When the clashes between Egyptian security forces and pro-Morsi protesters were at their peak in Cairo, Obama put in a call to Egypt’s strongman, Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi, DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources report. The US president wanted to give the general a dressing-down much on the lines of the call he made to former president Hosni Mubarak at the high point of the Arab Spring Tahrir Square demonstrations: Stop repressing the protesters and firing live ammunition. Step down!
And indeed, on Feb. 11, the army announced the president’s resignation. Realizing what was coming, Gen. El-Sissi decided not to accept President Obama’s call, DEBKAfile reports. The Egyptian officials who received it informed the US president politely that the right person for him to address was Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour and they would be glad to transfer the call to him. The White House callers declined. More here
And indeed, on Feb. 11, the army announced the president’s resignation. Realizing what was coming, Gen. El-Sissi decided not to accept President Obama’s call, DEBKAfile reports. The Egyptian officials who received it informed the US president politely that the right person for him to address was Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour and they would be glad to transfer the call to him. The White House callers declined. More here
