Egyptian general raises stakes in standoff

CAIRO -- Egypt's top general raised the stakes in the military's political standoff with the Muslim Brotherhood Sunday, saying the armed forces will not allow a "certain group" to dominate the country.

Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi's tough comments came only hours after he met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who urged him to work with President Mohammed Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, on a full transition to civilian rule.

The military, which ruled after the fall last year of Hosni Mubarak, and the Brotherhood, the country's strongest political force, are in a competition over power that has intensified with Morsi's winning of the presidency last month.

Tantawi, in his comments, did not specify the Brotherhood, but his reference that the military would not allow the group to hold sway was clear. Egypt "belongs to all Egyptians and not to a certain group -- the armed forces will not allow it," Tantawi told reporters. Tantawi has made similar comments, but Sunday's statement was the first since Morsi's inauguration.

Yesterday, Clinton said that resolving the impasse "requires dialogue and compromise, real politics."

-- AP