Egypt’s military leader has sacked the general responsible for media affairs to bolster an image tarnished by killings of protesters and accusations that the men in uniform are undermining Egypt’s democratic revolution. The change is the first in the military council since the generals took power from President Hosni Mubarak during a popular uprising last February. Although it defused a violent confrontation by ushering Mubarak out, the military has also tried to crush subsequent protests by force, killing dozens. It has only grudgingly agreed to hand over to a civilian president by June, and tried to protect its privileges and avoid civilian oversight. Maj. Gen. Ismail Etman, 60, was “exempted from service and replaced by Maj. Gen. Ahmed Abu El-Dahab, the director of the artillery division,” a Defence Ministry source said. The decision was announced later by state media.
Little is known about Etman’s successor, Abu El-Dahab, and it remains to be seen whether the change will alter the army’s public affairs policy. While no longer a member of the 20-member military council, Etman will however remain one of Tantawi’s many advisers, positions given to officers closely tied to the army leadership, the source at the Defence Ministry said.