Speaking to a conference hall lined with cabinet ministers and officials of his Muslim Brotherhood party, President Mohamed Morsi announced an all-party committee to reform the constitution in a bid to defuse the opposition and looming mass protests.

Pledging to introduce "radical and quick" reforms into state institutions, Morsi seemed to strike a conciliatory note against vocal insurrection from the political opposition, announcing that his government would form a second committee to address “national reconciliation.”

"I stand before you as an Egyptian citizen, not as the holder of an office, who is fearful for his country,” said Morsi. He then vowed to review his first year in office, which began June 30 of 2012. Protesters have chosen to mark the upcoming anniversary with mass demonstrations aimed at the embattled leader’s resignation.

"Today, I present an audit of my first year, with full transparency, along with a road map. Some things were achieved and others not," Morsi said. "I have made mistakes on a number of issues.”

Hundreds of Egyptian anti government protesters shout political slogans against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in Egypt's landmark Tahrir square as they watch Morsi's speech protesting against government and the Muslim Brotherhood on June 26, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt (AFP Photo / Gianluigi Guercia)

 While acknowledging errors during his term, Morsi pointed the finger at unspecified "enemies of Egypt" for sabotaging the country’s young democratic system, which was haphazardly raised following the ouster of his predecessor Hosni Mubarak. The former leader was overthrown in a popular uprising in 2011, despite decades of support from the West.

"Political polarization and conflict has reached a stage that threatens our nascent democratic experience and threatens to put the whole nation in a state of paralysis and chaos," said Morsi. "The enemies of Egypt have not spared effort in trying to sabotage the democratic experience," he added.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Wednesday for Morsi’s national address. According to Ahram Online, demonstrators carried placards bearing pro-army slogans, including “the people and the army are one hand” – a motto which was often seen during Egypt’s tumultuous 2011 uprising.

Clashes were reported in Alexandria, where supporters and opponents of Egypt’s Morsi threw rocks and fired shotguns in the early hours of Thursday during the leader’s keynote speech in Cairo. Just hours prior, at least two people were killed and over 200 wounded as hundreds clashed in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura.

Hundreds of demonstrators also gathered in front of the country’s defense ministry headquarters in eastern Cairo, demanding that defense minister Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi take over power from President Morsi.

Opponents of Morsi’s government want him to resign and continue to call for an early election, charging that Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood are consolidating power while failing to solve Egypt's pressing problems - including a serious economic recession and a more recent fuel shortage.

An Egyptian man holds a placard as hundreds of Egyptian anti-government protesters shout political slogans against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in Egypt's landmark Tahrir square as they watch Morsi's speech protesting against government and the Muslim Brotherhood on June 26, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt (AFP Photo / Gianluigi Guercia)

Wednesday’s unrest seemed to be a harbinger of things to come. Speaking from Cairo, RT correspondent Bel Trew reported that Egyptians were preparing themselves for another wave of increased violence.

“Definitely the fear here is that violence is going to escalate. We’ve seen a number of clashes around the governorate. People are even reaching out to private security firms to secure their homes and businesses. The military released a statement this week saying that they will have to step in if violence continues.”

ARCHIVE PHOTO (AFP / Khaled Desouki)

 At least one person was killed and 162 others were wounded as hundreds of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's supporters and opponents clashed in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura, the Ministry Of Health confirmed.

More than 5,000 members of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist parties staged a demonstration in Mansoura under the name “No to violence, Yes to Legitimacy” in support of Morsi.

In street clashes that ensued, three shops were destroyed and four cars damaged as the Islamists met their opponents – the Tamarod campaign, the Popular Current, and the Constitution Party, local media said. Molotov cocktails and tasers were reportedly used in the violence; witnesses also heard gunfire.  

Initially, Reuters reported 2 people were killed in the city.

Abdel-Hamid Rashed, a member of the Popular Current, one of the opposition groups, told The Daily News Egypt that the violence was started by Islamists who were carrying shotguns and sticks, prompting local residents to retaliate. 

The local Freedom and Justice Party department claimed their pro-Morsi rally was attacked by “thugs” who fired birdshot at them and brandished other weapons. “Dozens have been taken to the Mansoura International Hospital with serious, minor and birdshot injuries,” their statement read.

Clashes were also reported in nearby Tanta, where according to Twitter reports dozens were hurt.

The violence comes just hours before Morsi is due to address the nation in Cairo. Amid calls for his resignation, the president is expected to urge for unity and calm. In his speech, he is also expected to blame the deadlock that has aggravated the country’s economic crisis on resistance from those loyal to his predecessor Hosni Murbarak, who was overthrown in a popular uprising in 2011.

More than 400 US soldiers are preparing for their deployment to Egypt in anticipation of violent protests, riots, and the possibility of having to protect the country’s border with Israel.
Training at Fort Hood for a nine-month deployment in the “near future” concluded on June 20, KCEN-TV reports, noting that the soldiers encountered Molotov cocktails and “other dangerous items” in their training.

“Just what I’ve seen over the course of the past week, this unit is already far more ready for this type of threat than we were last week,” Lt. Matthew Wilkinson told the television station. According to KDH News, the training lasted about six months. “We want to be as professional as possible so that whatever situation we may encounter, [so] the opposing force knows that we mean business and we know what we’re doing,” said PFC Perez Alexander.

Troops from 13 nations, including the 400 from the US, will man posts and security checkpoints along the Sinai Peninsula, report any peace treaty violations between Egypt and Israel, and be prepared to respond to threats.

A spokesman of the Egyptian armed forces on Saturday confirmed that 400 US troops will be deployed to Egypt, Ahram Online reports.

"The 400 US soldiers coming to Egypt as mentioned in the media are part of the periodical renewal routine for the US faction of the 13-state multinational force deployed in Sinai since the peace treaty. They are not armed with military operations gear," said spokesman Ahmed Ali on behalf of the Egyptian military.

“We are providing this clarification as we respect the right of the great Egyptian people to know the truth from its original sources and to prevent distortion of information by any instigators,” he added.
Anti-government protests calling for the removal of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi are scheduled to occur on June 30. Since the 2011 uprising that removed former president Hosni Mubarak from power, the Sinai Peninsula has suffered growing unrest and disorder, but Egypt’s military presence there is limited under the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. The treaty required that Israel’s armed forces withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula, which the Jewish state had captured in 1967. Egypt was required to keep the area demilitarized, but in during widespread 2011 protests, Israel agreed to allow several hundred Egyptian troops into the region.

The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), which is made up of international peacekeepers from 13 countries, ensures that Israel and Egypt abide by the treaty and avoid a military build-up along the border. The MFO operates checkpoints, observation posts, and patrols the border. The observers also verify the terms of the peace treaty at least twice a month, and ensure free marine navigation in the Strait of Tiran.