Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — Egypt has failed to enforce a curfew imposed by its Islamist
president amid rising anti-government violence.

Egyptian opposition sources said the deployment of the military has not
resulted in an enforced curfew in three cities along the Suez Canal. They
said Egyptian Army main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers have
been stationed in Ismailiya, Port Said and Suez but did not intervene.

“The Army does not want to shoot at curfew-breakers,” an opposition
source said.

Under Morsi’s order, authorities imposed a state of emergency, which
included a curfew from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. The curfew was meant to last from Jan. 28 until Feb. 28.

Still, nightly clashes continued between anti-government protesters and security forces. At least 52 people have been killed in the battles, which included those in downtown Cairo, which prompted the closure of nearby Western embassies.

“The continuing conflict between political forces and their differences
concerning the management of the country could lead to a collapse of the state and threaten future generations,” Defense Minister Abdul Fatah Sisi said on Jan. 29. “The military does not want to confront Egyptian citizens who have a right to protest.”

On Jan. 29, presidential spokesman Yasser Ali suggested that the regime
would ease the emergency measures. Ali said enforcement of the curfew would
be left to provincial governors.

The state of emergency was said to have sparked a dispute within the
security command. The sources said Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim
decided not to equip anti-riot police with such non-lethal equipment as tear
gas and batons.

“There have been rumblings of discontent,” the source said.

The Interior Ministry maintained that police and Central Security Forces
were equipped with non-lethal equipment. Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Hani
Abdul Latif said the security forces were dealing with large number of
rioters.

“They have come under tremendous pressure recently and faced firebombs,
bullets and stones,” Abdul Latif said.

  Abdul Fatah Sisi, curfew from 9 p.m to 6 a.m., Egypt’s Morsi’s unable to enforce curfew against violence in cities along the Suez, Ismailiya, Mohammed Ibrahim, Port Said, Suez