video transcript

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Egyptian military helicopters trailing national flags circled over Cairo on Monday after the armed forces gave politicians 48 hours to resolve a crisis over calls for the resignation of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. Anti-Mursi protesters rallying in the central Tahrir Square, focus of the 2011 uprising that overthrew autocratic President Hosni Mubarak, cheered as the choppers flew overhead. Silhouetted against the sunset, it was a powerful illustration of the military's desire to be seen in tune with the people. The army said it would oversee the implementation of the roadmap it sought "with the participation of all factions and national parties, including young people", but it would not get directly involved in politics or government. Anti-Mursi demonstrators outside the presidential palace cheered the army statement, and the main opposition National Salvation Front, which has demanded a national unity government for months, applauded the military's move. The army is held in high regard, especially after it helped topple Mubarak.