Egypt braces for bloodshed; police poised to end sit-ins

Egypt braced for bloodshed Monday with police poised for a dawn move to end two massive Cairo sit-ins demanding ousted President Mohamed Morsi's return. The military-led government gave no official statement as of early Monday, but Interior Ministry officials told The New York Times and security sources told al-Jazeera police would make their move around daylight, first completely encircling the encampments of tens of thousands of people, including women and children, at Cairo University and Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque. In the hours before sunrise, Muslim Brotherhood security teams worked to fortify the encampments, filling sandbags and erecting steel-reinforced brick walls. Brotherhood leaders said their demonstrations would remain non-violent, even if police moved in. Government security forces would then cordon off the sit-ins, issue ultimatums to clear the two areas and then stop the flow of food and water, the Times and al-Jazeera said. Officials would then block all entrances to the sit-ins but leave one exit open so demonstrators could leave, the Times said. After that, police would gradually begin using non-lethal tactics, including tear gas and water cannons, the ministry officials told the Times. Protesters told The Washington Post they expected police would use bullets as well as water cannons and tear gas. It was unclear if the police timetable to escalate the pressure involved hours, days or weeks. "All options are on the table," an Interior Ministry source told the government's flagship newspaper al-Ahram. "Our morale is very high," demonstrator Ibrahim El-Hawari, 49, a retired military officer, told the Post. "We will not run." Two weeks ago, the Cabinet of the military-backed interim government said Interior Ministry forces could use "all necessary measures" to break up the two sprawling sit-in sites. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the nation's top military commander, who is also first deputy prime minister and defense ministry, has said a mass pro-government rally he called for two weeks ago showed the people want security forces to take a tough stand against pro-Morsi protesters. Morsi loyalists have said nothing short of reinstating Egypt's first freely elected president would get them to disperse. The interim leaders -- who have warned for several weeks the camps would be dismantled after Thursday's Eid al-Fitr holiday -- say Morsi will never be reinstated. They say his detention or release is now a matter for the courts to decide. Morsi is under investigation related to his escape from political imprisonment during the 2011 revolution that overthrew the regime of President Hosni Mubarak. He is alleged to have conspired with Palestinian militant group Hamas in the jailbreak. Amr Darrag, a Brotherhood leader involved in talks with Western diplomats, told the Times he considered the allegations "a bad joke." Darrag told the newspaper the Brotherhood wanted Morsi released and reinstated at least temporarily, to give the handover legal legitimacy. Western diplomats have said the release of imprisoned Brotherhood leaders could reassure Islamists of fair treatment in the future. More than 140 Morsi supporters were killed in two deadly incidents when they confronted security forces after Morsi's ouster. Police and the military have said they were provoked by protesters who hurled Molotov cocktails, rocks and bottles at them. The pro-Morsi Youth Against the Coup organization said late Sunday if security forces break up the sit-ins, protesters will occupy Tahrir Square, epicenter of the popular uprising that led to Mubarak's overthrow.