Egypt Morsi Protests: Army Ready To Save Nation From Dark Tunnel, Defense Minister Says

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi (C), Defence Minister Abdelfatah al-Sissi (R) and Prime Minister Hisham Qandil (L) arrive at Almaza military Airbase in Cairo on May 22, 2013 to attend the welcoming of the policemen and soldiers who were seized in Sinai by kidnappers following their release. (AFP)

huffingtonpost.com - by Hamza Hendawi - June 23, 2013

CAIRO — Wading into an increasingly volatile fray, Egypt's military on Sunday gave the nation's Islamist rulers and their opponents a week to reach an understanding before planned June 30 opposition protests aimed at forcing out the president, in a toughly worded warning that it will intervene to stop the nation from entering a "dark tunnel."

The powerful military also gave a thinly veiled warning to President Mohammed Morsi's hard-line backers that it will step in if the mostly secular and liberal protesters, who have vowed to be peaceful, are attacked during the planned demonstrations.

In a bid to project a business-as-usual image, Morsi's office said in a statement late Sunday that the president met with the army's chief, Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, to discuss the "domestic scene and the government's efforts to maintain the security of the nation and the safety of its citizens." There was no mention of el-Sissi's warning.

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