Saudi activist says money given to Egyptian general to oust Morsi

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, July 30 (UPI) -- The Saudi government gave Egyptian military chief Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi $1 billion to oust Mohamed Morsi from power, a Saudi activist says.

Saudi political activist Mujtahid bin Hareth bin Hammaam, known for his Twitter campaign against the Saudi government, said el-Sisi received the money July 3, the Tehran-based news network Alalam reported Tuesday. The Saudi government had hoped the money would help el-Sisi ensure a calm transition of power, the network said.

The Saudi government is concerned el-Sisi will be unable to restore order amid ongoing violence and demands by Morsi's followers he be reinstated, the network said.

"King Abdullah knows well that failure of the coup in Egypt will be a disaster for al-Saud because any new government will be stronger and will adopt anti-Saudi Arabia policies," Mujtahid tweeted. "That is why King Abdullah is one of the supporters of unlimited use of force in cracking down protesters. ... King Abdullah not only supported the coup and tried to convince others to accept new changes, he also helped el-Sisi," he said.

The Saudi king is using his political and financial powers to convince the West to refrain from adopting a strong stance toward the crisis in Egypt, Mujtahid charged. The Saudi government has yet to respond to the allegations.

Wikipedia describes Mujtahid as known for tweeting controversial information about the Saudi royal family. He has been nicknamed the Julian Assange of Saudi Arabia.