Egypt's president ready to join fight against militants
Up for re-election in less than two weeks, Egypt's president on Thursday took center stage at a televised ceremony commemorating the country's martyrs by marking the "day of the martyr," declaring his readiness to personally join the battle against militants and decorating soldiers and families of fallen ones.
"I swear by God that I am ready to don combat fatigues and fight side by side" with the security forces, said Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, a general-turned-president. "We either live together, or die together," he added.
El-Sissi has yet to do any traditional campaigning for the March 27-28 election, such as addressing rallies or doing TV ads. With his win all but certain, he has apparently opted instead for televised appearances—Thursday's ceremony lasted about five hours—in which he presides over official functions during which he addresses the nation.
