Egypt’s new defense minister committed to US-Egypt relations

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has announced that his new Egyptian counterpart General Abdelfatah al-Sisi expressed during a phone conversation “unwavering commitment to the US-Egypt mil-to-mil relationship”. Al-Sisi stressed that he takes seriously Egypt’s obligations under the Camp David treaty and he is committed to preventing the Sinai from becoming a staging area for militants, Panetta added. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Sunday retired Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, replacing him with al-Sisi, the head of military intelligence. Morsi also retired Armed Forces Chief of Staff Sami Anan and scrapped a constitutional document that gave the military legislative and other powers.