In the euphoria of February’s ouster of long-ruling President Hosni Mubarak, the army was hailed as the country’s guardian and savior. But the military, spearheaded by the ominously named Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, has fast fallen out of favor among Egypt’s revolutionaries. Hundreds of dissidents languish in prison, while SCAF, led by Mubarak-era Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, has systematically imposed itself on post-Mubarak politics. Following landmark victories by Islamists in parliamentary elections, SCAF insists that an advisory council it appoints, not parliament, will be the major organ to shape Egypt’s new constitution.
READ: As Islamists Gain in Elections, a Power Struggle Begins