Egyptian generals' bias towards the secularists grows clearer

Egyptian generals’ bias towards the secularists grows clearer as presidential campaign goes on, an Arabic language editorial asserts. Other topics in today's roundup: Annan's failures in Syria, and Israeli settlement expansion.

The situation in Egypt is getting worse by the day, due to the ever-widening rift between the people - who predominantly voted for Islamist parties in the parliamentary elections - and the ruling (and secular) Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf), the pan-Arab newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi said in its weekend editorial.

On Friday, Tahrir Square was thronged with thousands of demonstrators demanding that Scaf hand over power to a civilian authority, with less than three weeks to go before the country's much-awaited presidential election.

Last week also, blood was spilt in Abbasiya Square near the headquarters of the defence ministry in Cairo, following violent clashes between Scaf forces and demonstrators camping out in protest of the disqualification of an Islamist candidate from the race for the presidency. Some reports said 20 people were killed and dozens injured.

The usual exchange of accusations of thuggery followed, especially that firearms were used in the Abbasiya tragedy.

"The Scaf lacks a charismatic leader who can win people's trust in this transitional phase," the newspaper said.

"The army wants a non-Islamist for president, yet Islamists represent the majority in parliament and on the street. That explains why the Scaf is acting so feverishly in the lead-up to the election."

In an attempt to bring the situation under control in Abbasiya, the Scaf decreed a curfew. But a curfew can only go so far, the paper went on. "It might stop clashes with the army, but it will never solve the root predicament … For the real crisis in Egypt is that of trust - the crumbling trust between the people and the army council."

The Scaf appears to be in favour of two presidential candidates who, out of the dozen running, are the ones who have served under the old regime and are believed to hold secular views.

We're looking here at Amr Moussa, the former head of the Arab League who also served as foreign minister under the deposed president Hosni Mubarak, and at Ahmed Shafiq, the former prime minister, who was in office for about two months at the height of the Egyptian uprising.

"We should expect the Scaf to keep manoeuvring to buy time until it manages to secure a victory for one of these two candidates," the newspaper's editorial argued.

"To achieve that, the Scaf hopes to capitalise on a potentially scattered vote for Islamists who have three candidates contesting this election."

According to this line of thinking, the much-feared decision to delay the presidential election would not come as a complete surprise.

The Scaf could at any moment play the fragile-security-situation card and, in the process, take Egypt to the edge of the precipice of the unknown.

Mood suggests bad end for Annan's plan

The purport of statements made to Britain's Sky News by Gen Robert Mood, the head of the UN observer mission to Syria, demonstrates that his mission may end just as the Arab League observer mission ended before it, wrote Rajeh Al Khouri in the Emirati newspaper Al Watan.

For starters, it is indeed an eye-opener that Gen Mood needed almost a week to find out that the "ceasefire is really a shaky one."

UN Security Council resolutions 2042 and 2043 said international monitors were to be deployed to Syria to oversee a ceasefire, not to merely be part of a momentary calming effect, as Gen Mood himself hinted.

Secondly, it is astounding that Gen Mood refused to criticise the slow deployment.

"One month of the scheduled three has already elapsed and only 31 of 300 have been deployed". In the meantime, the death toll escalates.

Thirdly, the astonishment came to a head when Gen Mood said that even with 300 monitors, "we are not going to be able to be in all places in Syria at the same time".

For this to work "it is the concerted efforts of the Syrian people, of the Syrian government, of the opposition, of the capitals of the world.

"Now 13 months of bloodshed and atrocities … have gone by, and Syria is on the brink of civil war," the writer observed.

Jerusalem expansion plan must spark action

Israeli media revealed this week a colossal plan by an Australian Jewish millionaire to intensify and expand settlement building in and around Jerusalem. with the aim of realising the scheme of a "Greater Jerusalem", the Palestinian newspaper Al Quds noted in its Sunday editorial.

"The expansion would stretch from the city to the Dead Sea and would include building an Israeli international airport in Jericho," explained the paper.

"This is indeed an unexpected and alarming development to be added to a recently divulged plan to tear down 29 houses in the city by next September."

These disturbing news come at a time when Israeli forces press ahead with their various transgressions on Palestinian territories and inhumane practices against Palestinian prisoners.

This all clearly means that the Israeli authorities are purposely escalating tensions and frustrations now that they have completely blocked any access to a viable peace process.

"It is high time for the international community to assume its responsibilities and end the illegitimate Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and to enable the Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination and to establish an independent state of their own," Al Quds said.

* Digest compiled by The Translation Desk