Army says ready to use force to clear Cairo square

..CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's ruling generals said on Saturday they were ready to use force to end protests in Tahrir Square after troops cracked down on demonstrators overnight and sparked violence that medical sources said killed two people.

Soldiers and police had used tasers and batons to try to drive out protesters from the square, the epicenter of protests that toppled Hosni Mubarak on February 11. Gunshots echoed across the square in the overnight operation.

Hundreds defied the army move and stayed. Thousands more joined them on Saturday demanding power be handed to civilians and calling for the resignation of Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who heads the ruling council.

"Tahrir Square will be emptied of protesters with firmness and force to ensure life goes back to normal," the council's Major General Adel Emarah told a news conference.

The army has become a target for a hard core of protesters who say it is colluding with remnants of Mubarak's network and thwarting calls for a deeper purge of former officials.

"The military council is part and parcel of the corrupt regime. It is made up of heads of the army that have benefited from Mubarak and his 30 years of robbing the Egyptian people," said Abdullah Ahmed, 45, a protester in Tahrir.

Responding to Emarah's remarks, protester Zain Abdel Latif in Tahrir said: "If they use force we will use force. This isn't Libya, where the army can just attack us."

The protesters' anger was fueled early on Saturday morning when the army tried to clear demonstrators from Tahrir during the 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. curfew. After failing to remove all the protesters, troops backed out of the square during the day.

WASHINGTON CONCERNED

Medical sources said 13 men were wounded by gunfire and two had died. The army said troops who entered the square did not have live ammunition and none was fired by soldiers.

"There were elements that backed the counter-revolution and attempted to sow discord between the army and the people. These elements included persons wearing armed forces uniform," said Emarah, adding eight people entered Tahrir wearing military uniform illegally. He said an investigation was underway.

The United States, which gives Egypt $1.3 billion a year in military aid, said it was concerned by events in Tahrir.

"We have seen the disturbing reports of the use of excessive force overnight in Tahrir Square and are looking into the situation. We urge the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to conduct a thorough and timely investigation," the U.S. embassy said in a statement.

Ibrahim Abdel Gawad, an ex-officer who said he spoke for a group of soldiers in uniform, said about 15 serving officers joined the Tahrir protest on Friday. He said 11 were detained.

He said the officers wore uniforms to make clear they did not accept the authority of Tantawi, who served as defense minister for two decades under Mubarak.

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians had packed into Tahrir on Friday in the biggest rally since February 18, when millions turned out across Egypt to celebrate Mubarak's downfall.

In scenes reminiscent of protests that brought down Mubarak, three army vehicles were burned out in the square and the roads were strewn with rocks from the overnight violence.

"Either Field Marshal Tantawi puts these people -- Mubarak, Gamal (his son), and the others -- on trial, or he leaves his post and lets someone else do it. The slowness of the process makes people suspicious that the army (leadership) might be implicated," said Ashraf Abdel-Aziz, 36, a shop owner.

The army dismisses such charges and says it is guarding against any attempt by former officials to undermine reforms.

Although angering reformists, emptying Tahrir may please those Egyptians who are tired of the disruption caused by demonstrations. The economy has been hammered as tourists have fled and investors hold back.

ISLAMISTS SAY ARMY, PEOPLE UNITED

"The army is trying to strike a balance between carrying out reforms, purging the old system and maintaining economic and political stability," said Hassan Nafaa, a political science professor who was active in mobilizing the protest movement.

He dismissed the idea the army was complicit with Mubarak's old network, adding: "The army knows well that many key people from Mubarak's era control the economy and have deep roots in society. It is therefore taking measured steps."

The Muslim Brotherhood, an influential Islamist movement, said the army and the people were united. "The solidarity that happened between the army and the people during this great revolution must continue and be strengthened," it said.

It praised the army as the "protector of the nation."

A statement the council's Facebook page said an order had been issued to detain Ibrahim Kamel, a senior member of Mubarak's ruling party, for "incitement and thuggery by some of his associates that stirred up the people in Tahrir Square."

General Emarah denied such a statement was issued.

The military has enjoyed broad support since it took control, but complaints against its rule have grown.

"We condemn the intentional slowness of the military council in meeting demands of the revolution and call on Egyptians to return to Tahrir Square and stay until Mubarak and his followers are arrested and tried," a coalition of youth groups that drove the initial anti-Mubarak protests, said in a statement.

Some protesters took barbed wire that had been left unused by the army on Saturday and dragged it across roads leading to the square. As they had done during protests to oust Mubarak, demonstrators started checking IDs of those entering Tahrir.

"We will not leave here again until they take tangible steps to put Mubarak and high officials on trial," said Mohamed Abdul-Karim, 31, a lawyer. He said he was a member of a committee to protect the rights of people injured in protests.

Mubarak and his family are banned from leaving Egypt. The former president, 82, is living in internal exile in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
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