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Brotherhood’s Scorched-Earth Strategy Provokes More Bloodshed

The conflict in Egypt is not about who rules, it's about “what to rule” — the state of Egypt or the Brotherhood’s Islamic state?
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi flee from tear gas and rubber bullets fired by riot police during clashes, on a bridge leading to Rabba el Adwia Square where they are camping, in Cairo August 14, 2013. At least 95 Egyptians were killed on Wednesday after security forces moved in on protesters demanding the reinstatement of Mursi, and the government imposed a state of emergency as unrest swept the most populous Arab nation. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dals
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The conflict between the state of Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood has reached a deadly point. After weeks of anticipation, on Wednesday morning [Aug. 14] police moved in to clear two Brotherhood encampments in Giza and east of Cairo. Police moved alongside bulldozers that removed barricades and sand fortifications erected by the pro-Morsi supporters. The operation was mostly covered live by Egyptian state TV and several other private stations. Al-Nahda, the much smaller sit-in, was also the easier site to disperse. The Rabia al-Adawiya sit-in was much tougher, but it was mostly cleared by sunset.  The death toll from the Rabia al-Adawiya sit-in in Nasr City reached 202, with 87 reported deaths from the al-Nahda site, according to a Health Ministry spokesman. The total death toll nationwide stood at 525, including 43 security troops, according to the latest Health Ministry figures

In the morning, security released information that it has intercepted communications from Muslim Brotherhood leaders who commanded their members to wage a wave of attacks on police stations and government facilities. During the day, these threats were realized with several police stations stormed, and government buildings and military installations attacked. More than 40 churches and several Christian schools were also attacked and some set on fire in six governorates. Muslim Brotherhood members further attempted to block several key roads in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria among other places around Egypt.

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