Friday, March 11, 2011

Egypt’s interior minister vowed Thursday that private telephones will no longer be tapped and said the state security apparatus will be restricted to combating terrorism and espionage.
On the diplomatic front, Syrian President Bashar Assad said his country is ready to “cooperate” with Egypt, said in his first message to the country’s new military rulers, SANA news agency reported Thursday.

Field Marshal Mohammad Hussein Tantawi, who heads the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, replied to the message by stressing the need to “open a new page” in relations between the two countries.
Interior Minister Mansour al-Issawy said the state security police, a branch of the police force, could not be dissolved but it would play no further role in citizens’ daily lives.

“[The minister] apologized to the Egyptian people for the violations that took place on the part of some elements of the police apparatus in the past,” reported MENA. The apology will be issued in a statement by the ministry.
“The era of tapping private phones is over,” Issawi said in an interview with ON TV satellite channel, extracts of which were published on MENA.
“There will be no phone tapping except with the prior permission of the general prosecution according to the law,” he said.

“The role of the apparatus will be limited to fighting terrorism and political crimes such as espionage,” the minister said. “It will no longer intervene in universities and institutions and will no longer choose the imams of mosques or control arms licenses.”

The plan to restructure the security apparatus will be given to the premier as soon as possible, MENA said.
Egypt’s police forces have returned to work across the country, Issawi said, after they withdrew from the streets on Jan. 28 fearing attacks by citizens.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s military rulers and representatives of Christian Copts demonstrating in central Cairo held talks Thursday amid concerns over growing insecurity after deadly religious clashes, state television announced.
Bloody fighting erupted late Tuesday in the working class Cairo district of Moqattam when Muslims confronted 1,000 Christians who had been blocking a main road in protest at the burning of a church last week. The Health Ministry said 13 people were killed in the clashes, and Father Boutros Roshdy of the Moqattam church said at least seven Coptic Christians were among the dead.

More than 1,000 Copts continued days of demonstrations Thursday outside state television headquarters in Cairo to demand the rebuilding of the church.
Thousands of Christians also attended the funeral service for the victims.
Some held aloft signs with slogans that included: “No to sectarianism, no to murder,” and “Farewell to the martyrs of Christ.” – Agencies