Deposed president Mohamed Mursi took several measures that were not in Egypt’s best interests, Staff Major General Osama Askar said.

Mursi’s biggest fault is the decision to sever ties with Syria during one of his conferences without referring to the National Defense Council and the legislative council, Askar said.

Severing ties with any state means erasing all channels through which communication can be established with the other party, Askar, the Third Field Army’s leader, said during a meeting with representatives of Suez Bedouins.

Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Mursi more than once before the June 30 protests, he said.

He urged Mursi to take steps to achieve national reconciliation and to reduce the political polarization in the street before the demonstrations, Askar explained.

Sisi informed Mursi of the contents of the armed forces statement that gave a 48-hour ultimatum to all parties involved, he added.