Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi (عبد الفتاح سعيد حسين خليل السيسي, ‘Abd al-Fattāḥ Sa‘īd Ḥusayn Khalīl al-Sīsī, ; more commonly known as General Sisi), (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian General  who has been Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, as well as Minister of Defence, since 12 August 2012. As head of the armed forces, he played the leading role in the July 2013 military coup, which ousted President Mohamed Morsi, following protests against Morsi and his government. Al-Sisi was subsequently appointed as First Deputy Prime Minister, while remaining Minister of Defense.

Career
El-Sisi received his commission as a military officer in 1977 serving in the mechanized infantry, specializing in anti-tank warfare and mortar warfare. He became Commander of the Northern Military Region-Alexandria in 2008 and then Director of Military Intelligence and Reconnaissance. El-Sisi was the youngest member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of Egypt. On 12 August 2012, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi took a decision to replace Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the head of the Egyptian Armed Forces, by el-Sisi, and promoted him to the rank of General. El-Sisi also took the post of Minister of Defense and Military Production in the Qandil Cabinet.

Minister of Defense
Since el-Sisi was appointed as Minister of Defense on 12 August 2012, there have been concerns in Egypt regarding rumors that General el-Sisi is the hand of the Muslim Brotherhood in the army, though el-Sisi has always declared that the Egyptian army stands on the side of Egyptian people. On 28 April 2013, during celebrations for Sinai Liberation Day, el-Sisi said that, "the hand that harms any Egyptian must be cut". This statement was taken by Morsi opponents  as a clarification that the Army is in support the people. However, the statement was described by Morsi supporters that el-Sisi was warning Morsi opponents that he would not allow an overthrow of the government. He remained in office under the new government, formed after the coup that deposed Morsi, and led by Hazem Al Beblawi. He was also appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Egypt.

July 2013 military coup
On 30 June 2013 and as a response to Tamarod movement, mass demonstrations took place in Tahrir Square and Heliopolis Palace in Cairo and other Egyptian cities including Alexandria, Port Said, Suez.

Clashes took place around Egypt. Soon afterwards the Egyptian Army which aired on television issuing a 48-hour ultimatum that gave the country's political parties until 3 July to meet the demands of the anti-morsi demonstrators. The Egyptian military also threatened to intervene if the dispute was not resolved by then.

On 2 July 2013 the presidency rejected the Egyptian Army's 48-hour ultimatum and Morsi made a late speech declaring that he would "defend the legitimacy of his elected office with his life and he won't step down."

On 3 July 2013, having failed to meet the deadline and Morsi failing in getting a national consensus, Egypt's armed forces overthrew Morsi, installing Adly Mansour as the interim head of state in his place, and ordering the arrest of many members of the Muslim Brotherhood on charges of "inciting violence and disturbing general security and peace" Al-Sisi announced on television that the president had "failed to meet the demands of the Egyptian people" and declared that the constitution would be suspended, which was met by an acceptance from Tahrir protesters and condemnation from pro-Morsi supporters all over Egypt. Many Islamist movements, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, El Wasat Party and Gamaa Islamiyya, rejected what they called a military coup as "illegitimate" and "anti-democratic".

The new Prime Minister Hazem Al Beblawi decided to split the Ministry of Defense and Military Production into two ministries. El-Sisi retained the defense portfolio, while Air Marshall Reda Hafez received the military production portfolio. Beblawi also named el-Sisi as First Deputy Prime Minister of Egypt. He was sworn in on 16 July 2013.

El-Sisi as a new hero
The anti-Morsi demonstrators on the streets welcomed el-Sisi's decision overthrowing Morsi with celebrations and lifting posters for the General el-Sisi and chanting "The Army and the People are one hand", supporting General el-Sisi didn't stop at that but also reached the social networks as thousands of Egyptians changed their profile pictures to the picture of el-Sisi while others started campaigns requesting Al-Sisi to be given the field marshal military rank while others hoped he would be nominated in the next presidential elections.

Al-Sisi mania didn't stop at that. From cupcakes to chocolate to necklaces bearing the "CC" initials to famous restaurants in Egypt naming sandwiches after him to blogs sharing his pictures everywhere to endless columns and op-edsas well TV shows and interviews hailing the new idol of the Nile valley in the Egyptian mainstream media.

Call for mass demonstrations
On 24 July, during a speech at a military parade, General el-Sisi called for mass demonstrations to grant Military and Police a “mandate” to crack down on “terrorism”. some saw that that this means Al-sisi was in need to the people to prove to the world that it wasn't a coup but a popular will while it was seen by others as contradicting the military’s pledges to hand over power to civilians after removing Mr. Morsi and as an indication for an imminent crackdown against Islamists.

The reactions to el-Sisi's announcement ranged from open support by the Egyptian presidency and the Tamarod movement to rejection, not only by the Muslim Brotherhood, but also by the Salafi Al-Nour Party, the moderate Strong Egypt Party, the revolutionary April 6 Youth Movement and Egyptian Human Rights groups.

However, in friday July 26, 2013, millions rallied across Egypt responding Al-Sisi's call which was described as "the largest crowds in 2 1/2 years of upheaval" and even bigger numbers than June 30, 2013 demonstrations

The August 2013 Egyptian raids by the Egyptian military, under commands from El-Sisi, participated with Police in removing camps of Muslim Brotherhood supporters from sit-ins being held throughout the country. This resulted in rapidly escalating violence that eventually led to the deaths of 638 people, of whom 595 were civilians and 43 police officers, with at least 3,994 injured. some liberal activists, who had supported the ousting of Morsi, publicly voiced their concerns: "I'm not happy when they use violence. And I'm worried about them using it again," said Gamal Eid, a well-known Human Rights activist. . Robert Fisk describes General al-Sisi as at a loss, who will go in history in infamy. Lee Smith concludes that "Egypt’s New Leader Is Unfit to Rule". Al-Sisi's recent decision-making suggests a character that is deeply flawed, rash and dangerous. which was explained by the Government that Police went on to use dispersing the sit in on 14 August 2013,  with the least possible damage, to set Egypt ablaze which is documented in s file published by the State Information Services as hundreds of civilians and police fell as victims, in addition to those from the Muslim Brotherhood side saying that Muslim Brotherhood supporters imposed blockade for 46 days against the people in Al Nahda and Rabaa al-Adawiya squares under the name of sit-in where tens of protests  took to the street daily  hindered the lives of the Egyptians, caused unrest and the fall of many victims and injured and the damage in public and private properties.

In August 3, 2013 Al-Sisi gave his first interview since the overthrow of President Mohammad Morsi talking to The Washington Post he criticized the U.S. response, accusing the Obama administration of disregarding the Egyptian popular will and of providing insufficient support amid threats of a civil war saying

“You left the Egyptians. You turned your back on the Egyptians, and they won’t forget that,”

On 6 October war anniversary, Al-Sisi announced that the army is committed to the popular mandate of 26 July 2013: “We are committed, in front of God, to the Egyptian and Arab people that we will protect Egypt, the Egyptians and their free will.”

6 October war anniversary
In October 6, 2013 and during 6 October war anniversary celebration, General Al-Sisi invited the Emirati, Iraqi, Bahraini, Moroccan and Jordanian defense ministers to celebrate with Egypt, and during his speech he said in a warning way that the Egyptian people “will never forget who stood with them or against them”.. Al-Sisi described 6 October as “a day to celebrate for all Arabs”, hoping for the “unification of Arabs”. He also thanked “Egypt's Arab brothers, who stood by its side.” Al-Sisi commented on the relationship between the Egyptian army and Egyptian people, saying that it is hard to break. Al-Sisi said: “We would die before you [the Egyptian people] would feel pain”. He also compared the Egyptian army to the Pyramid, saying that “it cannot be broken”.