Kerry recommends new ambassador
Secretary of State John Kerry has recommended that Robert S. Ford serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Egypt, U.S. officials said Sunday.
A longtime Middle East hand, Ford is well known for his role as ambassador to Syria, where he challenged President Bashar Assad’s crackdown before U.S. diplomats there were pulled out for their own safety.
Most recently, Ford has served as the top U.S. envoy to the Syrian opposition.
New York Times
Egypt’s highest security body warned Sunday that the clock is ticking for a peaceful end to the standoff over sit-ins by supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, suggesting that authorities will break up the protests unless mediation efforts produce results soon.
More than a month after the military overthrew Morsi, thousands of the Islamist leader’s supporters remain camped out in two main crossroads in Cairo demanding his reinstatement. Egypt’s military-backed interim leadership has issued a string of warnings for them to disperse or security forces will move in, setting the stage for a potential showdown.
Also Sunday, authorities announced that a court case accusing the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and his powerful deputy of inciting violence will start Aug. 25. Morsi hails from the Brotherhood.
A top U.S. official visiting Cairo urged all sides to find a peaceful resolution to the standoff to avoid a repeat of violence that has killed more than 250 people — at least 130 of whom pro-Morsi protesters shot dead by security forces — since the July 3 military coup.
While diplomats raced to find a compromise, the Egyptian interim government signaled that its patience with the pro-Morsi sit-ins was running out.
The National Defense Council, which is led by the interim president and includes top Cabinet ministers, said the time frame for any negotiated resolution should be “defined and limited.” The council also said any negotiated resolution would not shield from legal proceedings what it called “law-breakers” and others who incite against the state.
The group called on the protesters to abandon the sit-ins and join the political road map announced the day of Morsi’s ouster.
Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns extended his visit to Cairo by two days so he could have further talks with Egyptian leaders on Sunday and Monday. He met Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi, who led the coup, and the country’s prime minister on Sunday.
The State Department said Burns discussed the importance of avoiding violence and fostering an inclusive process “that helps Egypt’s ongoing transition succeed” — another clear sign Washington has moved on from Morsi’s presidency.
Burns also met for a second time this weekend with an anti-coup delegation that included two Muslim Brotherhood figures. He requested the meetings and urged them to avoid violence, said Nevine Malak, who attended both meetings with Burns as part of the anti-coup delegation.
Malak described Burns’ position in the meetings as “neutral” and said delegates told him that the government needs to foster trust for national unity talks to take place. She said this includes reigning in the use of force against pro-Morsi protesters, improving prison conditions for top Islamist political figures detained and ceasing arrests of Islamists, she said.
“The current climate does not build confidence nor lay the groundwork for talks or real reconciliation,” Malak said. The delegation insisted that any solutions must be based on the Islamist-drafted constitution, she said.
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