Friday, June 29, 2012

Egypt's defence minister hangs defiantly on to power


Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, 76, who called time on Hosni Mubarak, will adopt president's title of supreme commander

guardian.co.uk, Thursday 28 June 2012

"Egypt's armed forces chief will keep his post as defence minister in a new cabinet to be formed by president-elect Mohamed Morsi, a member of the military council has said. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, 76, who served as defence minister for two decades under Hosni Mubarak, will keep his post after Egypt's first Islamist president takes over, Major-General Mohamed Assar said in a rare appearance on a talk show on privately-owned CBC television on Wednesday night.

"The [new] government will have a defence minister who is head of the supreme council of the armed forces," he said. Asked if this meant Tantawi would keep his defence portfolio, Assar said: "Exactly. What is wrong with that? He is the head of the supreme council of the armed forces, the defence minister and the commander of the armed forces."....."

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