Egypt military defends protester crackdown

Egyptian officers tend to one of their own.
He is one of the thousands injured in recent clashes between protesters and military forces - clashes the military defends as efforts to protect government buildings.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEPUTY HEAD OF THE CENTRAL MILITARY REGION, GENERAL SAEED ABBAS,
"The armed forces were dispatched following a request from the interior minister. It was approved by the head of the military supreme council to assist the security forces in protecting the ministry of interior, nothing else. They did not come to disperse protesters, or to remove them from Tahrir Square. They didn't leave the vicinity of the interior ministry."
Religious scholar Sheikh Gameel Allam said the military was also tasked with protecting a nearby university campus.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ISLAMIC SCHOLAR PROFESSOR GAMEEL ALLAM
"It appeared that there were groups on top of the American university, they are not from the revolution youth. One of these groups was looting the American university and another group was shooting at the state security forces. A third group was shooting at our youth."
But few here believe their message as the death toll mounts and footage showing police brutality continues to emerge.
The prtesters accuse the military of trying to hold onto power and prevent civilian oversight of their affairs.
Jessica Gray, Reuters