Post by peterd on Apr 30, 2013 11:05:56 GMT -8
In Egypt, Tension Between Mursi Regime And Military, And Calls To Restore Armed Forces To Power
Introduction
After months in which the Egyptian military kept a low profile and refrained from direct involvement in politics, its reentrance into political matters has recently become apparent, and some in the armed forces and the opposition are even raising the possibility that it could return to power in the country.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) ruled Egypt for 18 months, starting with the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in January 2011 and ending with President Muhammad Mursi's victory in the June 2012 election. During its rule, the SCAF was widely criticized publicly; mass protests were held and there were calls for its removal.<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--> In mid-August 2012, Mursi, to establish his status, removed the military's top echelon;<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--> this move was not strongly opposed, and even led to speculation that there was an alliance between the new leadership of the military and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). It seemed that the military had returned to its previous role – defending national security, and distanced from political affairs – and thus it regained the public's trust and regained its image as the people's military.
Recently, there have been many reports in the Egyptian and Arab media of tension between the Mursi regime and MB and the military leadership. It should be noted that despite the reports, neither side has officially confirmed that there is any tension. The reports indicate disagreement between the sides on various matters in the running of the country – such as the investigation of the August 2012 Rafah terror attack, dealing with Hamas and the smuggling in tunnels between Egypt and Gaza, relations with Iran, and the military's involvement in the suppression of protests throughout the country.
www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7157.htm
Introduction
After months in which the Egyptian military kept a low profile and refrained from direct involvement in politics, its reentrance into political matters has recently become apparent, and some in the armed forces and the opposition are even raising the possibility that it could return to power in the country.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) ruled Egypt for 18 months, starting with the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in January 2011 and ending with President Muhammad Mursi's victory in the June 2012 election. During its rule, the SCAF was widely criticized publicly; mass protests were held and there were calls for its removal.<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[1]<!--[endif]--> In mid-August 2012, Mursi, to establish his status, removed the military's top echelon;<!--[if !supportFootnotes]-->[2]<!--[endif]--> this move was not strongly opposed, and even led to speculation that there was an alliance between the new leadership of the military and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). It seemed that the military had returned to its previous role – defending national security, and distanced from political affairs – and thus it regained the public's trust and regained its image as the people's military.
Recently, there have been many reports in the Egyptian and Arab media of tension between the Mursi regime and MB and the military leadership. It should be noted that despite the reports, neither side has officially confirmed that there is any tension. The reports indicate disagreement between the sides on various matters in the running of the country – such as the investigation of the August 2012 Rafah terror attack, dealing with Hamas and the smuggling in tunnels between Egypt and Gaza, relations with Iran, and the military's involvement in the suppression of protests throughout the country.
www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7157.htm