Denial on the Nile: SCAF Defends Itself

 A spokesman for Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF)held a press conference today to offer SCAF's self-defense for the events of Sunday. He asserted that the military could not have fired live ammunition as they were equipped only with riot gear; that no military vehicles "intentionally" ran down demonstrators, and so on. This despite multiple testimony, including several YouTube videos, that show them doing just that, and plenty of photos of expended cartridge casings.

But supporters of the protesters are going to hold their own press conference tomorrow, to show those videos and present that evidence. Perhaps they will also show some of the photos from the Coptic hospital which clearly show people with crushed limbs. Did they imagine the vehicles that ran them over?


Sometimes the proper response to ridiculous explanations is ridicule. Issandr El Amrani asks us "How Many SCAF Generals Does it Take to Screw in a Light Bulb?" and offers SCAF's answers:

• The screwing-on of lightbulbs is a sacred national duty that will be carried out with due haste with by appropriate number of generals according to a set but secret timetable.
• The inability to restore the lighbulb to its rightful function is the work of infiltrators and saboteurs!
• A foreign hand has stolen the lightbulb, but its plots will be foiled.
• No foreign agenda can dictate to us what to do with the lightbulb!
• Despite reports and video evidence to the contrary, we assure you that the lightbulb is fully functioning.
• Together, the SCAF and the people will ensure that all lightbulbs everywhere are screwed on with one hand!
• We refuse the lightbulb's resignation and order it to return to its socket immediately!
• How do you know about the lightbulb, spy?