Egypt leader Mohammed Morsi vows to free Omar Abdel-Rahman, infamous blind sheik jailed in U.S.

Blind sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman sits and prays inside an iron cage at the opening of court session in Cairo Aug. 6, 1989. / AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 2:52 p.m. ET

(AP) CAIRO - In his first public speech addressing tens of thousands of mostly Islamist supporters, Egypt's president-elect Mohammed Morsi has vowed to free the blind sheik jailed in the U.S. for a plot to blow up New York City landmarks.

Morsi, Egypt's first Islamist and civilian president-elect, promised Friday to work to free Omar Abdel-Rahman, the spiritual leader of men convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

He also promised to free detained Egyptian protesters facing military tribunals.

The sheik is serving a life sentence for conspiracies to blow up New York City landmarks, including the United Nations, and assassinate then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

In September 2003, he was transferred from the federal Supermax prison in Colorado, where the country's most notorious inmates are held, to the U.S. Medical Center for Prisons in Springfield, Mo. Prisons officials said then that Abdel-Rahman has suffered from diabetes, which threatened the loss of his limbs.

Morsi vowed Friday that nobody can take away his authority and symbolically read an oath of office in Cairo's Tahrir Square on the eve of his official inauguration.

His strongly worded speech was a show of defiance as he gears up for a power struggle with the country's ruling generals who passed a constitutional declaration taking over major presidential powers in the days before election results were announced.

"Everybody is hearing me now. The government, the military and the police ... No power above this power," he said as the crowd roared.

Morsi promised to reject any efforts to take away the power of the people, telling his supporters, "you are the source of legitimacy and whoever is protected by anyone else will lose."

Morsi, the 60-year-old U.S. trained engineer who initially was put forward as a back-up candidate for the Muslim Brotherhood, addressed the crowd with a booming voice as he was flanked by several security guards.

At one point he opened his jacket to show the crowd he wasn't wearing a bulletproof vest, saying he "fears no one but God."

Many protesters had called for Morsi to hold his swearing-in ceremony in the square, the epicenter of mass protests that ousted Mubarak, but the military generals ordered the swearing-in to be held in front of a high court, in the absence of a parliament. The ceremony was scheduled to be held Saturday.

However, he read an informal oath during his speech to the delight of the crowd. Many chanted "We love you Morsi" and "Oh marshal tell the truth, Morsi is your president, or not," referring to the head of the ruling military panel Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.

The ruling generals have promised to transfer power to an elected president by Sunday. But they also have given themselves sweeping powers that undercut the authority of the president. The constitutional declaration — issued days before the winner of a runoff vote was announced — also designated the generals the country's legislature in place of the disbanded parliament.

The disbanding of parliament forced Morsi to take his oath in front of the Constitutional Court, which ruled against the parliament and whose judges were appointed by Mubarak.

[spacengin]

Well it certainly would be disgusting to let Morsi have Rahman. However, if Rahman's diabetes is severe, maybe his life will not last much longer. Morsi can pay for the treatments and the amputations as Rahman dies...hmmm...in that case it might not be such a bad alternative. Rahman is getting the punishment he deserves by his god.

[petoz2]

ya like how lockerbie bomber was released because he had cancer to libya but he is still alive and well. Why can't we execute him I don't give a rat's ass if he gets treatment for his diabetes let him rot in jail in our custody.

[HTirebiter]

CBS News with Scott Pelly is the only News that isn't too slanted for the Evening News and by far, their web reporting is pretty much the same. Unfortunately the comments section seems to attract the usual sort of unbalanced extremists that you can find on the web. However, to them would like to say this: Pleae do add more. For one, your voice added here at least means that you aren't out harming anyone in the streets when they don't agree with your opinions, so that is probably a good thing. As long you are a fruit-loops internet-tough-guy (or gal) (SM) - then you probably are getting all of that pent-up anger out of you here, and that's a good thing.

If you really believe that stuff that is spewing out of your typographically challenge synapses - well, at least we know how large the gap in your education and understanding of reality in the world truly is. Denying people the right to speech is not the American way. After all, you want to know what the other guy thinks and give him the freedom to express himself. If he doesn't express himself, you dwill never know what he is thinking.

For all those that want people to shut up and not express themselves, you need to stop and ask yourself one simple question: If you are in unfamiliar territory surrounded by people that are unfamiliar to you, would you rather they were expressive and speaking, or all silent? If you've never been in the two situations - you don't know the answer and are not qualifed to speak to the subject. If you have - you know the answer already.

Have a nice day.

[bobnjersey]

[Egypt's president-elect Mohammed Morsi has vowed to free the blind sheik jailed in the U.S. for a plot to blow up New York City landmarks.]
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candidates usually only make stupid promises like that before they get elected.

[TobyRolla]

I think we've just witnessed the one and only election Egypt will ever have. Just like their 'brother' parties in Gaza and Sudan, the islamists don't do elections and, unfourtunately for the rest of the world, they don't do peace with the non-believers either.

The cradle of civilisation is sliding back to the stone age.

[NB62]

You forgot one little thing.The army will never let that happen for they have all the guns and will not hesitate the least to stage a coup and take power.Morsi will be a dead man if he tries anything as stupid as impose an islamic state on Egypt

[aintfakin]

I would characterize the muslim world as one that selects lunatics for leaders but we have em right here in the good ol USA in the right wing. Same kind of jingoistic rabble rousing.
More trouble ahead in the middle east
better get a god bicycle and a hybrid

[jonnyooh]

I don't know if this is such a great idea. I think I would check with Allah before doing anything quite this drastic.

[notMormonOrABishop]

Hey Mursi: Concerning Abdel-Rahman, "F you!"; strong note to follow. Love, the United States of America

[JM68]

already making promises he cannot keep.

[melpol12]

Looters are now vandalizing the pyramids, each brick is worth 100 bucks, in a few months the only remains will be holes in the desert sand. The same is happening to tanks; they are being stolen and sold as homeless shelters. Banks are only open after dark, muggers are waiting. Minaret construction workers are wanted, the price of prayer rugs has doubled.