Monthly Archives: August 2013

An open letter to High Representative Catherine Ashton

By | 2013-08-09T17:08:49-04:00 August 9th, 2013|Op-Eds|

High Representative Catherine Ashton As a citizen of Italy, a member state of the European Union, and founder and president of the human rights organization, Voice of the Copts, I have followed with great interest your latest visit to my native country of Egypt -- particularly your request to free former Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi.

Army, Brotherhood Conspiracy Theories Try to Win Egyptian Hearts

By | 2013-08-09T16:03:09-04:00 August 9th, 2013|News|

  The Egyptian Army may have booted Mohammed Morsi out of office, but the hearts of the Egyptian people are still up for grabs – and both the army and the Muslim Brotherhood are using all means at their disposal to convince 80 million Egyptians that they are better off with either the army or

Egyptian NGOs Condemn Anti-Christian Violence

By | 2013-08-09T13:01:24-04:00 August 9th, 2013|News|

Reoccurring assaults of sectarian violence prompted 16 Egyptian rights organizations to issue a statement criticizing the government and Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies. Sectarian crimes targeting Christian citizens have escalated since the ousting of President Mohamed Morsi.   The NGOs urged security officials for higher protection and intervention during future

Pakistan: Suicide Bombing at Funeral: Death Toll at 29

By | 2013-08-09T12:45:44-04:00 August 9th, 2013|News|

A suicide bomber has killed 29 mourners at a funeral in Quetta, Pakistan.   Victims of the attack were attending the funeral of a local police officer who was gunned down earlier in the morning according to a Reuters reporter who was present.   Provincial Chief Secretary Police Babar Yaqoob Fateh Mohammad confirmed at least

Egyptian Islamists deploy catapult at sit-in as clash with govt looms

By | 2013-08-09T12:33:37-04:00 August 9th, 2013|News|

  Islamists supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi have deployed a catapult in one of their sit-ins in Cairo as part of preparations for a likely battle with security forces. The catapult appeared in pictures circulated on the internet surrounded with walls of sand bags at Ennahda Square, next to Cairo University.   Mursi’s

Yemen: Fresh Drone Strike Keeps Up Pressure on Al Qaeda

By | 2013-08-09T12:05:31-04:00 August 9th, 2013|News|

A drone strike  - the sixth such strike in two weeks - has killed at least six people travelling in a convoy in Mareb province, in southeastern Yemen.   Four of the dead are believed to be Al Qaeda terrorists, and the remaining two are civilians.   Speaking to CNN, an unnamed security official explained

Egypt Captures Over 100 Terrorists in Sinai

By | 2013-08-09T12:02:34-04:00 August 9th, 2013|News|

Egyptian military forces have captured over 100 Islamist terrorists in recent days – one third of them from Gaza. All were carrying phony Egyptian identity cards. They were arrested in northern Sinai, near Gaza, with some arrested south of Eilat.   The false identity cards were probably produced in Gaza, Egyptian officials said, using machinery

Egypt a Battleground for Hamas, Fatah Feuding

By | 2013-08-08T23:00:05-04:00 August 8th, 2013|News|

Egypt has emerged as a battlefield between the Hamas and Fatah terror groups in their ongoing struggle for control of the Palestinian Authority, according to a top Palestinian Authority academic.   Adnan Abu Amer, writing on the web site AlMonitor, addressed accusations by Hamas that top PA officials collaborated to blacken Hamas' reputation among Egypt's

Egypt’s President: No Concessions to Muslim Brotherhood

By | 2013-08-08T22:29:25-04:00 August 8th, 2013|News|

Egypt's interim president, Adly Mansour, on Wednesday blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for the "failure" of international talks aimed at resolving Egypt's political crisis, Al Jazeera reported.   Mansour warned supporters of deposed president Mohammed Morsi that the government will not make any concessions to them.   "The train of the future has left the station,"