Egypt army denies political role

The Egyptian army's official spokesman has described accusations that the military is playing a political role in Egypt as "delusional." Colonel Ahmed Mohamed Ali used social media website Facebook to respond to supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi who have argued that the army is running the country. "These delusional claims come from a small number of people who don't understand that state is being run by ?institutions who seek to guide authorities, to follow a ?roadmap that meets the expectations and aspirations of the Egyptian people," Ali wrote. "The army is merely performing its executive duties as one of the state's key ?institutions," he added. The armed forces spokesman called on Egyptians to demonstrate peacefully and not engage in violent activities. "The army is not threatening anyone, but seeks to raise the awareness of citizens about the dangers of approaching military ?buildings," he concluded.