Protesters ‘Deserve to Be Thrown Into Hitler’s Ovens,’ Egyptian Military Adviser Says

By ROBERT MACKEY

Video posted online by Egyptian activists appeared to offer clear evidence that flaming Molotov cocktails were hurled at protesters from the top of a building controlled by soldiers on Saturday.

As my colleague David Kirkpatrick reports, a general from Egypt’s ruling military council insisted on Monday that soldiers had not used force against peaceful protesters after a weekend of such attacks that were “witnessed by journalists, captured on video and broadcast across the Internet and on satellite television.”

But a still more baffling statement was made by a retired general who now serves as an adviser to the military government’s public relations department. In comments published by the Egyptian newspaper Al Shorouk on Monday, the adviser, Gen. Abdel Moneim Kato, said that the protesters who came under attack by soldiers were delinquents “who deserve to be thrown into Hitler’s ovens.”

Strangely, the retired general’s invocation of Nazi Germany came just hours before Egypt’s military rulers claimed to have disrupted a plot to burn down the country’s Parliament building.

Responding to the comments, Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading liberal voice, wrote on Twitter that the retired general had “a deranged and criminal state of mind!” In a second message written in Arabic on the social network, Mr. ElBaradei said, “The likes of Kato belong in jail, not in power.”

An adviser to the military addressing media: “Delinquents should be put in Hitler’s gas chambers”, a deranged and criminal state of mind!
— Mohamed ElBaradei (@ElBaradei) December 19, 2011

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information in Cairo also denounced General Kato, calling him an “official who does not hesitate to declare Nazi opinions that incite hatred and justify violence against citizens he disagrees with.”

Five months ago, a private television channel fired the host of a popular program hours after she sparred with General Kato on the air. During that interview, the general claimed that some of the journalists whose views were aired on the program were “saboteurs,” and said two Egyptian presidential candidates were American agents. When the host asked General Kato if he had any proof to support his assertions, he said that he did not.



Egypt Clashes Resume, Draw Int’l Condemnation

Egypt clashes resumed between security forces and anti-military rule protesters, as the death toll of the five-day unrest rose to 12 and the number of injured people surpassed 500.

Police and soldiers using batons, water cannons and tear gas drove over night stone-throwing protesters out of Cairo's Tahrir Square, core of the uprising that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak in February.

On Monday, the ruling military council said it had uncovered an alleged plot to burn down the Parliament.
General Adel Emara, a member of the ruling military council, interrupted a live news conference to say he had received a call about a "plot to burn parliament and there are now large crowds in Tahrir Square ready to implement the plan".

Emara was addressing the clashes during the televised news conference on Saturday, and he defended the military's use of force against the protesters, saying the army had a duty to protect the nation's installations.
"What are we supposed to do when protesters break the law?" Emara asked. "Should we invite people from abroad to govern our nation?"
He said an investigation into the clashes and the media's coverage of them was under way. "The media is helping sabotage the state. This is certain."


“RUTHLESS VIOLENCE”

On the other hand, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay condemned authorities for staging “ruthless violence” and “inhuman acts” in handling protests.

The UN official said in a statement on Monday, “The graphic images of protesters, including women, being brutally clubbed and assaulted, long after the point when they are showing any resistance, are utterly shocking.”
“People lying motionless on the ground are shown on film being smashed on the head and body with sticks. These are life-threatening and inhuman acts that cannot possibly be justified under the guise of restoration of security or crowd control," Pillay added.

For her part the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, also weighed in, saying she was "deeply concerned about the continuing reports of violence".
"I urge Egyptian security forces to respect and protect the universal rights of all Egyptians, including the rights to peaceful free expression and assembly," said Clinton.

Source: Agencies

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