Egyptian Reshuffle Replaces Powerful Interior Minister

‘Abd al-Ghaffar(left) being sworn in (Al-Ahram)

An Egyptian Cabinet reshuffle has replaced the powerful Interior Minister. Muhammad Ibrahim, who had come under criticism for the severity of the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.

His replacement, Maj. Gen. Magdy ‘Abd al-Ghaffar, formerly headed the National Security Sector of the Ministry after the 2011 Revolution. (Arabic profile here; shorter English version here.) As I noted at the time, the notorious State Security Apparatus was "abolished,'' and replaced with a new "National Security Sector," though most of the senior officers of the "abolished" agency soon turned up working for the "new" one, including ‘Abd al-Ghaffar, who had joined State Security in the 1970s..