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            Egyptian Army Chief Warns Crisis Could 'Collapse' State

   by VOA News

   The head of Egypt's military has warned that the country's political
   crisis could lead to the "collapse of the state."
   Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who also serves as defense minister, made the
   comments Tuesday in a speech to military academy cadets.
   It followed a night of protests with hundreds of anti-government
   demonstrators packing the streets in Egyptian cities, defying
   state-of-emergency rules and a nighttime curfew imposed to suppress
   anti-government riots.
   Egyptians gathered in Port Said, Ismailiya and Suez City after the 1900
   UTC curfew took effect for the first time Monday. President Mohamed
   Morsi decreed the emergency regulations on Sunday.
   Throughout Monday, protesters in several cities reacted angrily to the
   announcement that a state of emergency would be in effect for at least
   a month. Protesters in Cairo threw stones at riot police, who responded
   with volleys of tear gas.  Witnesses also reported unrest in Port Said
   and Suez.
   Egypt's Cabinet approved a draft law allowing the president to deploy
   the army to assist police in providing security, including arresting
   civilians.
   Morsi called for a national dialogue on Sunday, and invited opposition
   groups and politicians to join him for talks on Monday. That effort
   collapsed, however, as the main opposition National Salvation Front and
   other opposition groups refused to take part in any talks under the
   current conditions.
   Nearly 50 people have died since Thursday, when violence broke out
   during rallies marking the second anniversary of the uprising against
   former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak.
   Port Said has been the worst-hit area, with at least 37 people killed.
   Violence in the city escalated Saturday after a court sentenced 21
   people to death for their involvement in a deadly football riot there
   last year.
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   d-collapse-state/1592767.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/egyptian-army-chief-warns-crisis-could-collapse-state/1592767.html