Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi emphasized a missed opportunity by the Muslim Brotherhood following the July 3, 2013 statement. Speaking at the Egyptian Police Day celebration on Saturday, President El-Sisi addressed the Muslim Brotherhood, stressing that they wasted a historical opportunity to engage in a new political process after their removal from power. Reflecting on his role as Minister of Defense at the time, El-Sisi stated that he did not issue any orders to arrest anyone or use force against any party.
El-Sisi noted that the conflict was initiated by the Brotherhood, saying: “They are the ones who started in Sinai and Cairo.” He added: “From the time I was a minister until now, I have not taken any measure targeting anyone’s blood. They were the ones who started. Remember the July 3 statement; it was made with total kindness in an attempt to reach consensus and reform, granting an opportunity for a new cycle in which the people would choose… even if they chose the Brotherhood.”
In response to whether there were attempts to arrest anyone before the July 3 announcement, El-Sisi denied it, saying: “Even an hour before the statement, we did not arrest anyone, but they started throughout the Republic,” adding, “Who was it that opened fire and who was it that set things ablaze?”
El-Sisi pointed out that the entire Egyptian state was looking for consensual solutions and a settlement, saying: “The country was big enough for all of us, and we were going to conduct…” confirming that the Muslim Brotherhood was the party that turned against this available opportunity.
United News Network – UNN Arabic
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