The writer watched an interview of Sisi on the American CBS channel but found it uninformative and decided to write about Hassan al-Banna and the Muslim Brotherhood instead. However, after seeing Sisi supporters celebrate a part of the interview where Sisi supposedly made the host stutter, the writer changed their mind and decided to critique the interview.
The writer highlights Sisi's claims that there are no political prisoners in Egypt, despite reports of 60,000 to 100,000 political prisoners. Sisi also denies the existence of prisoners of opinion and claims that those imprisoned are extremists facing fair trials.
The writer also criticizes Sisi's response to questions about the Muslim Brotherhood, whom he labels as extremists and terrorists. The writer argues that the Brotherhood is not a terrorist organization and that Sisi's claims are baseless.
The writer also brings up the Rabaa massacre and Sisi's role in it, as well as his cooperation with Israel. The writer points out that Sisi's honesty about his cooperation with Israel is surprising, given his usual dishonesty.
The writer also asks a series of rhetorical questions, accusing Sisi of being responsible for various problems in Egypt, including debt, poverty, and human rights abuses. The writer concludes by saying that Sisi's actions will not last and that he will eventually face justice.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The "60 Minutes" show is 51 years old, dating back to 1968.
2. The show is international and has a reputation for knowing its guests and their news sources.
3. Sisi was asked about political prisoners in Egypt, estimated to be around 60,000 to 100,000.
4. Sisi denied the existence of political prisoners or prisoners of opinion in Egypt.
5. Human Rights Watch reported that there are 60,000 political prisoners detained in Egypt.
6. Sisi claimed that he doesn't know where Human Rights Watch got their figure from.
7. Egypt had 43 prisons from 1896 to 2013, which were enough to hold all its criminals.
8. The number of prisons in Egypt increased to 63 from 2013 to 2019.
9. The maximum capacity of each prison has doubled, with some prisons holding more than double their original capacity.
10. A plan was made to build a prison on land dedicated to a craftsmen city project in Edku, Beheira Governorate.
11. Sisi was asked about the Muslim Brotherhood and their imprisonment, despite being the largest opposition movement in Egypt.
12. Sisi claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood is an extremist group trying to impose its ideology on the people.
13. The host mentioned that Egyptians call Sisi a military dictator.
14. Sisi laughed and replied that he doesn't know who the traitors or enemies of the state are, implying that he would imprison them if he knew who they were.
15. Sisi was asked about the Rabaa massacre, but he avoided giving a straight answer.
16. Sisi compared the situation in Sinai to the US's situation in Afghanistan, saying that it's difficult to eliminate terrorists.
17. Sisi took a billion dollars in military aid from the US yearly, but hasn't eliminated the terrorists in Sinai.
18. Sisi admitted to having a close cooperation with Israel, including allowing Egyptian air forces to cross into Israeli airspace.
19. Sisi's supporters were happy with his response to a question about the US's failure to eliminate terrorists in Afghanistan.