generalspeaking

The Anointed

"He is simply adored here. I don't think there's another leader except Nasser who has so much support here. There are even chocolates wrapped with pictures of Sisi and his picture is shown everywhere."
"The majority of Egyptians have never supported an ideology -- they've supported competence. Now we have gas, we have electricity, crime is down. That is what Egyptians want."
"People lost their lives in the fight to get rid of Mubarak. I don't think you can go backwards to authoritarianism. I think we are moving in the right direction. Stability must come first and then democracy."
Maye Kassem, professor of political science, Cairo

"What's in charge of Egypt is the army, the interior ministry, intelligence services, judiciary, media and bureaucracy. There's no one except (General Sisi) who can control all these different institutions."
Ziad Aki, senior researcher, Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, Cairo

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has given their seal of approval to a potential presidential candidature on the part of Army chief Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, the de facto head of Egypt, currently assisting the interim government. Just incidentally interim President Adly Mansour has announced a promotion for General Sisi. From general to field marshall, the top rank in the military as a final honour, ushering him formally out of Egypt's military.

For it is only civilians who should present as presidential material in a new election to form a final government. And Field Marshall Sisi will make an excellent civilian, proud of his Egyptian heritage and sufficiently sacrificial of his civilian status to take on the presidency of this largest of all Arab countries. No ordinary civilian is he since he graduated from an Egyptian military academy with a diploma in military sciences; and where else to practise what he learned than in the military?

He studied at Britain's joint Services Command Staff College then earned a master's degree at the U.S. army War College in 2006. Appointed head of military intelligence in Egypt in February 2011, he was one of the youngest members of the military elite. And named head of the military by Egypt's first civilian president, democratically elected Mohammed Morsi.

Although as a result it was rumoured that he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, he is not. Peculiarly while ex-President Morsi's wife wore a hijab, Field Marshall Al-Sisi's wife wears a niqab in public, her face concealed, even while her husband's is embroidered on cupcakes and chocolate treats, beloved by the Egyptian masses as their very own saviour from oppressive Islamism.

A fierce crackdown on the Brotherhood has seen it finally branded as a terrorist organization. It has been accused of orchestrating violence, though they deny the charge. Undeniably they are guilty as accused, and will be found so in the courts of law they will be brought before. Their former trusted military chief will be presiding over the affairs of the country.

And if the recent past events are any hint, he will be performing admirably.

Labels: Conflict, Democracy, Egypt, Islamism, Muslim Brotherhood, Violence

posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, January 29, 2014