Egypt's military warned Saturday of "disastrous consequences" if the crisis that sent tens of thousands of protesters back into the streets is not resolved, The Associated Press reported. The military said serious dialogue is the "best and only" way to overcome the nation's deepening conflict over a disputed draft constitution hastily adopted by Islamist allies of President Mohammed Morsi, and recent decrees granting himself near-absolute powers. "Anything other than that (dialogue) will force us into a dark tunnel with disastrous consequences; something which we won't allow," said the statement, which was read by an unnamed military official on state television. Egypt's once all-powerful military, which temporarily took over governing the country after the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak, has largely been sidelined since handing over power to Morsi. But it has begun asserting itself again, with soldiers sealing off the presidential palace with tanks and barbed wire, as rival protests and street battles between Morsi's supporters and his opponents turned increasingly violent.
