Mohamed Morsi. Photo: Jonathan Rashad.

Former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi displayed arrogance and complete loss of touch with the Egyptian people in his final meeting with General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who led his ouster according to journalist and Algemeiner Blogger Raymond Ibrahim, who deftly translated a “fly-on-the-wall” report from a journalist at the scene.

The reporter, from El Watan, a popular Egyptian newspaper, said he witnessed and transcribed the conversation verbatim from a closed-circuit television in an adjacent room to the Morsi-Sisi tete-a-tete, which took place on July 2, a few hours prior to Morsi’s final public speech before the coup that removed him from office.

Raymond Ibrahim’s translation, below, is based entirely on the El Watan report.

Morsi: What’s the military’s position concerning what’s going on? Is it just going to stand by watching? Shouldn’t it protect the legitimacy?

Sisi: What legitimacy? The entire army is with the will of the people, and the overwhelming majority of people, according to documented reports, don’t want you.

Morsi: My supporters are many and they won’t be silent.

Sisi: The army will not allow anyone to destroy the nation, no matter what happens.

Morsi: What if I don’t want to leave?

Sisi: The matter is settled and no longer up to you. Try to leave with your dignity and tell those whom you call supporters to go back to their homes in order to prevent bloodshed, instead of threatening the people through them.

Morsi: But this way it will be a military coup, and America won’t leave you alone.

Sisi: The people concern us, not America. And since you’ve started to talk this way, I’ll talk to you candidly. We have evidence to condemn you and to condemn many governmental officials of compromising Egypt’s national security. The judiciary will have its say and you will all be judged before the whole people.

Morsi: Okay, can you permit me to make a few phone calls and then afterwards I’ll decide on what to do?

Sisi: You are not permitted; but we can let you check up on your family only.

Morsi: Am I imprisoned or what?

Sisi: You are under arrest from this moment.

Morsi: Don’t think the Brotherhood is going to stand by if I leave office. They will set the world on fire.

Sisi: Just let them try something and you’ll see the reaction of the army. Whoever among them wants to live in peace, he’s more than welcome; otherwise, [if they try anything] we will not leave them alone. We will not single anyone out, and the Brotherhood is from the Egyptian people, so don’t try to use them as fuel for your disgusting war. If you truly love them, leave office and let them go to their homes.

Morsi: Anyway, I’m not going, and the people outside of Egypt are all with me, and my supporters are not going.

Sisi: Anyway, I’ve advised you.

Morsi: Okay, but take care—I’m the one who hired you as minister and can remove you.

Sisi: I became minister of defense due to the military’s will and not yours—and you know this very well. Moreover, you can’t remove me; that’s it—you no longer have any legitimacy.

Morsi: Okay, if I agree to be removed, will you allow me to travel abroad and promise not to imprison me?

Sisi: I can’t offer you any promises. It’s the justice [department] that will pass its verdict.

Morsi: Okay, if that’s the case, I’ll make it war, and we’ll see who will prevail in the end.

Sisi: Naturally the people will win.