Fears rise of Egypt camps crackdown Egypt's military-backed authorities blamed their Islamist opponents for the failure of international mediation efforts to defuse the country's political crisis and warned that its decision to break up Islamist protest camps in Cairo was "final and irreversible." Statements from both the interim president and prime minister on Wednesday suggested the increased likelihood of a crackdown - which many fear would be bloody - on the two camps held by thousands of supporters of Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president who was ousted by the military last month. The US and the EU said on Wednesday they were "concerned and troubled" that Egypt's parties had not made any progress towards implementing confidence-building measures and breaking what they described as a "dangerous stalemate." "This remains a very fragile situation, which holds not only the risk of more bloodshed and polarisation in Egypt, but also impedes the economic recovery which is so essential for Egypt's successful transition," said a joint statement by John Kerry, the US secretary of state, and Lady Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief. Hazem al-Biblawi, the interim prime minister, said the government was running out of patience and urged the protesters to go home. He said those in the camps had "exceeded all limits of peacefulness by inciting violence, using arms, blocking roads, obstructing traffic, disrupting public facilities, and terrifying and holding citizens." His comments came a few hours after a statement by Adli Mansour, interim president, in which he announced the failure of international mediation efforts to get the two sides talking, and laid the blame on Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group, saying they were responsible for any consequences. Envoys from the US, EU, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates tried in recent days to defuse the crisis and prevent the shedding of further blood. They were allowed access to Khairat al-Shater, the imprisoned deputy leader of the Brotherhood who is considered its strategist and most influential leader. Many now fear a move by the security services against the sit-ins happening across the capital would cost at least hundreds of lives and destroy any prospect of a return to an orderly and consensual political process. At least 300 people were killed in political violence in the past month since the army toppled Mr Morsi on the back of huge popular protests against his rule. They include some 130 Islamists killed by police and army gunfire in two clashes near the larger of the sit-ins in the Nasr City suburb of Cairo. On Tuesday, two visiting US senators, Lindsey Graham and John McCain, urged the authorities to free imprisoned Islamist leaders to allow a political dialogue to begin. Mr Graham said that Egypt was "just days or weeks away from all-out bloodshed." Mr Morsi has been held at a secret location since his ouster on July 3. Other senior leaders are in prison, some facing serious charges of incitement to violence. The warnings from the Egyptian interim president and prime minister may be partly aimed at piling the pressure on to the Islamists who are adamant they will not budge until Mr Morsi has been restored to power, but sources also say the government will not tolerate the camps indefinitely. Mr Biblawi said they had put up with the encampments in honour of the final 10 days of Ramadan, which are considered to be more blessed by Muslims. Observers say the authorities are likely to wait until early next week after the end of the Aid al-Fitr religious holiday marking the end of Ramadan before making any attempt to break up the camps.