Military steps up crackdown in Cairo

Egypt’s ruling military council last night questioned the morals of a female detainee, accused a prominent publisher of incitement and criticised the media for allegedly working to destabilise the country.

The criticism, delivered by a member of the ruling military council in a televised news conference, came hours after troops in riot gear swept through Cairo’s Tahrir Square, opening fire on protesters. At least three people were killed, pushing the death toll for four days of clashes to 14.

Major General Adel Emara, a member of the council that took power after Hosni Mubarak’s February fall in a popular uprising, defended the use of force against protesters. “There is a methodical and premeditated plot to topple the state, but Egypt will not fall,” said Emara. “The media is helping sabotage the state. This is certain.”

Violence has been raging in Cairo since Friday, when military forces guarding the Cabinet building near Tahrir Square heavily cracked down on a three-week-old sit-in to demand the ruling generals hand power to a civilian authority.

Widely circulated footage shows an army officer firing a pistol at protesters. Other images show soldiers dragging women by the hair. Another video showed soldiers dragging a woman, stripping her half naked and stamping on her .

But in footage Emara said was taken by the military, men appeared to be rejoicing over setting a government building ablaze. Another video showed a detained woman talking about her husband, but later saying she was not married to her partner.

One video showed a young detainee saying that publisher Mohammed Hashem was using his Cairo office near Tahrir as an HQ for an incitement ring.