A former Egyptian lawmaker who threatened on a popular TV show that Americans would be "slaughtered in their homes" if an attempt is made on the life of the country's military chief recanted on Sunday, saying his comments were misconstrued.
The Jan. 13 comments by Mostafa Bakry, a well-known journalist with close ties to the military, created a buzz on social media this past week but drew no comment from the nation's military-backed government. Bakry based his comments about killing Americans on what he called a conspiracy led by the United States to assassinate military chief General Abdel-Fattah al-Sssi.
"There is a plan, which the security apparatus knows about very well, to assassinate el-Sissi, and it involves both internal and external players," Bakry told Imad Adeeb, host of the talk show "Quietly!" which is aired by the private, pro-military channel CBC. "And at this time, all of Egypt will take up arms against the traitors and criminals all together and they will be slaughtered in their homes."
Though he did not identify his sources, Bakry said he was "100 percent sure" of the plot's existence, saying that a similar plan had been behind the assassination of Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto.
"If anything at all happens to al-Sisi, there won't be an American on this earth we will leave in peace, here or abroad," he warned.
On Sunday however, Bakry backtracked after international media reported on his statements.
"I am opposed to any violence, including any violence against U.S. citizens, and I would like to make it clear that we have no enmity with or hostility toward the American people at all," he said in a statement.

Egyptian journalist says Americans will be ‘slaughtered in their homes’

Mostafa Bakry (L) addresses a news conference at Egypt's Journalists Union in Cairo July 7, 2005. (File photo: Reuters)
Associated Press, Cairo
Monday 20 January 2014
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:42 - GMT 06:42
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