Egyptian military suffers reversal of fortune

Led by a savvy commander, Egypt's powerful military returned to politics with a new look and a new approach. It built a coalition behind the removal of the president and rode a stunning wave of popular support.

Now, after its troops killed about 50 supporters of ousted president Mohammed Mursi, the military faces the question of how it can thwart a determined Muslim Brotherhood campaign to restore Mursi without more heavy-handedness that could hurt its image and support.

After the opposition protests of June 30, when millions took to the streets to call for Mursi to quit, the military ramped up its charm offensive, tapping widespread discontent with the Islamist president and pro-military sentiment among the Egyptian public.

To the cheers of demonstrators, jet fighters swooped low over Cairo, helicopters flew overhead - trailing giant Egyptian flags and drawing a heart in the sky with red smoke. Chants of "The army and the people are one hand" rang out in Tahrir Square.

It was a far cry from the resentment pro-democracy groups felt towards the military soon after the fall of Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The military was then accused of mismanaging the transition and of human rights violations.

It is a different army now. The army officer who became Egypt's ruler in 2011 was Hussein Tantawi, a field marshal in his 70s who was Mubarak's defence minister for two decades. Enter Abdelfattah Said El-Sisi, a 58-year-old former chief of the military intelligence who was named army chief and defence minister by Mursi in August 2012, replacing Tantawi, his longtime mentor.