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General Intelligence Service (Egypt)

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The General Intelligence Service ( Arabic : جهاز المخابرات العامة Gihaz El Mukhabarat El ‘Amma ; GIS), often referred to as the Mukhabarat ( Arabic : المخابرات El Mukhabarat ) is an Egyptian intelligence agency responsible for providing national security intelligence , both domestically and internationally. The GIS is part of the Egyptian intelligence community, together with the Office of Military Intelligence Services and Reconnaissance ( Arabic : إدارة المخابرات الحربية والاستطلاع Idarat El Mukhabarat El Ḥarbiya Wel Istitlaʾ ) and National Security Agency ( Arabic : قطاع الأمن الوطني Ketaʿ El Amn El Watani ).

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98-682: The decision to set up an Egyptian intelligence service was taken following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 , led by the Free Officers Movement , when Egypt was under increased threat from foreign adversaries, such as the United Kingdom, and the State of Israel . The General Intelligence Directorate was formally established by then Prime Minister, and future President, Gamal Abdel Nasser , in 1954, and placed under

196-529: A condominium in which sovereignty would be shared between Egypt and the United Kingdom . Once established, the condominium witnessed ever-decreasing Egyptian control, and would for most of its existence be governed in practice by the United Kingdom through the Governor-General in Khartoum. For the remainder of his reign, this would be one of the flashpoints between the nationalist Khedive Abbas II and

294-483: A Western-sponsored counter-revolution, domestic religious extremism, potential communist infiltration, and the conflict with the State of Israel were all cited as reasons compelling severe and longstanding restrictions on political opposition, and the prohibition of a multi-party system. These restrictions on political activity would remain in place until the presidency of Anwar Sadat from 1970 onwards, during which many of

392-582: A civilian government. The first issue was regarding the 1923 constitution. Ali Maher's argument that "immediate return of constitutional procedure" would "leave the country saddled with a defective constitution, an unsuitable electoral system, and an inefficient, party-ridden administration" was understood by the junta. A three-man regency was created to oversee palace affairs consisting of Prince Muhammad Abdel Moneim , Wafdist Bahey El Din Barakat Pasha and Colonel Rashad Mehanna . The six principles of

490-538: A dramatic election in the officers club, opposition candidates were elected to the Officers Club governing board. In mid-July, Farouk responded by annulling the election and appointing his own men to the board. With a crisis brewing, Sirri offered the War Ministry to General Muhammad Naguib , who was elected club president. When he refused, Sirri resigned on July 20, after failing to persuade Farouk to adopt

588-572: A final agreement with Britain were the pressing issues of the day. A faction known as the 'Wafdist Vanguards', attempted to push reform. A new law limited landowning to 50 feddans , but was not applicable to retroactive land gains and retained ministerial immunity. Wafd politician Fuad Sirageddin Pasha told the U.S. ambassador "I own 8000 feddans. Do you think I want Egypt to go communist ?". The CIA attempted to pressure King Farouk to adopt reforms suitable to American interests, but failed. Reformers in

686-473: A former head of military intelligence, his power base lay exclusively with the armed forces . With the appointment of its then office manager Abbas Kamel as head of GIS in 2018, the GIS was upgraded in terms of power politics. As a result of this personnel change, the president assigned the GIS more and more tasks in connection with the consolidation of his rule, probably also in order to become more independent from

784-520: A list of nominees to appoint for cabinet positions, which Maher refused. Maher, a landowner himself, instead believed that land redistribution would damage the economy by lowering productivity and discouraging foreign investment. He proposed a revised progressive tax structure on land and a 500 feddan limit, whereby excess land would be taxed at 80%. The landowners suggested a 1,000 feddan limit, with additional exemptions of 100 feddans per wife and son and 50 feddans per daughter. A 2024 study found that in

882-648: A major cash crop in Egypt. Under Isma'il the Magnificent , Egypt went through massive modernization programmes and campaigns of military expansion in Sudan and East Africa. Isma'il greatly accelerated the enfranchisement of the Egyptian peasantry and middle class, who had been politically and economically marginalized by the wealthy elites of Egyptian society. It was during this time that an Egyptian intelligentsia

980-407: A mandate to further his reforms. The 'illegal-gains' legislation was to be expanded to root out corruption, and 'purge-committees' were created to 'purify' the parties. Maher refused to recall parliament or announce new elections; instead favoring martial law for at least half a year. However, Maher came into conflict with the officers. The junta was skeptical of traditional politicians, and gave Maher

1078-426: A more conciliatory pose toward the army. al-Hilali returned as prime minister on July 22, with the promise of total freedom to select a cabinet. However, when Farouk nominated his own brother-in-law war minister, al-Hilali resigned the next day. The modern Egyptian army was established as a result of the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian treaty, which allowed the Egyptian army to expand from 398 officers to 982. Nasser applied at

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1176-443: A new Egypt beyond petty party politics and street violence. The earliest reforms were populist but symbolic of a new era: the elimination of the government's summer recess to Alexandria, ending the subsidization of private automobiles for cabinet ministers, and the abolition of the honorific titles bey and pasha . Others were more economic, such as tax reforms, pay raises for the military and decreases in rent. The pressing issue of

1274-564: A party program. Anyone facing corruption charges was automatically ineligible for membership. The RCC refused to accept the Wafd's certification so long as Nahhas, who had refused to meet with Naguib so long as Sergeddin remained in prison, was listed as party president and founder. The Egyptian lawyer Sulayman Hafez summed up the RCC's feelings on Nahhas when he called him a "tumor in the body politic". The September prisoners were released on December 6,

1372-500: A perception heightened by his repressive policies. Discontent with Tewfik's rule ignited the Urabi Revolt of 1881, led by nationalist soldiers under Ahmed Urabi . Urabi came from a peasant family, and his rise through the ranks of the military in spite of his humble background had been made possible by the reforms of Isma'il—reforms which he saw as being under attack by Tewfik. The prospect of revolutionary instability in Egypt, and

1470-515: A privilege that had previously been reserved for the military in this form. In October 2023, the Egyptian intelligence service claimed that it had warned Israel 10 days before the incursion of Hamas fighters onto Israeli territory. Egypt’s Intelligence Minister General Abbas Kamel personally warned the Netanjahu government that “something unusual, a terrible operation” is about to happen. The Ynet news site had distributed such information, which

1568-539: A proud nationalist, citing his order to the Ismalia police not to surrender their weapons in 1951. In the end, he received a fifteen-year sentence, but was released in 1956. When political parties were banned, RCC formed the Liberation Rally , a movement that would subsume all of the preexisting political movements. While it was effective at rallies and speeches, it did not have the same institutional power as

1666-508: A republic, end the British occupation of the country, and secure the independence of Sudan (previously governed as a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom ). The revolutionary government adopted a staunchly nationalist , anti-imperialist agenda, which came to be expressed chiefly through Arab nationalism , and international non-alignment . The Revolution was faced with immediate threats from Western imperial powers, particularly

1764-604: A separate court system known as the Mixed Courts . Isma'il also established Egypt's first parliament. This period of intellectualism in Egypt, and the Arab world as a whole, later became known as the Nahda . Coupled with Isma’il's powerful espousal of Egyptian statehood, this contributed to the growth of Egyptian nationalism , particularly within the army. However, the war with Ethiopia ended in disaster, only further exasperating

1862-462: A small guerrilla war on the canal; 'liberation battalions' battled British forces. The government was rapidly losing control over the situation, as students on the Islamist right and socialist left ignited an inferno of non-violent strikes and violent battles. On January 25, 1952, seven thousand British troops ordered the Egyptian police at Ismalia to surrender their weapons. When the police refused,

1960-526: A three-man Regency Council was appointed. The former king's departure into exile came on 26 July 1952 and at 6 o'clock that evening he set sail for Italy with protection from the Egyptian army . The Revolution Command Council (RCC), made up of the previous nine-member command committee of the Free Officers in addition to five more members, chaired by Naguib, was formed. Ali Maher was asked to form

2058-477: A unity government with the Wafd, but they denied his offer of several cabinet positions. His dealings with the Wafd, such as advocating a unity government , alienated his allies to the right and motivated Farouk to deal with him as soon as possible. He was pressured to produce a report on the Cairo Fire that implicated the Wafd as responsible, but refused. The king adjourned parliament and two palace loyalists in

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2156-417: Is Israel's most popular internet portal, as measured by Google Trends . In celebration of Israel's independence day in 2005, Ynet conducted a poll to determine whom Ynet readers consider to be the greatest Israelis of all time. The top 200 results were published, with Yitzhak Rabin placing first in the survey, and David Ben-Gurion placing second. In 2005, Ynet employed 80 reporters. Ynetnews

2254-781: Is the English language website associated with Yedioth Ahronoth , and the Hebrew Ynet . Ynetnews was established in February 2005 in Tel Aviv , with a staff of nine people. According to Gadi Taub of Hebrew University of Jerusalem , the launch of Ynetnews was a major event in English-language media in Israel. The founding editor of Ynetnews , Alan Abbey planned to focus on American Jews as an audience. Abbey left in

2352-627: Is the guardian of success"]. With his British support network now neutralized, King Farouk sought the intervention of the United States, which was unresponsive. By the 25th, the army had occupied Alexandria , where the King was in residence at the Montaza Palace . Terrified, Farouk abandoned Montaza and fled to Ras Al Teen Palace on the waterfront. Naguib ordered the captain of Farouk's yacht, al-Mahrusa , not to sail without orders from

2450-477: The 1952 coup d'état ( Arabic : انقلاب 1952 ) and 23 July Revolution , was a period of profound political, economic, and societal change in Egypt . On 23 July 1952 the revolution began with the toppling of King Farouk in a coup d'état by the Free Officers Movement . This group of army officers was led by Mohamed Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser . The Revolution ushered in a wave of revolutionary politics in

2548-594: The Arab World , and contributed to the escalation of decolonisation , and the development of Third World solidarity during the Cold War . Though initially focused on grievances against King Farouk, the movement had more wide-ranging political ambitions. In the first three years of the Revolution, the Free Officers moved to abolish the constitutional monarchy and aristocracy of Egypt and Sudan , establish

2646-567: The Naqab desert , a successful Israeli counter-offensive left Egypt with just the Gaza Strip . During the Faluja pocket , a young Egyptian officer called Gamal Abdel-Nasser made a name for himself as a hero for holding out until the 1949 armistice agreement . Anger over corruption in the war, such as rumors of gun-smuggling leading to Egyptian troops being underequipped for battle. Returning from

2744-685: The Oriental Crisis . As a result of these wars, Egypt was expelled from the Levant , but allowed to keep its Sudanese territory. After Muhammad Ali's death, his successors Abbas I and Sa'id attempted to modernize Egypt, such as starting construction of the Suez Canal . Due to conscription, taxes were raised on nobles in exchange for more land and peasants ( fellahin in Arabic). Peasants continued to lose access to their land as cotton became

2842-749: The Ottoman Sultan . Within a matter of decades, Muhammad Ali transformed Egypt from a neglected Ottoman province to a virtually independent state that temporarily rivalled the Ottoman Empire itself for dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Mashreq . Muhammad Ali conquered the Sudan , invaded East Africa , and led Egypt during both the First Egyptian–Ottoman War and Second Egyptian-Ottoman War , triggering

2940-533: The United Kingdom , which had occupied Egypt since 1882, and France , both of whom were wary of rising nationalist sentiment in territories under their control throughout Africa , and the Arab World . The ongoing state of war with Israel also posed a serious challenge, as the Free Officers increased Egypt's already strong support of the Palestinians . These two issues converged in the fifth year of

3038-522: The 19th and early 20th centuries was defined by the vastly different reigns of successive members of the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the gradually increasing intrusion into Egyptian affairs of the Great Powers , particularly the United Kingdom . From 1805, Egypt underwent a period of rapid modernisation under Muhammad Ali Pasha , who declared himself Khedive in defiance of his nominal suzerain,

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3136-593: The 200 feddan limit. At first the Egyptian legal scholar Abd El-Razzak El-Sanhuri was considered to fill in Maher's shoes, but American concerns over Sanhuri's signature in the Stockholm appeal of 1951 led to Naguib's appointment as prime minister. Rashad al-Barawi was also considered, but the American ambassador Jefferson Caffery rejected this idea, calling al-Barawi a 'commie'. The junta pressed for party reform,

3234-719: The British high representative in Cairo exercising more power than the Khedive himself. In 1888, at the Convention of Constantinople, the United Kingdom won the right to protect the Suez Canal with military force, giving Britain a permanent base from which to dominate Egyptian politics. In 1899, the United Kingdom forced Tewfik's successor as Khedive, the nationalist Abbas II , to transform Sudan from an integral part of Egypt into

3332-685: The Brotherhood, Wafd or DMNL. The rally remained as a tool for the officers, because of lack of enrollment of the other power brokers in Egypt's political arena. Ynet Ynet (stylized as ynet ) is one of the major Israeli news and general-content websites, and is the online outlet for the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. Ynet launched on June 6, 2000, in Hebrew , following other Hebrew outlet's website launches including Haaretz , Maariv and Globes . According to Globes ,

3430-486: The Egyptian armed forces. The service was already significantly involved in the preparation of the constitutional referendum in 2019, which enabled Sisi to extend his term of office. Since spring 2022, he has been involved in organizing the “National Dialogue”, which, according to critics, simulates political participation without implementing actual reforms. In addition, the service was given extensive powers by parliamentary resolution to set up its own commercial companies,

3528-480: The Egyptian revolution. He was replaced by Mohamed Raafat Shehata in August 2012 by president Mohamed Morsi . In July 2013, as result of 2012–13 Egyptian protests , Mohamed Raafat Shehata was sacked by interim president Adly Mansour and was replaced by General Mohamed Ahmed Fareed al-Tohami . At the beginning of his presidency in 2014, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi apparently had a difficult relationship with GIS. As

3626-630: The Egyptian treasury. The Caisse de la Dette Publique (Public Debt Commission) was founded as a way for Egypt to pay its debts. Isma'il's grand policies were ruinously expensive, and financial pressure eventually compelled him to sell Egypt's shares in the Universal Company of the Maritime Canal of Suez , the company that owned the 99-year lease to manage the Suez Canal . The sale of the Canal mere years after it had been constructed at

3724-857: The General Intelligence serves as the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, which is part of the Egyptian Intelligence Community . The Director reports to the President. The Director is a civilian or a general or flag officer of the armed forces appointed by the President . As of October 2024, the current director is Major General Hassan Mahmoud Rashad , while Nasser Fahmi and Sisi's son, Mahmoud el-Sisi , are deputy directors. According to Mohamed Ali ,

3822-629: The Obassia Military College, Egypt's leading cadet school, in 1937. Anwar Sadat graduated from the Egyptian Military Academy in 1938. Sadat had been trying to form an anti-British uprising since the 1940s, but was arrested after meeting with two Nazi spies in 1942. The humiliating 1942 British coup and the disaster in Palestine motivated the creation of a secret cell of revolutionary Egyptian officers. After

3920-690: The Ottoman Empire in 1517, was re-established with Hussein Kamal as Sultan . Despite the restoration of the nominal sultanate, British power in Egypt and Sudan was undiminished, as the United Kingdom declared Egypt to be a formal protectorate of the United Kingdom. Whilst Egypt was not annexed to the British Empire, with the British King never becoming sovereign of Egypt, Egypt's status as a protectorate precluded any actual independence for

4018-414: The RCC as dedicated to "the struggle against imperialism and the Egyptian traitors who served it cause". Traitors were spreading rumors intending to destabilize the economy and cause hatred towards the army, especially through the universities. While he did not name anyone directly, a mocking imitation of a party leader kissing the King's hand was unmistakably evoking al-Nahhas. Salim's speech best exemplifies

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4116-405: The RCC were: The officers did not want to simply remove the king and then retreat into a civilian government. The RCC believed that the entire Egyptian system needed to be overhauled, to remove 'reactionary' elements and restore stability. The RCC were not Marxists, but were receptive to the socialist critique of the traditional system. The officers moved to purge their opponents in Egypt to create

4214-638: The RCC's mentality that student protesters and workers strikes were a part of a counter-revolutionary conspiracy. Within a week of the speech, the government arrested eleven politicians, and placed Nahhas and his wife under house arrest. The trial of former prime minister and Sa'adist leader Ibrahim Abdel Hady over corruption and the murder of Hasan al-Banna lasted only a week before the court sentenced him to death, later commuted to life imprisonment three day later. Most defendants either received 10–15 year sentences, were stripped of property, or were fined. The most severe sentences were for British collaborators in

4312-552: The Revolution when Egypt was invaded by the United Kingdom, France, and Israel in the Suez Crisis of 1956 (known in Egypt as the Tripartite Aggression ). Despite enormous military losses, the war was seen as a political victory for Egypt, especially as it left the Suez Canal in uncontested Egyptian control for the first time since 1875, erasing what was seen as a mark of national humiliation. This strengthened

4410-486: The Suez insurgency – of the thirteen tried, eleven were convicted, four were hanged, one got a life sentence and the others were sentenced to 10–15 years. The trial of Fouad Serageddin was more than just the charges – a £EP 5,000 bribe, arms racketeering during the 1948 war, allowing the king to transfer funds outside the country, illegally benefiting from road paving as transport minister in 1945, and conspiring to monopolize

4508-614: The United Kingdom to recognise Egyptian independence in 1922 as the Kingdom of Egypt . However, Britain still retained the rights over the Sudan, its empire in Egypt and foreigners: The leading party after the revolution was the Wafd Party , led by Sa'ad Zaghoul and his successor Mostafa al-Nahhas . The resulting 1923 Egyptian constitution created a proper – albeit flawed – constitutional monarchy. Universal male suffrage allowed Egyptians to vote in parliamentary elections, however

4606-494: The United Kingdom, with Abbas seeking to arrest and reverse the process of increasing British control in Egypt and Sudan. Egyptians nationalism was brewing under the harsh economic policies of the British. Nationalist activists such as Mostafa Kamil Pasha , Abdullah an-Nadeem and Yaqub Sanu fought for greater autonomy for Egypt. The phrase "Egypt for the Egyptians" was a popular rallying cry among nationalists in protest to

4704-406: The aftermath of the coup, officials that were senior and had connections with the deposed monarch were more likely to be purged, while experienced bureaucrats and those with university education were more likely to be retained as part of the government. On September 7, Ali Maher was dismissed, and 64 other politicians, including Foaud Sergeddin, were arrested. The following day the government decreed

4802-525: The agency's expenses, Nasr set up Al Nasr Company, ostensibly an import-export firm, as a front organization . He played a very important role helping Algeria , Southern Yemen and many Arab and African states gain independence. Although the Egyptian foreign ministry was officially responsible for foreign affairs, GID initiated and aided many Arab and African movements for independence as a part of Gamal Abdel Nasser's anti-imperialist policies. Nasr established good relations with other intelligence agencies across

4900-406: The appeal of the revolution in other Arab countries. Wholesale agrarian reform , and huge industrialisation programmes were initiated in the first decade and half of the Revolution, leading to an unprecedented period of infrastructure building, and urbanisation . By the 1960s, Arab socialism had become a dominant theme, transforming Egypt into a centrally planned economy . Official fear of

4998-434: The army, we will not deal harshly with them, but will release them at the appropriate time. I assure the Egyptian people that the entire army today has become capable of operating in the national interest and under the rule of the constitution apart from any interests of its own. I take this opportunity to request that the people never permit any traitors to take refuge in deeds of destruction or violence because these are not in

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5096-420: The army. Debate broke out among the Free Officers concerning the fate of the deposed king. While some (including Gen. Naguib and Nasser) thought that the best course of action was to send him into exile , others argued that he should be put on trial or executed. Finally, the order came for Farouk to abdicate in favour of his son, Crown Prince Ahmed Fuad – who was acceded to the throne as King Fuad II – and

5194-489: The army. They appointed a commander who is either ignorant or corrupt. Egypt has reached the point, therefore, of having no army to defend it. Accordingly, we have undertaken to clean ourselves up and have appointed to command us men from within the army whom we trust in their ability, their character, and their patriotism. It is certain that all Egypt will meet this news with enthusiasm and will welcome it. As for those whose arrest we saw fit from among men formerly associated with

5292-674: The building contractor whose online videos criticising president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi sparked off the September 2019 Egyptian protests , Kamel's "main qualification ... was his close relationship with Sisi". Sisi's son Mahmoud, officially one of the deputy directors, was seen by Ali as the de facto real head of the GIS. Egyptian Revolution of 1952 Coup successful President (1956–1970) Prime Minister (1954–(March)1954,(April)1954–1962,1967–1970) Deputy prime minister (1953–1954) [REDACTED] The Egyptian revolution of 1952 (Arabic: ثورة 23 يوليو ), also known as

5390-537: The cabinet resigned. The British ambassador refused to meet with Maher, forcing his resignation. Nagib al-Hilali succeeded Maher, taking a much more active approach. He decreed new anti-corruption laws and created 'purge-committees' to overhaul the bureaucracy. Hilai ordered Fuad Sirageddin under house arrest. A week later, he dissolved parliament, announcing new elections in May. By April, they were postponed indefinitely. The Egyptian journalist Ihsan Abdel Quddous criticized

5488-559: The closing weeks of the war, however, its territory became a battlefield between the Allies and Axis Powers. In 1942, the refusal of Egypt's young King Farouk to appoint al-Nahhas prime minister led by the Abdeen Palace Incident , where the British military surrounded Farouk's palace, and ordered him at gunpoint to appoint al-Nahhas. Though nationalist army officers, including Mohamed Naguib , appealed to Farouk to resist,

5586-611: The command of Zakaria Mohieddin . It was formed with the help of the CIA that backed the Free Officers in their coup against King Farouk in the form of Project FF The agency's importance rose when Nasser assigned its command to Salah Nasr , who held the post of director of the GID from 1957 to 1967 and thoroughly reorganized the agency. Under Nasr's supervision, the GID relocated to its own building and established separate divisions for Radio , Computer , Forgery and Black Operations . To cover

5684-404: The cost of some 80,000 Egyptian lives was seen as a national humiliation, particularly as it effectively granted the purchaser, the United Kingdom , a basis for interfering in Egyptian affairs. Shortly thereafter, the United Kingdom, along with the other Great Powers, deposed Isma'il in favour of his son, Tewfik Pasha . Tewfik was seen as a puppet of the foreign powers who had deposed his father,

5782-610: The cotton industry – the entire Wafd institution was effectively on trial. The prosecution focused mostly on Serageddin's rise to power within the Wafd and his personal failings in the 1950 government. Serageddin's rivals, the who's who of Egypt's liberal government, took the stand to air out personal grievances. Witnesses included former prime ministers ( Naguib al-Hilali , Hussein Sirri , Ali Maher ), Mohammed Hussein Heikal , and Makram Ebeid . In his defence, Serageddin positioned himself as

5880-475: The country and brought them together under the umbrella of the holding company United Media Services (UMS). The UMS ownes and operates popular satellite channels such as CBC and ON E as well as high-circulation print media such as the daily newspaper Al Youm Al Sabea (Youm7) . The German think tank SWP wrote in 2022 that the GIS "has a significant influence on domestic reporting... For example, human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch are vilified as

5978-412: The day was land reform . A ceiling on landholding of 200 feddans was agreed, to lower the price of land and therefore decrease rents. However, the junta butted heads with Ali Maher. Maher believed, like most in the political climate of Egypt, that a complete overhaul of the state was needed. By this time, many Egyptians believed that the 1923 system needed to be completely rebuilt. Maher assumed office with

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6076-424: The deployment of British tanks and artillery outside the Royal palace forced the King to concede. This incident permanently damaged the prestige of both King Farouk's conservative clique and al-Nahhas' Wafd. The surrender to British convinced many Egyptian nationalists that only the removal of the entire 1923 system could bring an end to the United Kingdom's occupation of Egypt. The historian Selma Botman describes

6174-428: The event but mentioned that the warning was unspecific and therefore not heeded. The GIS is omnipresent in Egypt's economy, media and society. The organization is active as an entrepreneur in various sectors and uses them as a source of finance and a hub for political influence. GIS is significantly involved in the Egyptian media landscape . In the 2000s, GIS gradually took control of various private media companies in

6272-450: The first communiqué of the coup d'état in the name of Gen. Naguib to the Egyptian people. It attempted to justify the coup , which was also known as the "Blessed Movement". The person reading the message was Free Officer and future president of Egypt Anwar Sadat . The coup was conducted by less than a hundred officers   —   almost all of which were drawn from junior ranks   —   and prompted scenes of celebration in

6370-399: The globe, which helped providing Egypt with wheat and establishing industries such as (Al Nasr Company for Motor Cars). One of his constructions is the Gezeera Tower in Cairo. For several years the name of GID director was a secret only known to high officials and government newspapers chief editors. However, Major-General Omar Suleiman , who was the head of the GID from 1993 to January 2011,

6468-411: The governing board of the Officers Club dissolved, causing the officers to fear their arrest was imminent. On the 23rd, infantry united seized general headquarters and blocked roads leading to Cairo. Nasser and Abdel Hakim Amr , as the higher level leaders, took a car ride to visit every unit in Cairo. After arresting his commanding officer, Muhammad Abu al-Fadl al-Gizawi answered several phone calls as

6566-399: The government, writing "Corruption does not mean corruption of the Wafd government alone". Rumors that the King Farouk was going to sack al-Hilali led him to resign on July 2. Huseinn Sirri moved as prime minister to lift Sirageddin's house arrest, though he did not promise new elections or to lift martial law. However, events in the military soon were spiraling out of control. In January, in

6664-436: The inferred danger to the Suez Canal, prompted the United Kingdom to intervene militarily in support of Tewfik. After the Anglo-Egyptian War , the United Kingdom was left in de facto control over the country, a state of affairs that became known as the veiled protectorate . In the years that followed, the United Kingdom would cement its political and military position in Egypt, and subsequently in Egypt's domains in Sudan, with

6762-474: The interest of Egypt. Should anyone behave in such ways, he will be dealt with forcefully in a manner such as has not been seen before and his deeds will meet immediately the reward for treason. The army will take charge with the assistance of the police. I assure our foreign brothers that their interests, their personal safety [lit. "their souls"], and their property are safe, and that the army considers itself responsible for them. May God grant us success [lit. "God

6860-412: The king had the power to dismiss cabinets, dissolve parliament and appoint prime ministers. Politics in Egypt were divided between the liberal Wafdists versus the conservative monarchical establishment. The Wafd had little to offer outside of defending the liberal framework and negotiating for greater autonomy; Wafdist elites were still wealthy land-owning capitalists who did not offer a radical program in

6958-416: The last day they could be held without charge. The case over the recertification of the Wafd went to the State Council on January 10, 1953. On the 17th, the junta announced the abolition of all political parties, where Naguib would rule in a three-year transitional period. The junta justified its decree because of the resistance to 'purification' and the opposition to land reform. The officers had underestimated

7056-630: The launch of Ynet may have been delayed due to concerns about Ynet cannibalizing the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. The website had 130 staff members, and the original columnists included Ofer Shelah and Gadi Taub . The website's content is separate from the newspaper. In addition, Ynet hosts the online version of Yedioth Aharanot's media group magazines: Laisha (which also operates Ynet's fashion section), Pnai Plus , Blazer, GO magazine, and Mentha. For two years, Ynet had also an Arabic version, which ceased to operate in May 2005. Ynet's main competition comes from Walla! Mako and Nana . Since 2008, Ynet

7154-507: The man he just arrested to assure high command that everything was calm. By 3:00   a.m, Muhammad Naguib arrived at headquarters in Cairo. By 7:00   p.m, Sadat   —   who was at the movies during the coup   —   announced on the radio that the Free Officers had taken over; Egypt was now governed by the Revolutionary Command Council . At 7:30 a.m., a broadcasting station issued

7252-480: The mess and chaos in Egypt. The three governments of Ali Maher (January 27 – March 1), Ahmad Nagib al-Hilali (March 2 – July 2) and Hussein Sirri Pasha (July 2 – July 20) each failed to solve the situation. Maher moved quickly to restore order and calm the economic situation. He created a ministry of rural affairs to study proposals for land reform and lifted curfew restrictions by February. He tried to create

7350-520: The mouthpiece of terrorists." With financial support from Saudi Arabia, a separate news channel was established, similar to the two large Arabic news channels al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya . It also serves to disseminate government positions outside of Egypt and to counteract international criticism, for example of the country's human rights situation. “ Al-Qahera News ” launched in 2022. GIS operations which have (eventually) gone public have been much dramatized on Egyptian TV and cinema. The Director of

7448-550: The need for politicians to negotiate full independence. These protests very quickly took an antisemitic turn, evolving into a prolonged pogrom of Alexandria's and Cairo's Jewish communities , often accompanied with chants of " death to the Jews " and antisemitic conspiracy theories that Jews were receiving beneficial treatment over " real Egyptians ." Prime Minister Ismail Sidky and British secretary of foreign affairs Ernest Bevin entered negotiations. However, issues over

7546-416: The officers at this time, though the historian Said Aburish argues that America did not know about the coup until two days beforehand but did not move to stop it after verifying it was not communist. By the spring of 1952, the Free Officers began plotting their coup. They had planned to overthrow the monarchy in early August, but events soon made them accelerate their plans. On July 16, King Farouk ordered

7644-599: The party passed reformist legislation between 1942 and 1944 or 1950 and 1952, it could no longer convince the majority of the population that it held the country's best interests in mind. Instead, in these years of growing politicization of the people, many believed that the Wafd harbored the fear that the nationalist movement would become too radical and go beyond the existing framework of acceptable political and economic discourse. After decades of pseudo-independence, elitist infighting and deteriorating economic conditions, more radical politics consumed Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood

7742-455: The party were not strong enough of pass the legislation needed to avoid a total revolution. Stubbornness and corruption made the Wafd incapable of delivering to the Egyptian people. The strategic value of the Suez Canal was too valuable for Britain in the Cold War to completely surrender. In a dramatic move, the Wafd abrogated the 1936 treaty in 1951. Anti-British demonstrations morphed into

7840-514: The policies of the Revolution were scaled back or reversed. The early successes of the Revolution encouraged numerous other nationalist movements in other countries, such as Algeria , where there were anti-imperialist and anti-colonial rebellions against European empires. It also inspired the toppling of existing pro-Western monarchies and governments in the MENA region. The Revolution is commemorated each year on 23 July. The history of Egypt during

7938-518: The pre-existing opposition. Members took a vow of secrecy with one hand on the Koran and the other on a revolver, and published anonymous leaflets and articles criticizing the higher command and the government as a whole for corruption. By 1952, it grew so large that few members knew the identities of the leaders of the conspiracy: Colonel Nasser and General Naguib. The founder of the CIA , Miles Copeland Jr. , claimed to have established contacts with

8036-618: The privileges of foreigners. It was during this time that the five major points of contentions among nationalists were crystallized: Following the Ottoman Empire's entry in to the First World War as a member of the Central Powers in 1914, the United Kingdom deposed Abbas II in favour of his pro-British uncle, Hussein Kamal . The legal fiction of Ottoman sovereignty was terminated, and the Sultanate of Egypt , destroyed by

8134-451: The removal of traditional corrupt elements within establishment parties. The Wafd hastily formed a "purge committee", expelling fourteen members, only one of which had any significant power. Old-guard Wafdists resisted the call for purification, while the younger elements supported the removal of the old-guard. On September 9, all parties were dissolved and had to apply for recertification with a list of founding members, financial statements and

8232-412: The resistance by the liberal establishment, and sought to end the 'reactionary mentality' of the old system. On February 21, Naguib created the constitutional committee of fifty. Ali Maher served as president, who then divided the committee into five subcommittees and appointed a five-man executive committee. By March they had approved the creation of a Republic, ending the regency. However, the committee

8330-399: The resulting Battle of Ismalia left 56 Egyptians and 13 British dead. The next day, a series of riots engulfed Cairo. The Egyptian masses torched 750 foreign-owned stores, causing around 40-50 million Egyptian Pounds worth of damage. Black Saturday was the end for the Wafd; al-Nahhas was dismissed on the next day. After al-Nahhas, three independent politicians were appointed to clean up

8428-405: The state of the late Wafd: In contrast to the ideologically defined programs of the nonestablishment parties, the Wafd never developed a comprehensive plan to remedy the deep social and economic problems that troubled the country. As this became increasingly apparent, the population began to lose faith in the party, especially as conditions for consumers deteriorated during wartime. Thus, even when

8526-426: The status of Sudan and British troops ended hopes for a successful discussion. The ire of the nationalists concentrated on two issues, Sudan and the Suez. By flaming the fires of nationalism, the Egyptian elites forced themselves to intervene in the civil war in Palestine . During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war , Egyptian troops fought in the southern front against Israel . Though Egypt quickly gained controlled over

8624-536: The streets by cheering mobs. Egypt has passed through a critical period in her recent history characterized by bribery, mischief, and the absence of governmental stability. All of these were factors that had a large influence on the army. Those who accepted bribes and were thus influenced caused our defeat in the Palestine War [1948]. As for the period following the war, the mischief-making elements have been assisting one another, and traitors have been commanding

8722-559: The sultanate. For all intents and purposes, the Sultanate of Egypt was as much controlled by the United Kingdom as the Khedivate of Egypt had been. After World War I , Egyptian nationalists tried to send a delegation (Arabic: Wafd) to the Paris Peace Conference to renegotiate for Egyptian independence. When Britain refused, nationalist anger at British control erupted into the Egyptian revolution of 1919 , prompting

8820-437: The traditional economic structure of peasants and landlords. While the Wafd enjoyed genuine popularity among the masses, the degrading economic conditions of Egypt beginning the 1930s combined with the failure of the 1923 regime to adequately address these issues sparked the rise of socialist and labor movements. The Wafd believed that through gradual negotiations, it would be able to secure complete Egyptian independence. Egypt

8918-420: The war, an Egyptian commander commented: "The real battle is in Egypt." In 1950, the Wafd formed a government for the last time. After years of martial law and political chaos, the Wafd decisively won the 1950 elections on a mandate of continuing its historic political fight against Britain. al-Nahhas, who was now 70 years old, was no longer the national hero he was in 1919. Genuine economic reforms as well as

9016-534: The witnessing the 1949 Syrian coup , when Syrian military overthrew the government, whispers of a revolt spread throughout the corps. While an exact date is not known, by 1949 meetings and discussions in the homes of the officers started the beginning of the 'Free Officers' movement. While officers met with communists in the DMNL and Islamists in the Muslim Brotherhood , it was an organization independent of

9114-566: Was formed; a social class of educated Egyptians well-read in politics and culture known as the Effendi . Under the education minister Ali Pasha Mubarak , the public education system in Egypt grew the field of educated nationalist effendiyya. It was during this time that Italians , Greeks , French, Armenians , Jews , and other groups immigrated to Egypt, establishing a small but wealthy and politically powerful cosmopolitan community. Foreigners were not subject to Egyptian laws, but went through

9212-582: Was founded in 1928, pushing for an Islamic-revival against colonialism and modernity. Leftist movements like the Egyptian Communist Party , Iskra , and the Democratic Movement for National Liberation rallied growing numbers of striking workers, especially as King Farouk's extravagant lifestyle continued to insult the millions of Egyptians living in poverty. The 1945 riots in Egypt and the 1946 student protests demonstrated

9310-582: Was not a substitute for parliament; it was not taken seriously by the officers, who announced Egypt was a republic and Naguib was selected as president on June 18, without approval from the committee. By September, the Revolutionary Tribunal was formed, composed solely of three officers as judges, Abdel Baghdadi , Anwar Sadat and Hasan Ibrahim . In a speech in at Tahrir Square , Salah Salim described how colonialism in Egypt did not rule with soldiers or arms, but "traitors". Salim described

9408-700: Was rejected by Netanjahu as "totally faked news". The outlet claimed that Egypt's Intelligence Minister General Abbas Kamel was in direct communication with Israel before the 2023 Israel–Hamas war . Egyptian officials noted that the Israeli government was indifferent with regard to that warning and "submerged' in troubles with the West Bank. Later a U.S. senator and member of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs confirmed that warning by Egyptian intelligence three days prior to

9506-763: Was successful in abolishing the Mixed courts in 1937, repealing the Public Debt Commission in 1940 , and negotiating the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian treaty . This treaty limited the extent of British troops in Egypt (except with regards to the Suez canal and the Sudan), and the creation of a proper Egyptian military. During the Second World War , Egypt was a major Allied base for the North African campaign . Egypt remained officially neutral under

9604-436: Was the first one to break this taboo. His name was published before he himself became a known face in media after being envoyed by former Egyptian president Mubarak to Israel, USA and Gaza on several occasions. On 31 January 2011, Major-General Murad Muwafi was declared the director of GID, after Omar Suleiman was appointed as a Vice President of Egypt and then resigned after former president Mubarak had to step down during

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