Mohamed Hussein Tantawi - Military Career

Military Career

Tantawi, who is of Nubian origin, received his commission as a military officer on April 1, 1956 serving in the infantry. Later that year he took part in the Suez War (or the Tripartite Aggression as it is often known in Egypt). Later in his career he was involved in the Six-Day War of 1967, the War of Attrition of 1967–1970, and the October or Yom Kippur War of 1973. He held various command and staff appointments including both the Chief of Staff and then Commander of the Egyptian Second Army. Additionally he has served as the military attaché to Pakistan, an important role given the two countries political and military links. Tantawi has served as Commander of the Republican Guard, and Chief of the Operations Authority of the Armed Forces. In 1991, he also commanded an Egyptian Army unit in the U.S.-led Gulf War against Iraq to force Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait, which it invaded in 1990.

On May 20, 1991, following the dismissal of Lt. General Youssef Sabri Abu Taleb, Tantawi was appointed as Minister of Defense and Military Production and commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces. He was also appointed as Field Marshal. It is believed that Tantawi would have succeeded Mubarak as president of Egypt, had the assassination attempt in June 1995 been successful. Early in 2011, Tantawi was seen as a possible contender for the Egyptian presidency.