Coup in Egypt: Military Detains President Morsi

Cabinet, Aides All Under 'House Arrest'

Two days after setting an ultimatum, the Egyptian military has followed through on threats to seize power, ousting President Mohammed Morsi and placing him and his entire cabinet under arrest. Top figures in the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) were also arrested.

The move followed three days of growing protests against Morsi by an array of opposition factions, which led the military to warn Morsi that he would either have tob placate them or face military action.

The military has nominally installed Judge Adly Mansour as interim president, but with the military also announcing the constitution null and void, Gen. Abdelfatah el-Sisi appears to hold all of the power in the nation.

Morsi’s location is a matter of some speculation, as while he was initially held with the rest of the cabinet and some of his aides, but has since been taken to an “undisclosed location,” with some speculating he may be being held in the Defense Ministry.

The moves against Morsi and his political supporters appear to be the focus, but crackdowns are being reported elsewhere as well, with the military seizing al-Jazeera’s local studios and arresting all employees within, and all television stations perceived as “Islamist” being forced off the air.

The military has promised an orderly transition back to civilian rule, saying a committee will be formed to pen yet another new constitution, and elections will follow. Since the FJP has won every election since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, it remains to be seen how the military will redesign the process to prevent another civilian government they don’t like and will eventually depose.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.