Comey refuses to criticize the broad collection of phone records of americans and defends the indefinite detention of americans deemed to be enemy combatants. He also explains why he signed off on a memo authorizing waterboarding loss serving under james ashcroft. We will speak to a former fbi agent. And then Bradley Manning on trial. The former chief prosecutor, morris davis, testifies for the defense. Colonel davis joins us today. First, a political crisis escalates in egypt. We go to cairo for a report from sharif Abdel Kouddous. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Spain has a knowledge their request from the u. S. Prompting the blockade of a plane carrying bolivian president and evo morales. The plane was grounded in austria for 14 hours after spain, france, portugal, and italy closed their airspace over false rumors that Edward Snowden was aboard. The Spanish Foreign minister confirmed for the first time the rumor came from the u. S. Government. He went on to say he is willing to apologize to bolivia. There seems to be a misunderstanding, and if there is, i do not have any problem apologizing to president or less. Morales if president believes there has been a misunderstanding. In the air space nor landing were closed. Tuesday, able morales criticized European Countries for conceding to u. S. Demands. The invaders, the colonists, now they are the colonies and are invaded and are the want to submit to the United States. I do not understand what is happening in europe. I believe, along with the social movements in europe, we will defend the sovereignty of the people who are also our peers. On tuesday, a russian lawmaker fueled rumors of snowdens first step by saying that he accepted venezuelas asylum offer. After deletedsoon from his twitter feed. In an interview shortly after conducting an online chat with snowden, a journalist Glenn Greenwald said that pennzoil is a snowdens best bet. There is news that he has accepted qassam offer from venezuela. Whether those news reports are accurate or not, i do not want to comment on. Myself,ly, speaking for of the three options, that once seemed like the most plausible. Figuring out how to get to the country that has offered him asylum without the road lawless empire and that has present proven itself to engage in rote behavior to prevent him from getting there, that is the challenge. Glenn greenwald was speaking from brazil, where he is working on his latest book. He says surveillance has gone into the resources of foreign countries. Brazil has set up a task force to investigate the allegations. The standoff between egypt posset interim government and the Muslim BrotherhoodParty Continues to widen. Egypt bought top prosecutor has ordered muhammed body and other officials on charges for inciting violence. The Muslim Brotherhood is accused of sparking the violence that ended in the armys shootings of at least 51 supporters of Mohamed Morsi. The charges come one day after the Muslim Brotherhood rejected a role in egypts interim cabinet. On tuesday, the egyptian interim president named Hazem El Beblawi as interim Prime Minister, and mohammed al barred by. Russia is backing Syrian Government claims that an alleged chemical attack earlier this year came from rebels fighting syrian president bashar alassad. The Russian Ambassador cited the findings of the team of russian experts on the ground. The analysis of clearly indicate the order in its use was not industrially itctured and was built proves it was not industrially manufactured. An absence of chemical stabilizers indicates that there was reason production. The project out involved is not a standard 14 chemical use. Therefore, there is every reason to believe it was the armed opposition fighters who used the chemical weapons. The russian team was allowed in after this hearing government blocked a un investigation. Projects se rejects russias claims. Confirmation hearings have begun for james comey, the former Bush Administration official tapped by president obama to head the fbi. On tuesday, he told an fbi Judiciary Committee that he now sees waterboarding as a form of torture, a shift from 2005 when he signed off on a memo justifying its use. He also gave his backing to president obamas to round program, saying it is under sufficient oversight. He is well known for reauthorizing the president spy program while forcing the Bush Administration to make changes. We will have more on his confirmation hearings later in the broadcast. A group of samesex couples have filed suit challenging pennsylvania samesex marriage ban, the first case over seat seeking to overturn a gay marriage ban since last months right. N to defend that in julia lubork spoke from the pennsylvania capitol in harrisburg. There is public sentiment here that is rolling ever forward toward freedom to marry. It is a tragedy that talented, loving, productive citizens have to leave the state because their marriage is not recognized. The aclu plans to file similar cases in virginia and north carolina. The texas house has given provisional approval to the bill that would shut down nearly all the states abortion clinics and ban abortion at 20 weeks post fertilization. Republicans are seeking to push the measure through after last months filibuster by texas state senator wendy davis. The texas house will hold a final vote today before sending the bill to the senate. A federal investigation of the Miami Police Department has uncovered a pattern of Excessive Force and delays in the investigation of police shootings. The probe was launched in 2011 after a spate of killings by miami officers of Young African american men, seven killed in the course of eight months. In recent years, miami has seen a Fatal Shooting for every two of the 20 Police Officers, compared to one for every 4300 Police Officers in new york city. Officers fired at people intentionally 33 times from 2008 to 2011. In a statement, and the aclu of florida said the findings should lead to prosecutions, saying supporters of the jailed civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart rallied outside a federal court in manhattan tuesday to oppose the denial of her compassionate release. A 73yearold grandmother fighting stage a cancer that has metastasized, spreading to her shoulders and lungs. She is serving a 10year sentence in fort worth, texas. She was found guilty of distributing press releases on behalf of her jailed client, also known as the blind shake. The federal bureau of prisons rejected her transfer to a hospital last month despite the recommendations of her prison warden. Her husband said her condition is getting worse by the day. Getting sicker by the day. When i saw her, when everett i would not get to see her because she was in quarantine. That mean youre white blood cell count is so low, it is dangerous for her to be in populations. They did not stop her from visiting me, but she is still not in population. They said she is self sufficient. She does not do anything for herself. She does not eat, clean, maker of bed. They say she is selfsufficient, but she does nothing. To see more of a discussion on her case, you can go to our website, democracynow. Org. Those are some of the headlines. Democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Ahmed assem el senousy im amy goodman. Im nermeen shaikh. Egypt remains in crisis after afterd morsi left office days of protest. On tuesday, hazem elbeblawi was named as interim Prime Minister and also named nobel peace laureate mohamed of their day a. Several key groups have voiced concerns over the militarys plans, including egypts coptic church, salafis, and a youthled tamarod movement. This lays the foundation for a new dictatorship. The Muslim Brotherhood continues to oppose all moves to form a new government. This is a prominent cleric and Muslim Brotherhood supporter. The jets legitimate president is Mohamed Morsi. He alone has the right to appoint a Prime Minister or agree to others being appointed. With regard to the military and the person theyre calling the interim president , they are all thieves. It is not right to appoint ministers or Prime Ministers and we reject these appointments altogether. Meanwhile, the Prosecution Office has ordered the arrest of the leader of the motte Muslim Brotherhood movement. The arrest warrant is seen as part of a broader crackdown on members of the brotherhood. Hundreds of members and other Islamic Groups have been detained, along with the former president s top advisers. Egyptian armed forces shot dead more than 50 supporters of Mohamed Morsi during a protest where the deposed leader is believed to be held. Meanwhile, saudi arabia and the United Arab Emirates have offered 8 billion in aid to the interim government to shore up the economy and counter qatars support of the Muslim Brotherhood. Sharif Abdel Kouddous is with us. Welcome back. You had just come from the site of the massacre. Now, egypts top prosecutor has ordered the arrest of the Muslim Brotherhood leader mohamad body. Could you talk about the significance of this . Muhammed badie. Supreme gaya of the Muslim Brotherhood will be charged with incitement of violence outside of the Republican Guard headquarters. As you mentioned, more than 50 supporters of Mohamed Morsi, the ousted president , were killed early monday morning. Mostly by live ammunition. This of one of the bloodiest days since mubaraks overthrow. This is a troubling trend of an increasing crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, still the largest Political Group in egypt. We have seen their members detained, now their figureheads ordered arrested. We have seen their Media Channels be shut down. State media and private media have completely adopted the militarys line, repeated their claims that the military came under attack first five armed assailants, are they showing any video or footage of the attack that left many dozens dead or wounded. They have called the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist and so forth. This has only increased polarization and division in the country. It will be very difficult, going forward, when we have this kind of crackdown by the army and state Security Forces, which has ridden the wave of popular anger against Mohamed Morsi, and is looking to reassert themselves into positions of authority. It could be very difficult, going forward, to have the biggest Political Group in the country not taking part and feeling like it has been oppressed, as it has under successive autocrats in the past decades. What do you think accounts for the disproportionate crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood . What has been in the relationship between the Security Forces and Muslim Brotherhood . The Muslim Brotherhood have long suffered repression under successive autocratic regimes. A coup against the monarchy in 1954. Many of their leaders have been jailed, many have been killed. Revolution, they sought to coopt parts of the state after coming into power through the ballot box, so they struck a deal with the army, granting everything it wanted in the constitution. Mohamed morsi thanked the police or their work, despite mass police kit killings and torture. Instead of addressing grievances of people, he is hoping to call up parts of the state but ultimately failed. Once a Popular Mobilization got going, in large part because of the steadily declining economy, as well as political isolation and no way for people to air their grievances, the army sought to step in, push the brotherhood out, and reassert itself into the state. Could you talk about a billion dollars promised by saudi arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to try to prevent the collapse of the egyptian economy, but also seen as a beener to qatar, who has supporting the Muslim Brotherhood government. This is very significant. A billion dollars when the economy is on the brink of collapse. This certainly supports the shaky militaryled transition and comes in the wake of repeated cash injections from qatar, who have supported the brotherhood through this kind of aid, and have helped to prop up the egyptian economy in an artificial way when it was collapsing from and lack of foreign reserves. Saudi arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which vary want very much wants to seek the return of an armyled return of the former regime, which they i think they are threatened by that, and his starkly have historically and at odds with qatar foreign policy. This is a significant cash injection. A billion dollars matches the total that qatar has given over many months, so it is clear support for this military coup and the armyled transition. Could you outline some of the more complicated aspects of the constitutional declaration and with the main opposition to the plan has been from all groups involved . This declaration establishing of the law of the land. It sets forth a speedy transition to civilian government. It is about 33 articles. It will essentially go in the order of amending the 2012 constitution within four months by a committee of legal scholars, all by parliamentary elections, and then president ial elections. Many say this is repeating a lot of the mistakes from the first armyled transition, that it was drawn up by an Anonymous Committee without any input from the main opposition groups calling for morsis ouster, including the National Salvation front, tamarod, who have voiced criticism for not being consulted in the process. It is a bare bones document that outlines the bare necessities, but given that it makes clear, shields the military from civilian oversight, that is clearly prioritizes the military. It promises inclusive this would give no procedural guidelines for how to do that. And the timetable is very fast. It looks like it is repeating a lot of the errors of the first transition which led to this political crisis here and we have seen the National Salvation front and others come out and be quite critical, which is a step forward. At least they are voicing concern that they are not being consulted, but we will have to see how much weight their voice carries with the military. The u. S. Is not quite willing to call what happened in egypt a coup, which would jeopardize the 1. 5 billion the u. S. Government gives to egypt. Could you talk about the significance of that and what people are saying in egypt . Protests,e largest larger than the antibork once, a youth group, tamarod, what they are saying . This is a very divisive question in egypt. Do you call it a coup or an uprising, overthrow of morsi . It is part of the growing polarization between different camps in egypt. I would say technically it is a coup. It was the army that ousted morsi. We saw the head of the Armed Forces Get on tv. The interim president and his constitutional declaration stated that his power comes from the statement. That is a clear sign that it was a military coup. Whatg said that, facilitated the military to come in was a mass popular uprising, one that even eclipsed the protest that we sought against hosni mubarak. It was a combination of different forces coming together, ordinary egyptians whose lives have become harder given the deterioration of the economy, Political Groups that felt rejected and not consulted on any policy by morsi or the Muslim Brotherhood, and we saw the brotherhood use its electoral mandate to push through all of its policies without really consulting civil iciety, and also, as mentioned, looking to call up elements of the state, like the army and police, not looking to perform them whatsoever. We have elements of the former regime as well coming together june 30 for a massive protest. That allows the military to reassert itself into politics in a real way. It is difficult right now because the military is possibly the most Destructive Force to egyptian politics, the most brutal force, the most economic interests to defend, and we are seeing them successfully reasserted themselves, use this wave of popular anger against morsi to try to clamp down on any kind of dissent that is being targeted at Islamic Group right now. W