Monday, July 29, 2013

Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Featured on Press TV World News: 'Egyptian Military Wants to Drive Opposition Underground'

Egyptian military wants to drive all opposition underground: Abayomi Azikiwe

Sun Jul 28, 2013 5:43PM GMT

Interview with Abayomi Azikiwe

To watch this Press TV World News interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, the
editor of the Pan-African News Wire, just click on the website below:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/07/28/316062/egypt-military-wants-to-end-opposition/

The military acted on its own with the backing of the US Defense Department, the State Department and the White House and they are determined to drive all opposition forces underground and off the public political scene in Egypt."

Press TV has conducted an interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan African News Wire in Detroit, about the military coup that ousted Mohammad Morsi in Egypt and the US president’s pledge of eternal support to the interim president of Egypt.

The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: What is your impression of Obama’s words calling the situation, “A second chance for democracy”. What could these words mean?

Azikiwe: I believe it’s a greater indication that the United States government is behind this military coup d’état. That they endorse the security crackdown against opponents of General al-Sisi as well as the interim governing council.

Why is it important at this point to write such a letter to the Egyptian interim government at a time in which over 100 people were killed for merely going into the streets to express their opposition to the military’s role within Egyptian society? I believe very strongly that this indicates that the US government under the direct tutelage of Barack Obama is supporting this security crackdown against the Egyptian people.

His statement that the United States wants to support Egypt forever I believe there are restrictions on that because if the Egyptian people themselves stand up and oppose US foreign policy and oppose what the US administration is doing then of course that support will be ceased.

But as long as the military is there and they are being subsidized by the taxpayers here in the United States they’re going to continue to support these types of draconian measures that are being carried out against the Egyptian people.

Press TV: In general how do you think the situation is going to unfold and be resolved considering the fact that Morsi is being held, he is being detained and there are little chances for him to be reinstated once again?

Azikiwe: I believe the prospects for national reconciliation and stability are becoming even more remote. If we see developments that have taken place over the last two days, what happened yesterday and today, the scenes in hospitals around Cairo and other parts of the country clearly illustrate that the military is specifically targeting those who oppose what is going on inside the country vis-a-vis their coup that was carried out on July 3rd as well as this effort to drive all opposition forces off the streets of the various cities around the country.

And I believe that the Muslim Brotherhood really has no choice except to resist these measures that are being carried out by the military and of course if this takes place then there will be even more draconian measures in regard to oppression by the Egyptian military.

This is a very unfortunate situation. It didn’t have to be this way. I believe that there could have been some compromises with the former government of President Mohammad Morsi.

But the military acted on its own with the backing of the US Defense Department, the State Department and the White House and they are determined to drive all opposition forces underground and off the public political scene in Egypt.

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