(Jerusalem Post) Zvi Mazel - While the world persists in looking for signs of pragmatism in the Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi is quietly taking over all the power bases in the country. Having gotten rid of the army old guard, he replaced them with his own men - officers belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood or known sympathizers. Then he replaced 50 editors working for the government's extensive press empire - including Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar, and Al-Gomhuria. Morsi is now busy appointing new governors to the 27 regions of the country. At the same time upper echelons in government ministries and economic and cultural organizations are methodically being replaced. Brothers and Salafis make up an absolute majority in the Constituent Assembly, which is putting the final touch to a constitution where all laws have to conform to Sharia [religious law] and special committees will supervise the media and forbid any criticism of Islam and of the Prophet. For many observers, the deployment of army units in Sinai is more about proclaiming Egyptian sovereignty in the face of Israel than actually fighting Islamic terrorism. The writer is a former ambassador to Egypt.
2012-08-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive