Reuters served as a channel for the UK Foreign Office to covertly fund an Egyptian outlet that clamored for the overthrow of the country’s first democratically elected leader, leaked documents show.
by Kit Klarenberg
Part 3 - Reuters inflates protest numbers at army’s command
In late 2012, Morsi enacted a Constitutional Declaration, under which he temporarily assumed sweeping executive powers, prompting small protests to break out. Aswat Masriya led the charge in condemning the decision, portraying it as a scheme by the president – and by extension the Muslim Brotherhood – to gain total, permanent control over all Egypt’s branches of government.
In reality, the Declaration was scheduled to only last three weeks, and had been enacted due to Cairo’s powerful, heavily politicized judiciary repeatedly attempting to impede Egypt’s democratic transition. By that time, judges had already dismissed the country’s first constitutional assembly and elected parliament once, and threatened to do so again, as the country’s new draft constitution strictly limited military power in politics. But the fear driven by outlets like Aswat Masriya and Western media had incited masses of demonstrators back into the streets.
In reality, the Declaration was scheduled to only last three weeks, and had been enacted due to Cairo’s powerful, heavily politicized judiciary repeatedly attempting to impede Egypt’s democratic transition. By that time, judges had already dismissed the country’s first constitutional assembly and elected parliament once, and threatened to do so again, as the country’s new draft constitution strictly limited military power in politics. But the fear driven by outlets like Aswat Masriya and Western media had incited masses of demonstrators back into the streets.
Though Morsi moved to hold fresh parliamentary elections and a referendum on the new constitution, negative coverage of the declaration and the smattering of demonstrations convinced opposition politicians to begin holding confidential meetings with army chiefs, discussing ways of unseating the President, as the Wall Street Journal reported.
Fast forward to April 2013, when a mysterious youth group called Tamarod suddenly materialized to collect signatures demanding Morsi’s removal by June 30th. Meanwhile, opposition leaders clamored for mass demonstrations across Egypt, especially in front of the Presidential Palace. Aswat Masriya granted the new movement blanket coverage. While contemporary polling indicated 53% of the public still supported President Morsi, the outlet served as an non-stop megaphone for the opposition.
Fast forward to April 2013, when a mysterious youth group called Tamarod suddenly materialized to collect signatures demanding Morsi’s removal by June 30th. Meanwhile, opposition leaders clamored for mass demonstrations across Egypt, especially in front of the Presidential Palace. Aswat Masriya granted the new movement blanket coverage. While contemporary polling indicated 53% of the public still supported President Morsi, the outlet served as an non-stop megaphone for the opposition.
By June 30th, the streets of Cairo and other major Egyptian cities were filled with protesters as Morsi refused to resign. Military sources told Reuters that as many as 14 million people, or almost 17% of the country’s population, had come out to demonstrate. While the news agency acknowledged the figure “seemed implausibly high,” it reassured readers the army had “used helicopters to monitor the crowds.”
The 14 million claim was duly recycled by news organizations the world over – including Aswat Masriya. Sisi exploited the international outcry and internal upheaval to remove Morsi from power, and suspend the recently passed Constitution. Opposition figures went on to inflate the total number of protesters ever-further. A particularly popular fantasy sum was 33 million, given it was higher than the total number of Egyptians who’d voted for Morsi in the first place.
The 14 million claim was duly recycled by news organizations the world over – including Aswat Masriya. Sisi exploited the international outcry and internal upheaval to remove Morsi from power, and suspend the recently passed Constitution. Opposition figures went on to inflate the total number of protesters ever-further. A particularly popular fantasy sum was 33 million, given it was higher than the total number of Egyptians who’d voted for Morsi in the first place.
Subsequent investigations revealed there were between one and two million protesters at the absolute most. As The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal wrote at the time, “the stunning crowd counts [Egypt’s opposition] spread across the world do not seem to hold up against critical scrutiny. And as the mirage of a 30-million-person march evaporates, an unsavory military coup stands exposed.”
Leaked recordings released in the wake of the coup subsequently exposed that Tamarod was financed by the United Arab Emirates, another former British imperial holding. It further showed how high ranking military officials – who also drew from that slush fund – had openly discussed using protests to rid themselves of the meddlesome Morsi.
Leaked recordings released in the wake of the coup subsequently exposed that Tamarod was financed by the United Arab Emirates, another former British imperial holding. It further showed how high ranking military officials – who also drew from that slush fund – had openly discussed using protests to rid themselves of the meddlesome Morsi.
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