The confrontation between military brass and Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt came much sooner than expected. Mohammed Mursi has effectively sacked the head of the armed forces, Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi, and Chief of Staff Sami Annan, in the hope of asserting his authority.
Relations between the army and president have been strained for months because the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces enacted a number of measures to preserve their influence over Egyptian politics. Tantawi ensured, for example, that the SCAF had control over the drafting of Egypt’s new constitution and also appointed himself as Minister of Defence. This was widely seen as a pre-emptive move to guard against an Islamist takeover.
Mursi has outmanoeuvred the army on all this. In addition to yesterday’s dismissals, he also repealed some constitutional amendments enacted by the SCAF in June. These amendments limited Mursi’s control over the armed forces, including the decision of whether to go to war.
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