Egypt army says it is ready to intervene EGYPT'S army chief has warned that the military is ready to intervene to stop the country from entering a "dark tunnel" of internal conflict. General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, also the defence minister, spoke on Sunday, a week ahead of mass protests planned by opponents of President Mohamed Morsi. "The armed forces have the obligation to intervene to stop Egypt from plunging into a dark tunnel of conflict and infighting," el-Sissi said. Egyptians fear the demonstrations calling for Morsi's ouster will descend into violence after some of the president's hardline supporters vowed to "smash" them. El-Sissi's comments make clear that the military is willing to intervene on the side of the protesters if attacked by the president's Islamist backers. He urged all parties to use the week leading up to the June 30 protests to reach a "genuine" understanding to defuse the crisis.