French media is reporting that Egypt has vowed to confront the Muslim Brotherhood with “full force” as unrest in the country continues. According to an AFP report:
January 4, 2014 Cairo (AFP) – Egypt vowed Saturday to confront the Muslim Brotherhood with ‘full force’ as the Islamists called for further rallies, a day after clashes between protesters and police killed at least 17 people.
The Brotherhood, which demands the reinstatement of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, has organised near-daily protests despite its designation last month as a terrorist organisation.
Friday’s violence was the deadliest in almost three months, after Morsi supporters rallied in the thousands in defiance of the interim government’s designation of the Brotherhood as a terrorist group last month.
The designation carries harsh prison sentences for members arrested during demonstrations or leaders of the influential Islamist movement.
‘The organisation continues its criminal activities despite its designation as a terrorist group,’ said the government, installed by the military following Morsi’s overthrow in July.
The state ‘will confront the activities of this terrorist group with full force,’ it said.
The article goes on to report that the the Qatari ambassador had been summoned to the Egyptian foreign ministry in order to object to Qatari criticism of the crackdown as well as to Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera’s coverage of events. The GMBDW had just reported that two weeks ago, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his hopes of improving elations with Qatar in connection with their dispute over the Qatari support for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Read the article here.