The Military, Egyptian Bag-snatchers

Egypt's recent history can be read in terms of the career of the coercive apparatus and its relationship with the other institutions of the state. Considering the central role which relations between the civilian apparatus and the military have played in the history of the country, this contribution sets out to examine the interests and the actions of the military in the period 2011-2013, i.e. the first three years after the fall of the Mubarak regime, in the light of the continuities and the breaks with the preceding period. In particular, this contribution is divided into two sections, which analyse the promotion of the military’s interests in the economic and political spheres respectively, before concluding with a reflection on the ability of Egyptian military apparatus to ensure the security of the state and of its citizens.

Paper produced within the framework of the IAI project "Egypt in transition".