What I noted in my last post was that ironic position of the Obama White House and the Morsi presidency, two groups who have zero love for each other, but both meet on opposition to a military coup. Now the White House has seemed to tip its hand, pressing Morsi to hold early elections and in essence create a caretaker government of national unity.
This looks significantly like what the military is telegraphing as its ‘road map’ which in turn looks something like the plan put forward by the National Salvation Front, the main opposition group. Significant differences, yes. But all pointing towards a ‘soft landing’ which in some sense is reconciliable with democratic continuity, envisages a minimum or non-existent role for the military.
Taken together, the situation is starting to look less like a coup than an intervention.
Late Update: 1:34 PM … More interesting reporting on Obama administration’s conversations with Morsi and the Egyptian military. They’re slicing it really fine. Giving ultimatum to move all parties to reconciliation, good. An actual military coup, bad and you may lose all US military aid.
