Essawy said the Interior Ministry was assigned 290,000 soldiers for
security missions. But he said the military regime, called the Supreme
Council of the Armed Forces, agreed to only 50,000 troops, Middle East Newsline reported.
The minister said the 50,000 soldiers would be deployed in troubled
areas of Egypt. He acknowledged that his ministry has failed to fill the
ranks of police after Mubarak's ouster.
The military regime has also agreed to transfer assets to bolster
security. Essawy said police have already received 200 patrol vehicles.
"We aim to bring order back to the streets," Essawy said on May 12.
Officials said the soldiers would also help halt rising violence between
Christians and Muslims, particularly in Alexandria and Cairo. They said,
however, that authorities required the cooperation from civilians to help
restore order.
"Egypt is facing three major hurdles — sectarian strife, attempts to
drive a wedge between the Army and the people as well as the economic
crisis," Maj. Gen. Ismail Osman, a security spokesman said.
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