Morsi adviser warns of ‘military coup’

Essam al-Haddad, assistant to the president on foreign relations and international cooperation, described the latest political developments in Egypt as a “military coup.”

As the country anxiously awaits a statement by the army about what will happen after President Mohamed Morsi rejected its deadline for him to heed the demands of the millions of protesters and step down, Haddad released a statement on his official Facebook page saying:  “For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let’s call what is happening by its real name: Military coup.”

“As I write these lines I am fully aware that these may be the last lines I get to post on this page,” he wrote.

Egyptians all over the country, both supporters and opponents of Morsi, are waiting to see who makes the next move as the army zero-hour has come and gone and a promise of a statement from the military looms. Amidst all this, rumors are flying about military manning state television offices and a possible travel ban on Brotherhood members, even Morsi being placed under house arrest.

“Today only one thing matters. In this day and age no military coup can succeed in the face of sizeable popular force without considerable bloodshed. Who among you is ready to shoulder that blame?” Haddad wrote.

Clashes between pro- and anti-Morsi protesters have turned violent since Sunday’s mass demonstrations, leaving at least 16 dead in Giza on Tuesday night. Around 39 have died since then in clashes around the country.

In Morsi's defiant address to the nation late Tuesday, he reiterated that there is no “substitute to legitimacy” and that he will defend it even with his blood.

In his statement, Haddad said, “Let me be very clear. The protesters represent a wide spectrum of Egyptians and many of them have genuine, valid grievances. President Morsi’s approval rating is down.”

However, he went on to say, “Hundreds of thousands ... have gathered in support of democracy and the presidency. And they will not leave in the face of this attack. To move them, there will have to be violence.”

This violence “will either come from the army, the police, or the hired mercenaries. Either way there will be considerable bloodshed. And the message will resonate throughout the Muslim world loud and clear: democracy is not for Muslims.”

He went on to say, “I do not need to explain in detail the worldwide catastrophic ramifications of this message.”

He blamed the opposition for not answering Morsi's calls for a national dialogue, adding that, “The opposition has steadfastly declined every option that entails a return to the ballot box.”

He concluded his statement with: “Many have seen fit in these last months to lecture us on how democracy is more than just the ballot box. That may indeed be true. But what is definitely true is that there is no democracy without the ballot box.”