Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Space Industry and Business News .




DEMOCRACY
Egypt's military and its political might
by Staff Writers
Cairo (AFP) Dec 8, 2012


Egypt's army, which called on Saturday for dialogue between foes and allies of President Mohamed Morsi to avoid a "disastrous" turn in the current political crisis, has been a powerful force for 60 years.

Islamist Morsi is the first president not to come from the military. His predecessors -- Hosni Mubarak, Anwar Sadat, Gamal Abdel Nasser and Mohammed Nagib -- held the reins of power since the monarchy was overthrown in 1952.

The army was thrust directly into power after Mubarak's ouster in February 2011 until Morsi's election in June this year under the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, headed by commander of the armed forces and defence minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.

The SCAF dissolved the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated parliament soon after it was elected, on a judiciary ruling over its legitimacy, and took over legislative power.

But Morsi gained the upper hand in August, retiring Tantawi. He took over legislative powers himself and placed at the head of the military Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a devout Muslim some observers consider an Islamist.

Morsi kept Tantawi on as an adviser.

In August, the army launched an unprecedented in the Sinai Peninsula after militants carried out a deadly attack on soldiers but has taken a back seat since then.

Egypt's new draft constitution, adopted by an Islamist-dominated panel, guarantees the armed forces more clearly defined and arguably greater powers than did the the old charter under Mubarak.

One of its articles now reserves posts in the national defence council for military chiefs as well as cabinet members, and stipulates that civilians can be tried by military court if indicted for crimes directed at the army.

It also says the defence minister must come from the military, and that a council presided over by the president but consisting mostly of generals will discuss parliamentary bills relating to the armed forces as well as their budget.

How loyal the army is likely to remain to Morsi is unclear, even though Tantawi's sidelining appeared to occur without causing tension or bad blood.

During the uprising that unseated Mubarak, the army refused to fire at protesters, effectively defying the president.

The military possesses vast economic power, directly or through retired generals, with hands in assets that range from mineral water to the cement industry and real estate.

Egypt receives $1.3 billion (1 billion euros) a year in military aid from the United States, most of it in hardware.

The army boasts around 470,000 active servicemen and can call on another 480,000 reservists, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Military service is compulsory for all males.

.


Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








DEMOCRACY
Myanmar apologises to monks over mine protest injuries
Yangon (AFP) Dec 8, 2012
Myanmar's government has apologised to senior Buddhist clerics over injuries sustained by monks in a police crackdown on a rally at a Chinese-backed copper mine, state media said Saturday. Religious Affairs Minister Myint Maung said the incident at the mine in Monywa, northern Myanmar, in which at least 99 monks and 11 others suffered wounds including severe burns, was a "great grief" to the ... read more


DEMOCRACY
Elbit Systems to Provide Space Camera for the Italian OPTSAT 3000 Observation Satellite

Speeding Space Junk Poses Risks for Spacecraft

Samsung, Apple top 'smart device' Q3 sales: survey

Smartphones might soon develop emotional intelligence

DEMOCRACY
US Air Force selects Raytheon to develop future Protected SATCOM System

General Dynamics Awarded Contract Under New U.S. Army Rapid-Acquisition Communications Program

Astrium to provide military X-band satcoms to six UK Royal Navy vessels

Lockheed Martin to Demonstrate Key Component of Tactical MilSat Communications System

DEMOCRACY
SPACEX Awarded Two EELV Class Missions From The USAF

Russia Set to Launch Telecoms Satellite for Gazprom

Sea Launch Delivers the EUTELSAT 70B Spacecraft into Orbit

S. Korea readies new bid to join global space club

DEMOCRACY
Third Boeing GPS IIF Begins Operation After Early Handover to USAF

Putin Urges CIS Countries to Join Glonass

Third Galileo satellite begins transmitting navigation signal

Retired GIOVE-A satellite helps SSTL demonstrate first High Altitude GPS navigation fix

DEMOCRACY
US agency chief seeks to ease airplane electronics ban

Japan pedal power aims for human flight record

Swiss to get Swedish jets cheaper than Swedes: report

Canada reconsidering F-35 fighter purchase: reports

DEMOCRACY
New '4-D' transistor is preview of future computers

Ames Laboratory scientists develop indium-free organic light-emitting diodes

Research discovery could revolutionise semiconductor manufacture

Engineers pave the way towards 3D printing of personal electronics

DEMOCRACY
Seeing stars, finding nukes: Radio telescopes can spot clandestine nuclear tests

URI oceanography student uses crashing waves on shorelines to study Earth's interior

Raytheon technology instrumental in creating "Black Marble" image

New test adds to scientists' understanding of Earth's history, resources

DEMOCRACY
Toxic cloud in Buenos Aires under control

Peru industrial pollution feeds conflict

China aims to reduce air pollution

Declining air pollution levels continue to improve life expectancy in US




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement