Supporters of Morsi call for new rallies in Egypt

Supporters of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi planned new rallies on Sunday amid last ditch efforts for reconciliation ahead of a threatened crackdown on demonstrators.         

The Anti-Coup Alliance said 10 marches will take off from numerous areas of the capital "to defend the electoral legitimacy" of Egypt's first freely elected president Morsi.         

More than 300 people have been killed in political violence since Morsi's overthrow and the security forces have threatened to dismantle two protest camps where his supporters are making a stand, raising concern that more lives will be lost. 

This as the United States Embassy in Cairo was reopening on Sunday following a closure of over a week due to security concerns.            

The Obama administration announced on Friday, 2 August, that a number of US diplomatic posts in the Muslim world would be closed, following online "chatter" about security threats.                  
At that time, the US State Department also announced a global travel alert, warning that al-Qaeda or its allies might target either US government or private US interests.               

An announcement on the website of the US Embassy in Cairo on August 4 confirmed that the Embassy would close until Saturday, August 10, due to "security and safety considerations."              
US President Barack Obama said on Friday that al-Qaeda's core has been decimated by US efforts but that the network's affiliates continue to threaten the US.              

Israel downplays Sinai drone strike reports:              

Israel's defense minister said that his country won't let "rumors and speculation" harm the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, an apparent attempt to downplay reports that an Israeli drone killed four militants in a cross-border strike into Egypt.                 

The late Saturday statement by Moshe Yaalon did not explicitly deny that Israel carried out the Friday attack.                    

The Israeli military said Friday it was looking into the report. On Sunday it said it had no further comment.                

Egyptian officials initially said an Israeli drone carried out the attack, but an official quoted by the state media later claimed an Egyptian helicopter was responsible.                  

Yaalon said that Israel appreciated unspecified actions taken by Egypt against militants over the weekend.                  

Egypt is highly sensitive to criticism about letting Israel carry out strikes on its soil.                 


AP/LBCI