Sisi calls ex-Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi 'great' man

CAIRO – 13 October 2019: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday paid tribute to former Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, as one of the commanders of October War against Israel in 1973.

This came as the retired field marshal attended the 31st educational seminar of the armed forces to celebrate the 46th anniversary of the 1973 war.

Sisi called Tantawi "the great man who led Egypt in one of the most difficult periods."

The president also honored Abd Rab al-Nabi Hafez, former chief of staff, who participated in the War of Attrition and October War.

Sisi earlier during the seminar said the Egyptian army had been targeted by systematic defamation during the past three months that, however, failed to influence people.

During his participation in the 31st educational seminar of the Egyptian Armed Forces to celebrate the 46th anniversary of Egypt's victory in the war against Israel on October 6th, 1973, Sisi denounced the attempts to misrepresent the army, distort its image, undermine its value and question its capacities.

The president said that the Egyptian people did not lose the trust in the Egyptian army which represents it.

The 6th of October, 1973 war lasted for 17 days until October 23, 1973. The outcomes were the restoration of 20 kilometers of Sinai's land, and bringing Israel to negotiations due its losses. The talks, brokered by the United States, produced the 1979 Peace Treaty per which Egypt got back all of Sinai, except for Taba, which was restored in 1989 through international arbitration.