Islamist Victory in Egypt: Morsi Fires Military Chiefs

Egypt’s new Islamist president has sacked all the country’s top military leaders and taken additional powers away from the military.

In a move by the Muslim Brotherhood to consolidate power, President Mohammed Morsi on Sunday forced the retirement of the influential defense minister, the army chief of staff, and the commanders of the navy, air defense and air force.

Morsi also nullified the constitutional declaration made by the military shortly before he took power that gave it additional powers and severely limited presidential authority. He replaced it with a declaration of his own giving himself wide-ranging legislative and executive powers and a leading role in drafting the new constitution.

Egyptians rallied in Cairo Sunday evening in support of Morsi’s actions.

The sweeping leadership changes in the military came after Morsi fired the head of General Intelligence last week following an attack in northern Sinai that killed 16 policemen.

The ousted defense minister, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, in particular was a crucial ally of former President Hosni Mubarak. As head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (scaf), he was interim leader of Egypt between Mubarak’s fall and the election of Morsi. “More than any other military leader, Field Marshal Tantawi was seen as the symbol, if not the architect, of the military’s bid for increasing power after the 2011 uprising,” writes the New York Times.

Morsi appointed his own defense minister and army chief of staff, along with a vice president.

“The maneuvers by Mr. Morsi, a former leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, cemented a major shift in power that began with his election in the face of intense opposition from the military,” the Times writes.

The Times reports there was no sign of any initial backlash from the military. This raises the possibility that that military is either in collusion with Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood on some level, letting them have their way—or else simply too weak to protest.

“Islamist takeover complete,” headlines Arutz Sheva, writing, “The Muslim Brotherhood’s Morsi appears to be wasting no time in consolidating his hold over power at the expense of the military, which many hoped would be a moderating power over him.”

While moves were being made to curtail the powers of the Islamist president, theTrumpet.com pointed out that they would be to no avail. Based on Bible prophecy, we wrote, Islamists would take over Egypt. Egypt’s military council is “losing its grip on power!” columnist Stephen Flurry wrote. “[T]he Brotherhood will win in the end.” For more, read “Egypt in Chaos.”