ABSTRACT
Military unrest Prior to the 1973 war, many experts believed the Egyptian military was not prepared for any major confrontation with Israel, especially after Sadat expelled the Soviet advisors. They also cited simmering army unrest symbolized in October 1972 by an army captain’s decision to lead a military convoy to the al-Hussein Mosque in Cairo and demand ‘immediate war’ with Israel. Indeed, although this officer and his followers were promptly arrested, the incident was nonetheless a troubling sign of larger problems between Sadat and his military.1 Not long after
this incident, Sadat fired his Minister of War, Mohamed Ahmed Sadiq. While numerous reasons were offered to explain this move, it seemed evident that Sadat was uncomfortable with Sadiq’s popularity in the army.2 Another factor may have been EGIS chief Ahmed Isma’il who had reportedly warned the president that Moscow was grooming Sadiq to be Sadat’s replacement.3 Perhaps not surprisingly, Sadat put Ahmed Isma’il into Sadiq’s job while the EGIS director’s chair went to Ahmed ‘Abd al-Salim Tewfiq in March 1973.4
Sadat then moved against Sadiq’s powerful patronage network, including MID Director Mihriz Mustafa ‘Abd al-Rahman. There are two different accounts linked to Mihriz’s dismissal. According to the first, Mihriz took the fall for failing to warn the president of discontent brewing at Beni Suef air base. When Sadat visited this base he reportedly was angry at the poor reception that he received there.5 The second explanation comes from Lieutenant General Saad alShazly who recalled that a MID captain discovered an anti-Sadat plot among senior officers. Concerned that Mihriz might be part of the conspiracy the captain went directly to Sadat with his warning. A subsequent EGIS investigation confirmed that pro-Sadiq officers had been meeting and contemplating moves against Sadat as part of an organization called Save Egypt. Whether Mihriz was part of this conspiracy or was dismissed for failing to report it is not clear.6
