Mohamed Morsi backs Egyptian military after malpractice allegations
Egypt's president, Mohamed Morsi, has promoted several generals in a show of untrammelled support for the embattled military, who have been strongly condemned after this week's leak of a top-level investigation that made damning allegations of malpractice.
Officers allegedly killed, tortured and abducted Egyptians during the 2011 uprising, according to the investigation commissioned by Morsi last year. The suppressed report, sections of which have been obtained by the Guardian, also alleged that senior army doctors were ordered to operate without anaesthetic on wounded protesters at a military hospital in Cairo during protests against military rule in May 2012.
The seriousness of the allegations has led to demands for Morsi, Egypt's first elected civilian president, to bring the officers responsible to account. But such a move would risk outraging the army, with whom Morsi has a delicate relationship.
Standing alongside members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, who ruled Egypt between the removal of Hosni Mubarak and Morsi's election, the president said: "Any insult against the armed forces is an insult against all of us, and we reject any kind of insults … I announce this to the whole world: we appreciate the great role that the armed forces has been playing in maintaining the safety and security of this country."
Morsi promoted three major-generals to the honorific titles of lieutenant-general. He listened attentively as the head of the armed forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, denied any accusations of military malpractice. "The armed forces during the last two years was very, very fond of Egypt and the people of Egypt and did not commit any malpractices whatsoever," Sisi said. "By God I swear that the army, since 25 January 2011, did not kill and did not order to kill, did not deceive and did not order to deceive."
Morsi may be at pains to placate the armed forces because of cryptic statements by Sisi recently about the direction in which the country was heading. In February Sisi opaquely warned that ongoing political turmoil in Egypt "could lead to the collapse of state". This prompted fears that the army had not entirely rejected the idea of taking a more active role in the running of the state.
Elijah Zarwan, a Cairo-based analyst, said: "It's very important for the president to keep the military – who are an important centre of power – happy."
It is thought that last autumn Morsi agreed a deal with senior generals to refrain from meddling in military affairs in exchange for their support. Analysts cite a clause in Egypt's new constitution that granted the military the right to try civilians in army courts – a major concession that suggested Morsi was not willing to confront army interests.
But this week's allegations about the army will have made generals fear that Morsi might at some point have to break his promise and investigate senior officers to satisfy public opinion. In some quarters there was even the suggestion that the president's office leaked the documents itself to discredit the army.
Additionally, the admission of Morsi's nephew to a military training academy last month will have riled many officers, who do not want the army to fall under the influence of associates of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group to which Morsi is allied. read more
