped national flags over Cairo's Tahrir Square at sunset on Sunday, further boosting the army’s popularity with protesters.

But on the other side of Egypt's polarised politics, a Brotherhood spokesman said it might consider forming "self-defence" committees after a series of attacks on its premises.

Another leading figure in the movement, Mohamed El-Beltagy, said: "The coming period will witness an alignment between all the Islamist forces. Their sons will be called on to demonstrate in all streets and squares of the country."

Among Mr Mursi's allies are groups with more militant pasts, including al-Gamaa al-Islamiya, a sometime associate of al-Qaeda, whose men fought Mr Mubarak's security forces for years and who have warned they would not tolerate renewed military rule.

An alliance of Islamist groups, including the Brotherhood, issued a cautious joint statement that avoided criticising the army but spoke of it being manipulated by rival parties.

BREAKING NEWS: Egyptian military gives 48 hour ultimatum to Brotherhood, political forces

The armed forces are giving all political forces 48 hours as a last chance to solve the ongoing problems, or else the armed forces will have to announce a new roadmap for the future, and will enforce certain measures with the help of all factions including the youth, without excluding anyone. 

The statement was read out on Egyptian state TV.

Hamas says Egyptian-brokered ceasefire finalized, Israel denies claim

Arabic news sources cite Hamas official Ayman Taha as saying an Egyptian brokered truce is set to be declared in Gaza at 19:00 GMT, and will go into effect at 22:00 GMT. Israel says that a ceasefire deal has yet to be finalized. 

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is yet to be cemented, and the "ball is still in play", Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told CNN on Tuesday. "Until you're there, you're not there," he said.

Regev's statement conflicts with a previous statement by Hamas official Ayman Taha, who claimed that that an Egyptian-brokered truce had been finalized. An Egyptian source close to the negotiations confirmed that "up to this point there is no final decision," Sky News cites him as saying.

However, further clouding the nature of the uncertain ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly agreed to a cessation of hostilities after being significantly pressured from Washington, Israel’s Channel 10 news reports government sources as saying.

Hamas’ political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal and his negotiators met with Egypt’s intelligence chief Raafat Shehata in Cairo in an effort to hammer out the final details of the cease-fire agreement on Tuesday.

Israel’s delegates were scheduled to return to Cairo to present Israel’s response to demands being made by Hamas. Senior Egyptian officials told Haaretz that a solution was near, but more flexibility was needed from the Israeli side.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi announced earlier in the day that the “farce” of Israeli aggression would end on Tuesday.

“The efforts to reach a ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israelis will produce positive results within a few hours," state news agency Mena cited him as saying.

Egypt has played an integral part in ongoing efforts to bring about a cessation of hostilities between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip.

The conflicting reports of a ceasefire deal come amidst international efforts to prevent a further escalation of violence in the region.

UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon arrived in Jerusalem on Tuesday to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  after a two-day stopover in Cairo. Netanyahu had early said Israel would be a “willing partner” in cease-fire. Ki-moon is also scheduled to hold talks with Palestinian officials Ramallah – in the West Bank.

Since the US has labeled Hamas a terrorist organization, Clinton is prohibited from engaging in direct contact with the movement’s officials. Washington has therefore been forced to rely on Egypt, Turkey and Qatar to act as go-betweens with the Hamas leadership in Gaza.

US President Barack Obama dispatched Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Middle East on the same day to aid in the peace efforts. Clinton is set to meet with the Israeli PM in Jerusalem, Palestinian officials in Ramallah and Egyptian leaders in Cairo.

Obama, who is returning from a diplomatic tour in Asia, has personally spoken to Morsi three times in the last 24 hours. He commended the Egyptian president’s efforts to ease hostilities between the two sides. 

On Monday Netanyahu reportedly pushed back an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) ground invasion of Gaza by 24-hours in light of his scheduled meeting with Ki-Moon.

Fears that an imminent ground operation was being prepared were stoked after the IDF dropped flyers warning Gaza residents to evacuate “immediately” to Gaza City’s center. The IDF claims the Hamas interior ministry spokesman had urged his listeners to ignore the warnings.

After speaking with ki-Moon, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said that any ground incursion into Gaza would not be limited as it was during the 2008-2009 Gaza War.

"This would not be "Operation Cast Lead 2," but "Operation Defensive Shield 2," The Jerusalem Post cites Liberman as saying. 

Despite the potential breakthrough, the violence showed no signs of abating after at least six Palestinians were killed in an airstrike that hit two cars, bringing Tuesday’s death toll to 13.,

At least 125 people have been killed in Gaza, including around 27 children, and four Israelis have also died since Israel began Operation Pillar of Defense with the assassination of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari on Wednesday.

Fajr-5 missile gives Palestinians rare advantage - Use of Iran-made rocket that can reach Israel heartland points to scale of smuggling

In a straight fight between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip there is no question who has the upper hand. Israel’s armed forces are among the world’s most sophisticated. Their ability to mount a drone strike of the kind that killed the Hamas military leader Ahmad Jabari on Wednesday attests to a deadly combination of precise weaponry and accurate intelligence. 

But in the latest round of the conflict the Palestinians have used a weapon which gives them a rare if short-lived advantage — a rocket which can strike at Israel’s civilian heartland. This is the Fajr-5, developed by Iran and also supplied to Hezbollah, Tehran’s Lebanese ally. It has a range of up to 75km, which means it can hit Tel Aviv and elsewhere in the heavily populated conurbation in central Israel. 

 

Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, announced on Wednesday that Israel had destroyed most of these missiles in air attacks during the first hour of its continuing offensive. But Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian faction, said on Thursday that it had launched a Fajr-5 at Tel Aviv, triggering the city’s first air raid alert since it was hit by Iraqi Scuds during the 1991 Gulf war. Barak went on TV to warn that Gaza would pay “a heavy price for this escalation”. 

The missile is not a game-changer, but it does even out the stakes.

Firing those that remained, suggested the global intelligence analyst Stratfor, was a “use it or lose it” strategy. 

The Fajr (“dawn” in Arabic) is in a different league from shorter-range rockets like the homemade Qassam built in workshops in Gaz with ranges of up to a dozen or so kilometres. Qassam variants have repeatedly hit towns in southern Israel since 2005. Missiles that hit Tel Aviv and occupied Jerusalem on Friday were described as Qassam M75s. Grad missiles, also thought to have been supplied by Iran, have a range of up to about 20km. 

Exactly how the Fajr-5 reached Gaza is not known. But its parts were probably smuggled in through the tunnels that link the blockaded enclave to the outside world. In October 2011 international observers in Sinai reported that one had been test-fired in the desert. 

Israel has made no secret of its concern that weapons have also flowed from Libya, via Egypt and Sudan, into Gaza, since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi last year. These are mostly SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles and rocket-propelled grenades, less significant militarily than the Fajr-5. 

In May the head of Israel’s Shin Bet security service, Yoram Cohen, called Libya “a new gate to hell”, because of the weapons reaching Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Gaza. Israel has tried in recent months to persuade Egypt, far less friendly since Mohammad Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood government replaced Hosni Mubarak, to choke off these supplies.

Muslim world fails to find peace during Eid

A Pakistani policeman stands guard as Afghan refugees perform Eid al-Adha prayers on the outskirts of Peshawar. 

A suicide bomber killed at least 41 people, including five children, when he struck at a mosque in northern Afghanistan after Eid al-Adha prayers on Oct. 26.

Dozens more were wounded as the bomb ripped through the crowd of worshippers in Maymana city in Faryab province and there were fears the death toll could rise. Suicide bombings are a favourite weapon of Taliban militants trying to topple the government of President Hamid Karzai.

The attacker was wearing a police uniform when he blew himself up at the entrance to the city’s packed Eid Gah mosque, deputy provincial governor Abdul Satar Barez told Agence France-Presse. “We had just finished Eid al-Adha prayers and we were congratulating and hugging each other,” Barez said.

Karzai strongly condemned the attack, calling the perpetrators “the enemies of Islam and humanity.”

“Those who take the happiness of Muslims during Eid days cannot be called human and Muslim,” he said.

Northern Afghanistan is relatively peaceful, with the Taliban, who were ousted from power in a U.S.-led invasion in 2001, concentrating their operations in the south and east of the country.

But they have recently stepped up their activities in the north, despite the presence of more than 100,000 NATO troops in the country

'Rescue the nation': Thousands hit Jordan streets despite parliament dissolution

Thousands of supporters of local Muslim Brotherhood branch marched in the capital, Amman, to slam corruption and speed up political reforms, a day after King Abdullah ordered dissolution of Jordan’s parliament.

­Over 50,000 people were expected to take part in the "Friday to Rescue the Nation" demonstration called by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Islamic Action Front (IAF) political arm. AFP reporters estimate some 15,000 people joined, but this was enough to make the rally one of the largest since Arab Spring-inspired protests erupted last year.

"The corrupt are God's enemies" and "For how long will the regime protect corrupt officials?" read the placards of the protesters flocking to the main street leading to the Husseini mosque in downtown Amman after Friday prayers.

“Democratic electoral law, constitutional changes, parliamentary governments, independent judiciary, constitutional court, effective anti-corruption efforts and preventing security services from interfering in political life,” said another large banner spelling out the demonstrators' demands.

The Friday protest focused on demands for reforms that would create a less centralized government and ensure more opposition seats in parliament. The IAF is outraged that the 120-member lower chamber of the parliament still provides only 27 seats for party candidates, even after the MPs managed to raise this number from just 17 seats.

The demonstration also insisted on the right to elect the prime minister. At the moment, this is the king’s privilege.

Some 2,000 police were deployed to the capital of Middle Eastern country, while pro-king demonstrations had got suspended as organizers want to prevent clashes.

The protest convened despite King Abdullah’s Thursday orders to dissolve the two-year-old parliament. Though the monarch did not elaborate on the dates of new elections, the poll is expected to take place by the end of 2012.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the only effective opposition in the country, is already threatening to boycott the election, as they did in 2010, unless demands for wider representations are met. They say that while the dissolution was “expected”, this is “not the right step forward.”

There should be democratic election law reform and "real" changes to Jordan's constitution, says IAF Deputy General Secretary Nimer Assaf.

Abdullah, who ascended Jordan's throne in 1999, has been facing waves of unrest since January 2011. The current laws allow the king to personally appoint senators, the cabinet and the prime minister. The ruling system has also been slammed by the opposition for political discrimination of Jordanians of the Palestinian origin, who feel they are kept from power by the native Jordanians.

With tensions escalating, Abdullah pledged in June 2011 the government would in the future be elected, not appointed. But this initiative was left without any specific timetable.

On Septeber 2, the Jordanian parliament signed a motion of no confidence against the government of Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh. The PM was blamed for rising fuel prices and accused "of recent appointments in top posts based on nepotism," the official local news agency stated.

Brotherhood to launch party for post-Assad era

Members of Syria’s Brotherhood attend a press meeting in Istanbul. The group plans to launch a political party, saying it was ready for the post-al-Assad era.

Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood, a key opponent of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, announced plans on July 20 to launch an Islamist political party, saying it was ready for the post-al-Assad era.

“The decision has been taken to create an Islamic party,” the head of the Brotherhood’s political wing, Ali Beyanouni, told journalists after the group completed a four-day conference in Istanbul. The new party would be “open to all Syrians” and will promote a “democratic and pluralist” vision of the state based on the equality of all citizens, Beyanouni said.

“We are ready for the post-Assad era, we have plans for the economy, the courts, politics,” said Mulhem al-Droubi, the Brotherhood’s spokesman. The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist political movement founded in Egypt in 1928 and has branches and affiliates around the world.

The Brotherhood plays a key role in the Syrian National Council, the opposition coalition opposing al-Assad.

Morsi takes helm amid pressure

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi begins his first day in office amid pressure from the military, as he repeats that Egypt would respect its international treaties. ‘The elected institutions will return to fulfilling their roles. And the great military will devote itself to the task of protecting the country,’ says Morsi

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi began his first full day in office yesterday, but with his powers sharply circumscribed by the military that has ruled since Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power last year.

After being sworn in as the country’s first freely elected civilian president on June 30, Morsi formally received a transfer of power and pledge of support from the military. But the 60-year-old’s swearing-in ceremony took place at the constitutional court in Cairo, despite Morsi’s wish that it take place before the now disbanded Islamist-led Parliament.

The military dissolved Parliament last month following a court order in what the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi stood down after his election, described as a “soft coup.” In the handover at Cairo’s Hike Step base, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), vowed to support Morsi. “We will stand with the new president, elected by the people,” Tantawi said in a speech after an honor guard parade and a helicopter fly past. He bestowed upon the new president the highest military honor, “the shield of the armed forces,” and Morsi thanked the military, also pledging to support it.

Netanyahu sends letter, Abbas calls

“I accept the transfer of power,” Morsi said at the same base where members of the once-banned Brotherhood had faced military trials under Mubarak. However, the ritual masked a political impasse ripe for future confrontation.

The SCAF assumed legislative powers after it disbanded Parliament and also formed a powerful national security council headed by the president but dominated by the generals. The military also reserves the right to appoint a new constituent assembly should the one elected by the old Parliament be disbanded by a court decision expected on September 1. The Brotherhood insists that only Parliament can appoint the assembly. After taking the oath of office on Saturday, Morsi in a speech at Cairo University pointedly mentioned the “elected Parliament” several times and said the army should resume its normal role. “The elected institutions will return to fulfilling their roles. And the great military will devote itself to the task of protecting the country,” Agence France-Presse quoted him as saying.

Servant of the people

He also put forward several of his international and domestic objectives, saying he would be a “servant of the people” in a “democratic, modern and constitutional state.” Internationally, Morsi has repeated that Egypt, the first Arab nation to make formal peace with Israel, would respect its international treaties, in an allusion to the 1979 accord and said Egypt would back the Palestinians.

An Israeli source said yesterday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had written to Morsi urging him to uphold the 1979 peace accord and wishing him good luck. The letter stressed Israel’s desire to continue cooperation and to strengthen the peace, an Israeli source said on condition of anonymity.

As president, he is not expected to radically change Egypt’s foreign policy, especially toward Israel, in which the military is expected to exercise its clout. Morsi also received a call from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who thanked him for supporting the Palestinians, official Egyptian MENA news agency reported.

Egypt's Morsi in Tahrir tribute before oath

Egypt's first elected civilian president, Islamist Mohamed Morsi, played up people power ahead of Saturday's actual inauguration by first taking a symbolic oath before a huge throng at Tahrir Square.

On the eve of his official swearing-in, Morsi praised Egypt's Muslims and Christians alike Friday in front of crowds that packed the birthplace of the revolt that overthrew his predecessor Hosni Mubarak last year.

The president-elect, who won a run-off vote earlier this month, was received with applause by tens of thousands of people, some of whom had waited from early in the day for his appearance.

He promised a "civilian state" and praised "the square of the revolution, the square of freedom", in what he called an address to "the free world, Arabs, Muslims... the Muslims of Egypt, Christians of Egypt".

Morsi symbolically swore himself in before the crowd, saying: "I swear to preserve the republican system... and to preserve the independence" of Egypt.

"I am one of you. I fear only God," he told them.

Before his triumphant arrival, chants against the ruling military -- which took over on Mubarak's overthrow -- rang out as people gathered under a searing sun.

In his speech Morsi, whose election has raised concerns among Egypt's sizeable Coptic Christian community, served Washington advance warning that his politics will be markedly different from those of his ousted predecessor.

He said he would work to secure freedom for Omar Abdul Rahman, a blind Egyptian cleric jailed for life over the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

"I will do everything in my power to secure freedom for... detainees, including Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman," Morsi said.

Abdul Rahman was convicted in 1995 for his role in the World Trade Center attack, plotting to bomb other New York targets including the United Nations, and a plan to assassinate Mubarak.

After taking the oath Saturday, Morsi will have to contend with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), led by Mubarak's longtime defence minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, which will retain broad powers after the formal handover.

The liberal Wafd newspaper reported that Tantawi will remain defence minister in the new government.

But a defiant Morsi threw down the gauntlet to the SCAF, while addressing the people directly.

"You are the source of power and legitimacy... there is no place for anyone or any institution... above this will," he told them. "I renounce none of the prerogatives of president."

Differences over transfer

The presidency has announced that Morsi will be sworn in Saturday before the Constitutional Court, after differences with the army over the transfer of power.

Morsi "will go at 11 am (0900 GMT) Saturday to the Constitutional Court to take the oath before the Court's general assembly," said a statement released by state news agency MENA.

Traditionally the president takes the oath in parliament, but Egypt's top court has ordered the disbanding of the Islamist-dominated legislature.

The military subsequently assumed legislative powers and also formed a powerful national security council headed by the president but dominated by generals.

By agreeing to be sworn in by the Constitutional Court, Morsi is effectively acknowledging the court's decision to dissolve parliament.

The SCAF also reserves the right to appoint a new constituent assembly should the one elected by parliament be disbanded by a court decision expected on September 1.

The Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi resigned after winning the presidency, insists that only parliament can appoint the assembly.

Media reports said Morsi was consulting a cross-section of Egyptian society before appointing a premier and a cabinet mostly made up of technocrats.

In a meeting with Egyptian newspaper editors reported by most dailies on Friday, Morsi pledged there would be "no Islamisation of state institutions" during his presidency.

Morsi has already met Tantawi, as well as a delegation from the Sunni body Al-Azhar, and another representing Egypt's Coptic church.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has told Morsi that the lender was ready to help Cairo, an IMF spokeswoman said Friday.

Lagarde "reiterated that the IMF stands ready to support Egypt and looks forward to working closely with the authorities", the spokeswoman said.

Since late last year the IMF has been discussing a possible $3.2 billion loan with the country's interim leadership to help Cairo bridge fiscal shortfalls while restructuring the economy and financial system.

Egypt Government Resigns - Report

The Egyptian cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri, has submitted its resignation to the head of the Supreme Military Council on Monday following the announcement that Mohamed Morsi won the presidential election, Al-Jazeera reported.

However, Egyptian news portal Masrawy said Council Chairman Tantawi entrusted the cabinet with carrying on with its duties until Morsi is sworn in.

On Sunday, Egypt's electoral commission announced the official results of the presidential elections. Morsi won the election after garnering 51.7 percent of the vote.

Morsi fulfilled his pledge and left the Muslim Brotherhood Islamist group after the election results were announced.

Following the victory, Morsi delivered a televised speech calling for national unity and saying Cairo will fulfil all commitments undertaken.

The vote was the first presidential election since the overthrow of the Hosni Mubarak regime, amid popular protests in January 2011. It is seen by many as an important element of the country's democratic development.