Egypt's military warns of plots on eve of strike

CAIRO — Egypt's military rulers warned Friday that the country faces conspiracies that seek to topple the state and spread chaos, in a message intended to undermine activists who plan to mark the anniversary of President Hosni Mubarak's overthrow with anti-army protests.

The statement from the council of generals who took power when Mubarak stepped down on Feb. 11, 2011, came on the eve of a planned general strike aimed at pressuring the military to give up power.

Protest groups have criticized the military's handling of Egypt's transition to democracy, accusing the army of trying to protect its power and committing human rights violations that rival those of Mubarak's regime. Thousands rallied outside the defense ministry Friday to call for the immediate transition of power to a civilian authority.

In a statement read on state TV Friday, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said it would not bow to pressures to accelerate the transition. The generals said they remained bound by the plan to pass executive power to an elected president before June 30.

Exit blocked: Cairo airport officials banned a British woman from leaving the country on Friday because she is being targeted in a criminal investigation into foreign-funded organizations. The woman joins a list of at least 10 foreigners, including six Americans, barred from traveling as part of the inquiry.