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Morsi Says Top Military Dismissals are in Egypt’s Interests

RIA Novosti

05:13 13/08/2012

CAIRO, August 13 (RIA Novosti) - Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said on Monday that the dismissal of the country's powerful defense minister and a top military general was done in the interests of his country.

On Sunday Morsi signed decrees on the retirement of Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, the defense minister who headed the military council that ruled Egypt for 17 months after the 2011 ouster of longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak, and the military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Sami Anan.

“The decrees that I signed on Sunday on the dismissal of Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi and Military Chief of Staff Sami Anan were passed in the interests of Egypt,” Morsi said.

He also said that the reshuffle in the top brass “was not aimed at somebody personally and was not intended to intimidate or weaken any state structure.”

After Morsi signed decrees on the dismissal of Tantawi and Anan, he immediately appointed them as presidential advisors.

Also on Sunday, Morsi cancelled a constitutional declaration aiming to limit presidential powers which the ruling army council issued in June.

The new Egyptian government led by Prime Minister Hesham Qandil was sworn in before President Morsi on August 2.