Egypt's President fires powerful defense minister, nullifies constitutional amendments restricting his power

08/12/12: Al Jazeera reports Egypt’s President has ordered the powerful army head and defense minister, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, into retirement and cancelled constitutional amendments issued by the military restricting presidential powers.  Mohamed Morsi announced the dismissal of Tantawi and his appointment as a presidential adviser through a spokesman on Sunday.  State television says Abdul-Fatah al-Sessi will replace Tantawi as defense minister and general army commander.  Morsi also sent into retirement the chief of army staff, Sami Anan, and replaced with him with Lieutenant-General Sidki Sayed Ahmed.  The latest moves are seen as escalating the power struggle between Morsi, who took office on June 30, and the military.  Tantawi was head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which ruled Egypt after Hosni Mubarak was toppled as president in February 2011.