Jerusalem, Israel --- July 16, 2012 ... Egypt's military chief declared on Sunday that the army will not allow "one group" to dominate the country, intensifying a stand off with the extremist Muslim Brotherhood from which the new president represents.

"Egypt will not fall. It is for all Egyptians and not just one group. The armed forces will not allow it," Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi said in statements carried by the official MENA news agency, in apparent reference to the Islamic Brotherhood. The Egypt military supports democracy over

Tantawi, Egypt's interim ruler after President Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power by extreme Muslims - made the comments hours after talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during which she urged the military to support a transition to civilian rule.

Egypt is in the midst of a complex power struggle that is being played out between the newly-elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) headed by Tantawi.

Last week, Morsi ordered the Egyptian parliament to convene, defying a military decision to disband the house after the country's top court ruled it invalid.

Morsi's decree was applauded by supporters who believed the court's decision to disband parliament was political, but it set off a storm of criticism from opponents who accused him of overstepping his authority.

The origins of the battle for parliament lay in the constitutional declaration issued by the SCAF before the president was sworn in.
The declaration, which acts as a temporary constitution, granted the armed forces sweeping powers, including legislative control, and rendered the presidential post little more than symbolic.

Morsi's decision was seen as an opening shot in a power struggle between Egypt's first civilian leader and the Mubarak-appointed generals who wanted to retain broad powers even after they transferred control on June 30.

But on Wednesday, Morsi said he would respect a court ruling overturning his decree, in an apparent bid to mollify an infuriated judiciary and the powerful military.

During her visit, Clinton called for the military to help smooth the country's full transition to democracy.
Clinton has repeatedly called on the military to respect the outcome of the elections and told a news conference her talks with Tantawi would focus on "working to support the military's return to a purely national security role."

Many in Israel are shaking their heads as they see the Sinai turning into a hotbed for terror attacks against Israel.

"The last thing Israel needs is a new, hostile Islamic front on our southern border," an Israeli security analyst stated.
"Is it not enough that we have Iran backed Hezbollah and Syria sitting on our northern borders and Islamic Jihad and Hamas sitting in Gaza armed with thousands of missiles?"

Millions in Egypt yearn for security and economic stability and the military's elevated position in the eyes of many have allowed the SCAF to maintain significant power during the transition period. The military in Egypt supports their Muslim brothers, but rejects any attempt to replace the many freedoms and prosperity in Egypt with religious law.

The Muslim Brotherhood is pushing for Sharia Law in Egypt and has recently advocated the destruction of Egypt's cultural and historical landmarks - the ancient Pyramids.

News on Israel coming your way online since 1995.

ISRAEL NEWS AGENCY

Sponsored By: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
JewishPr.co
OnlineReputationPr.com
IntegratedMarketingProfessional.com
ReputationManagementPr.com
NewYorkDigitalPr.com
IsraelSEOPR.com
JoelLeyden.com

Hosted by

Disclaimer: Articles and opinions in the Israel News Agency reflect the thoughts of individual writers
and do not necessarily reflect those of the views of other staff writers and the publisher of the Israel News Agency.

IsraelSEOPr.com™ NewYorkSEOPr.com JewishPr LondonSEOPr™ IsraelPr.com™ Leyden Communications Group™
All Rights Reserved. Non-Profit Site Copyright 1995, 2012