Egypt army issues threats ahead of street confrontation

Sticker shows ousted president Mohammed Morsi (R) and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Egypt's army threatened on Thursday to turn its guns on those who use violence, its starkest warning yet ahead of what both sides expect will be a bloody showdown in the streets between supporters and opponents of deposed president Mohammed Morsi.
An army official said the military had issued an ultimatum to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, giving the Islamist group until Saturday to sign up to a plan for political reconciliation which it has so far spurned.
Muslim Brotherhood’s leader made an unusually harsh attack on Egypt’s military chief on Thursday, saying his ouster of Morsi was worse than destroying the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine. The analogy appeared to be aimed at whipping up religious sentiments on the eve of mass rallies promoted by General Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.
Meanwhile, police in the country said they were planning large scale reinforcements to secure Friday's rallies, amid fears they will turn into a massive showdown in the streets between Islamists demanding Morsi's reinstatement and an array of opponents, including the military.
Hisham Qandil, prime minister before Morsi was pushed aside by the army on July 3, proposed a three-stage road map that would start with confidence building steps.
In a video recording posted on YouTube, the former premier said both sides should refrain from marches and hold rallies only in fixed locations.
Qandil, who was among the representatives of Morsi's camp in a meeting with EU diplomat Catherine Ashton last week, also called for the release of prisoners detained in the days leading to Morsi's ouster by the military, and those detained since.
A delegation should be allowed to visit Morsi, detained by the army since his overthrow, to check on his health, Qandil said.
Qandil also revealed that Morsi did not reject the presidential referendum, but had asked it to be held after the parliamentary elections.
He stressed the former Islamist leader's keenness to achieve revolution goals, and setting reforms in the state institutions, adding that Mosri believed that the people of Egypt "must have the power" to be independent in all fields.
Regarding the events of June 30, Qandil denied Morsi’s prior knowledge of the army’s statement.
"The last time I saw General al-Sisi and Morsi was on July 2 at the Republican Guards headquarters, where Morsi had told him to take care of the Egyptian army because it is important to Egypt,” Qandil said.
"Morsi did not know in advance about the army statement and was annoyed because he believed they were biased towards the opposition," Qandil added.
Regarding the presidential referendum, Qandil said: "Morsi did not reject it. He believed a referendum on his presidency should be held after parliamentary elections, which were planned for September to avoid a constitutional gap."
Additional source: AFP, AP, Reuters