The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces on Sunday paid tribute to the Egyptian people for not participating in a general strike demanded by youths and revolutionary forces. The strike aimed to pressure the SCAF to hand over power to a civilian authority. In its sixth letter of 2012, posted on its official Facebook page, the SCAF addressed the Egyptian people, telling them they had “voiced their opinions in the largest nationwide public referendum.” The letter was referring to low public participation in the general strike called by activists who accuse the ruling generals of using repressive tactics — similar to those of the Mubarak regime — to silence dissent, A statement signed by 40 groups said that the strike aimed to push Field Marshal Tantawi and other SCAF members to give up power. The SCAF went on to praise the Egyptian people's decision to continue work and production rather than lose ground. There was “no turning back from the march,” it said. The statement added that the people have said “no to lost bets over the future of this country and to uncalculated adventures.” “We promise you, with honor and dedication, to take the country to a safe shore and to achieve victory for our glorious revolution in its march towards democracy and the rule of the people when we hand over power to an elected president before the end of June,” the letter continued. In previous letters, the SCAF attributed anti-military protests to foreign meddling. It also accused revolutionary groups such as the April 6 Youth Movement of being a tool of “foreign hands” to taint the relationship between the army and the people. The letter added, “Your armed forces do not distinguish between one Egyptian and another, nor does it give the stamp of patriotism to one Egyptian and remove it from another… We are all patriotic Egyptians who love this country and who would sacrifice everything for it.”
