The Egyptian military may forcefully intervene if opposition street protests continue, according to a Tuesday announcement by Egyptian general Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. At least 60 people have been killed in the most recent protests criticizing Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-linked president Mohammed Morsi. El-Sissi, who also serves in the capacity of defense minister, defended Morsi’s imposition over the weekend of emergency rule in three provinces after rioting broke out in response to a controversial court ruling imposing dozens of death penalties. The political crisis comes in the midst of reports citing growing strain between Washington and Cairo over the erosion of Egyptian civil liberties and the government’s growing emphasis on Islamic law.

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