As Egypt finds itself poised dangerously closer to civil war, the ruling Muslim Brotherhood and opposition parties are trying to sway the balance of power by wooing the all-important military.  But publicly, the military is calling for a resolution of political turmoil.

Defense Minister and Field Marshal Abd el-Fattah El-Sisi says the army is not choosing sides in the political struggle, and promises only to protect the country and avoid social and political chaos, but not necessarily to protect the government.  That’s a blow to the regime of President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

But at the same time, the protesters filling Cairo’s Tahrir Square last week repeatedly called on the military to “Get out of the barracks” and to “call for new elections”.

The army is calling for dialogue between both sides and cautioning that however it is resolved, the Egyptian people must recognize the legitimacy of their government.