There was much surprise in the U.S. at Egyptian President Muhammad Mursī’s recent shake-up of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) leadership. The Los Angeles Times suggests that this proves him ‘a better political tactician than many had believed’ [Rīm ‘Abd al-Latīf, Egypt president's firing of generals seen as 'soft coup', Los Angeles Times, August 14, 2012] while the Associated Press added that this has ‘transformed his public image from that of a weak leader’. [Hamzah Hindāwī, Egypt’s president has powers that rival Mubarak’s, MSNBC, August 14, 2012].