Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, met with Pope Shenouda III, head of Egypt's Coptic Christian Church, on Monday morning for over two hours. Field Marshal Tantawi told the pope that he would make sure all problems relating to churches would be dealt with promptly and that the army would quickly rebuild the Church of Marinab in Aswan. The meeting was attended by Lieutenant General Samy Anan, Vice President of the Supreme Council, and Murad Muwafi, Director of General Intelligence. A church source said the meeting was cordial and positive, especially when it turned to the recent sectarian violence at Maspero, which killed 27 people and left more than 300 injured. The Pope stressed during the meeting that the church rejected any foreign interference in the affairs of Egypt and dismissed the possibility of an international investigation into the events of Maspiro. Tantawi expressed his condolences and promised that investigations would continue looking into the incident.
