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Following are excerpts from a public address delivered by Egyptian Defense Minister General Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi, which aired on MBC Misr TV on June 23, 2013:
Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi: It would be wrong for anyone to believe that under any circumstances, the army's firm bond of conscience with the great Egyptian people could be undermined.
Applause from military audience
The only thing we respect and abide by is the will of the Egyptian people. We do so with the purest, objective, and genuine intentions. It would be wrong for anyone to think that this will could be confronted with violence. We bear complete responsibility for protecting the will of this great people. Let me ask you: How can we, the officers of the military, feel like real men, when we sense that the entire Egyptian people lives in fear and terror? We would rather die.
Harming the army is tantamount to harming the Egyptian people in its entirety. It would be wrong for anyone to believe that we will remain silent in the face of any affront. We must all understand how dangerous this is for Egypt's national security. Let me repeat this: It would be wrong for anyone to believe that we will remain silent in the face of any affront to the army or its commanders. I hope we all understand how dangerous this is to Egypt's national security.
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In the past months, the military has refrained from intervening in public political affairs. It is clear that things are going the way they are going right now. But I'd like to say that we all bear moral patriotic, and historical responsibility. We also bear a higher responsibility towards our Lord, and we will be held accountable for our deeds now and in the future. We will not allow Egypt to enter a dark tunnel of conflict, internal fighting, civil war, sectarian strife, or the collapse of state institutions.
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