Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — Egypt’s General Staff has been monitoring the
Islamist regime of President Mohammed Morsi.

The military said it was following the Morsi crackdown
on protests throughout Egypt and that it was prepared to intervene
to stop abuse of civilians.

“It keeps an eye on what goes on in the nation,” Egyptian Chief of Staff
Gen. Sidki Sobhi said. “If the Egyptian people ever needs the armed forces, they will be on the streets in less than a second.”

Western diplomats said the statement by Sobhi, appointed by Morsi in
August 2012, marked the starkest warning by the U.S.-financed military. They said the military brass has been dismayed by the policies of Morsi and the ruling Muslim Brotherhood.

This marked the second warning by the military amid rising unrest. In
January, Defense Minister Abdul Fatah Sisi, also a Morsi appointee,
warned of the collapse of Egypt and offered to mediate between the Islamist regime and protesters. In February, Sisi pledged not to allow the Brotherhood to dominate the military.

Since then, Brotherhood elements have raised the prospect that Sisi
would be replaced. The military then leaked a warning through the Egyptian
media that any purge of senior commanders would spark a backlash.

Military commanders have asserted that their troops would not join
Egypt’s police and Central Security Forces in attacks on civilian
protesters. In January, the military, worried that rioters would attack the
Suez Canal, refused to enforce a curfew declared by Morsi on three Egyptian
cities.

The diplomats said Sisi and Sobhi were believed to have been encouraged
by the United States, which provides $1.3 billion in annual military aid to
Cairo. They cited a series of telephone calls by U.S. Defense Secretary Leon
Panetta and his aides with Sisi over the last month.

“The Americans are showing Morsi that they will continue to receive
their support, but only if he acts with restraint,” a diplomat said.

  Abdul Fatah Sisi, Egypt’s military issues second warning to Morsi regime, Gen. Sidki Sohi, Leon Panetta, Muslim Brotherhood, Suez Canal