- MB Statements
- March 27, 2008
- 7 minutes read
MB Demands Swift Investigations Into Suez Shooting, Offers Condolences to Families
Dr. Mohamed Habib, deputy chairman of the MB, condemned the killing of an Egyptian citizen and injuring two others in Suez Canal by US security personnel on board the Global Patriot cargo ship on Monday, and called on Egyptian authorities to take necessary measures to prevent such incident from happening again.
He also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, offering them the MB unconditional support. Dr. Habib considered a US apology, although none was offered, will never compensate these poor families for the loss of their loved ones.
Although the incident is still under investigation; Dr. habib condemned the Americans for apparently directly shooting at the Egyptian boat. He doubted the merchants would have continued to approach the ship if warning shots were fired first as the Americans claim.
“the Muslim Brotherhood is deeply concerned and disturbed by the seemingly unjustified killing of an innocent citizen due to the irrational behavior of U.S. security personnel on board the ship” Habib added
“The incident is by all means a violation of Egypt’s sovereignty,” Habib said. “However, foreign cargo ships should never take any action on Egyptian territories without prior approval from the state of Egypt.” He concluded.
This comes after Wednesday’s statement from the U.S. embassy in Cairo admitting the killing of an Egyptian in the Suez Canal by a US navy-contracted ship Monday, but stated it was “mistake” and “unintentional”
Habib’s statement echoes Tuesday’s heated session in the People’s Assembly, in which MPs accused Suez Canal officials of carelessness, and called on authorities to hold the ship until the government carries out a thorough investigation.
Mariam Ali is acting chief editor of Ikhwanweb. She can be reached at [email protected]