Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — President Mohammed Morsi, continuing his purge of the
military and intelligence community, has fired the commanders of the
military services.

Morsi dismissed the heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force in the third
stage of the military purge by Egypt’s first Islamist president. Morsi
named new commanders and ordered Defense Minister Abdul Fatah Sisi to
install the appointees immediately.

On Aug. 14, Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency reported that Morsi appointed Maj. Gen. Yunis El Masri as Air Force commander. MENA said the president named Vice Adm. Osama El Gindi as Navy chief and Maj. Gen. Abdul Muneim El Tarras head of the Air Defense Command.

MENA said the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs had earlier resigned. No further information was provided.

The latest round of appointments was reported two days after Morsi fired much of the military command. They included Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi, chairman of the ruling Supreme Military Council of the Armed Forces, and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Sami Anan. Anan was replaced by Maj. Gen. Sidki Subhi.

“With the military stripped of legislative authority and in absence of
parliament, president holds imperial powers,” former Egyptian presidential candidate Mohammed El Baradei said.

Morsi also asked Sisi to examine the feasibility of raising salaries of
military personnel. Aides said the president already approved a 15 percent
increase in military pensions.

“The armed forces deserve rights, including high wages and health care,
like all other members of society such as scientific professionals, doctors,
teachers and workers,” a presidential aide was quoted by MENA as saying.

  Abdul Fatah Sisi, intelligence, Maj. Gen. Abdul Muneim El Tarras, Maj. Gen. Yunis El Masri, Mohammed El Baradei, Morsi expands purge of Egyptian military, Vice Adm. Osama El Gindi