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Omar Suleiman (politician)

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For the Syrian musician, see Omar Souleyman.
Omar Suleiman
عمر سليمان
Vice President of Egypt
Assumed office
January 31, 2011
PresidentHosni Mubarak
Preceded byHosni Mubarak*
Director of the General Intelligence Directorate
In office
January 22, 1993 – January 31, 2011
PresidentHosni Mubarak
Preceded byNour El Dien Afeefy
Succeeded byMurad Muwafi
Personal details
Born (1936-07-02) July 2, 1936 (age 88)
Qena, Egypt
Political partyIndependent
Alma materEgyptian Military Academy
Frunze Military Academy
Ain Shams University
Cairo University
Military service
AllegianceEgypt
Branch/serviceArmy
Years of service1954–present
RankLieutenant General
Battles/warsNorth Yemen Civil War[1]
Six-Day War[2]
Yom Kippur War[2]
  • Office vacant from 14 October 1981 – 29 January 2011.

Omar Suleiman (Arabic: عمر سليمان, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [ˈʕomɑɾ seleˈmæːn]; born July 2, 1936) is the Vice President of Egypt, a position to which he was appointed by President Hosni Mubarak on January 29, 2011.[3] On February 10, 2011, according to Egypt's ambassador to the U.S., Suleiman was made de facto head of state under article 82 of the Egypt's constitution, assuming all powers of the presidency.[4] From 1993 until his appointment as Vice President, General Suleiman was Minister without Portfolio and Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate (EGID), the national intelligence agency. Prior to heading the intelligence service, Suleiman was a military and military intelligence officer.

Millions of Egyptian citizens[5] have been involved in protests, which began on January 25, 2011, that have opposed Suleiman and Mubarak's inner circle maintaining authoritative rule without elections takign place.[6] Human rights groups tie Suleiman’s career to a regime marked by widespread abuses, [7][8][9] and assert that many Egyptians "see Suleiman as Mubarak II."[7] Torture victims and human rights groups charge that, as head of Egypt's main intelligence agency, Suleiman oversaw the systematic use of torture on detainees, sometimes at the behest of the United States, and that in at least one instance he personally tortured a detainee.[10][11][12] In response to continued and large anti-government demonstrations, Suleiman blamed foreign influences for the uprising and ordered protestors to go home or face the consequences.[13] He warned that a coup might otherwise occur, one that would involve "uncalculated and hasty steps, including lots of irrationalities."[14]

Early life and education

Suleiman was born in Qena in Southern Egypt. He left Qena for Cairo in 1954, at the age of nineteen, to enroll in Egypt's prestigious Military Academy. He received additional military training in the former Soviet Union at Moscow's Frunze Military Academy. He is known to have participated in both the Six-Day and Yom Kippur wars.[2] In the mid-1980's he earned additional degrees: a bachelor's degree from Ain Shams University and a master's degree from Cairo University, both in political science. Suleiman was transferred to military intelligence and, fluent in English,[15] he began what was to be a long relationship between Egypt and the United States.

Intelligence career

Torture victims and human rights groups assert Suleiman oversaw the systematic use of torture on detainees and personally tortured a detainee in controversial CIA renditions.[10][11][12]

Suleiman became deputy head of military intelligence in 1986, and its director in 1991.[16] In 1993, he became the chief of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service (EGIS). In 1995, it is said that he insisted that President Mubarak ride in an armored car during a visit to Ethiopia. A would-be assassin fired on the vehicle, but Mubarak escaped without injury due to the added precautions.[17] His name has become known only in recent years, breaking the tradition of keeping the name of the Egyptian head of Intelligence a secret known only to top government officials. It was released in the media around 2000.[citation needed]

In his role as Director of EGID, the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph dubbed him as "one of the world's most powerful spy chiefs". In 2009, Foreign Policy magazine ranked him the Middle East's most powerful intelligence chief, ahead of Mossad chief at the time Meir Dagan.[18][19]

Suleiman has been implicated as directly involved in the controversial CIA "rendition" program.[15][20] Journalist Stephen Grey in his work, Ghost Plane, states that after taking over as intelligence director, Suleiman oversaw an agreement with the US in 1995 that allowed for suspected militants to be secretly transferred to Egypt for questioning.[21] Although Suleiman's Egyptian Intelligence was required to provide "assurances" that prisoners handed over through this program would not be subjected to torture, at least one CIA officer has testified that such assurances from them were unofficially regarded as worthless as "a bucket of warm spit".[15]

He has been accused of complicity in torture of Al-Qaeda suspects in Egypt.[22] Particularly, the case of Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi who was captured and handed over to Suleiman. The information al-Libi gave under torture was cited by US officials in the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq as evidence of a connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda. Al-Libi later recanted his confession.[21]

Political career

Suleiman is seen as a very close and trusted ally of President Mubarak, sharing many of his views on key issues such as Iran, Egypt–Israel relations and the United States, and treatment of the Muslim Brotherhood.[17] Although he was a military man who by law is not a member of Mubarak's National Democratic Party, he preferred suits to military uniforms and is seen as a major link between Egyptian political and military elites.[17] Due to his role in the regional political scene and the lack of an alternative candidate acceptable to Hosni Mubarak, some have speculated that Suleiman will succeed Mubarak as President. In particular, he is seen as the choice of the Egyptian military establishment.[17] He has denied any intent to run for election to the office.[23] On January 29, 2011, he was named Vice President of Egypt during the civil unrest,[24] ending a vacancy in the position that lasted almost 30 years. He was sworn in two days later.[25]

On February 5, 2011 a senior Egyptian security source denied reports of an assassination attempt on Omar Suleiman, saying there was no truth to them at all. Fox News reported an unnamed official in the Obama Administration asserted there was an assassination attempt on Suleiman "soon after Suleiman was appointed", and claimed that it took the form of an attack on Suleiman's motorcade.[26] Wolfgang Ischinger, host of the Munich Security Conference and originator of the incorrect allegations, later said he "was led to believe that we had a confirmed report but in fact we didn't" and also added that the information had come from an "unsubstantiated source."[27] According to an interview with the Egyptian ambassador to the United States, Omar Suleiman is effectively the de facto President of Egypt after President Mubarak transferred his power to Suleiman.[28]

Public image and perception

Millions of Egyptians have called for the dissolution of the Mubarak regime and new elections

Al Jazeera describes Omar Suleiman as the unelected Vice President of Egypt, éminence grise to President Hosni Mubarak, and point man for Egypt's secret relations with Israel.[29] Jane Mayer of The New Yorker notes that Suleiman remains controversial because he "has headed the feared Egyptian general intelligence service" and also describes his role in allowing controversial torture methods under US rendition programs which may have generated bad intelligence.[30]

In turn, Suleiman has blamed journalists for the current uprising in Egypt. "I actually blame certain friendly nations who have television channels, they're not friendly at all, who have intensified the youth against the nation and the state," Suleiman said in a TV address. "They have filled in the minds of the youth with wrongdoings, with allegations and this is unacceptable. They should have never done that. They should have never sent this enemy spirit," he said.[31] The Committee to Protect Journalists replied that "it is stupefying that the government continues to send out thugs and plainclothes police to attack journalists and to ransack media bureaus".[32] State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said "we have traced it to elements close to the government, or the ruling party," and said "I don't know that we have a sense how far up the chain it went."[33]

Domestic

Paramilitary riot police of the Central Security Forces; 20,000 to 30,000 police were deployed in central Cairo.[34]

Bloomberg has reported that Suleiman "lacks the support where he now needs it most: the streets of Cairo". “The Egyptians don’t want Mubarak and they don’t want Suleiman,” said Chayma Hassabo, a researcher on Arab political movements at Cedej, a Cairo-based research center.[35] Al Jazeera has written Suleiman "does not have a high opinion of Islam in politics, and is not shy about telling Western audiences the lengths he will go to allow his security services to keep the Muslim Brotherhood and their offshoots at bay."[29]

The young guard in Egypt is opposed to Suleiman running the country without elections taking place. Students, union activists and opposition bloggers within Egypt all remain opposed to Suleiman.[36] Veteran Egyptian journalist Nadia abou el-Magd said it comes down to the protesters. "They that made revolution and they are in the position to impose their conditions," said el-Magd, who works for the newspaper Al-Ahram and The Associated Press. "They don't see that ... anybody else is in a position to impose their conditions on them."[37]

In response to the appointment of Omar Suleiman as the new Vice President of Egypt, ElBaradei stated that it was a "hopeless, desperate attempt by Mubarak to stay in power, I think it is loud and clear...that Mubarak has to leave today".[38]

United States

A U.S. made tank, with graffiti against the Mubarak regime, stationed outside Tahrir Square

Diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks suggested Suleiman enjoyed a strong relationship with the Central Intelligence Agency(CIA). “Our intelligence collaboration with Omar Soliman is now probably the most successful element of the relationship” with Egypt, said a 2006 U.S. diplomatic cable that used an alternative transliteration of his name, which also described Suleiman as Mubarak’s consigliere on foreign policy.[35]

In an op-ed for AlJazeera, Lisa Hajjar opines that Egyptian-born Australian citizen Mamdouh Habib, "who was innocent of any ties to terror or militancy", was seized from a bus by Pakistani security forces and suspended from a hook and electrocuted repeatedly at American behest. "His fingers were broken and he was hung from metal hooks. At one point, his interrogator slapped him so hard that his blindfold was dislodged, revealing the identity of his tormentor: Suleiman," Haijar asserts. According to Haijar, Suleiman ordered a guard to murder a shackled prisoner in front of Habib, which he did with a vicious karate kick.[39] After an article of the ordeal appeared in the Washington Post, the American government announced they would not charge Habib and that they would release him to Australia.[40] Habib has said he will sue the Egyptian government for his treatment.[41] Tom Malinowski of Human Rights Watch assserts "the Americans knew what was going to happen to people who were rendered to Egypt".[42]

The Alliance of Egyptian Americans[43] Egyptian American Organization,[44] and the Society of Egyptian Americans[45] have all called for U.S. support of the democracy movement going on in Egypt. A poll of Americans found 82% saying they are sympathetic to the protesters who want to remove Mubarak and Suleiman.[46]

Middle East

Luis Moreno, a U.S. intelligence analyst, wrote that although he deferred to the Embassy in Cairo for Egyptian succession scenario analysis, "there is no question that Israel is most comfortable with the prospect of" Suleiman. David Hacham stated an Israeli delegation led by Defense Minister Ehud Barak was "shocked by Mubarak's aged appearance and slurred speech," when it met him in Egypt. "Hacham was full of praise for Soliman, however." Hacham added that he sometimes spoke to Suleiman's deputy several times a day via a "hotline." [47][48] Maha Azzam, a fellow at Chatham House, a London-based international affairs research institute, said “the Israelis are happy with Omar Suleiman, he has been pivotal in the peace process, he’s someone they know and someone they can deal with.”[35] Avigdor Lieberman, the Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, has expressed “his respect and appreciation for Egypt's leading role in the region and his personal respect for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Minister Suleiman".[49]

Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have each repeatedly pressed the United States not to cut loose the Mubarak regime; for example, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi, the Emirates' defense chief, emphasized the need for “stability” in Egypt. The New York Times reported these countries "worry that a sudden, chaotic change in Egypt would destabilize the region or, in the Arab nations, even jeopardize their own leaders, many of whom are also autocrats facing restive populations."[50]

PressTV, an Iranian state-owned news outlet, has reported that Egyptians "associate Omar Suleiman, now the Vice President who was sworn in today, with a new puppet of the US government - someone to maintain hegemony here in this region because, as I mentioned, without Egypt you have no control over the Palestinian territory, especially Gaza; and, of course, the Israeli connection is something to note."[51]

Non-governmental organizations

One of the many casualties among the protesters against the Egyptian government

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch assert Suleiman’s career has moved in lockstep with a regime marked by widespread abuses. “Torture is an endemic problem in Egypt and ending police abuse has been a driving element behind the massive popular demonstrations that swept Egypt over the past week,” Human Rights Watch said in a January report.[35]

Human Rights Watch has further written that "Egyptians, particularly those of us calling for an end to Mubarak's three-decade rule, see Suleiman as Mubarak II, especially after the lengthy interview he gave to state television Feb. 3 in which he accused the demonstrators in Tahrir Square of implementing foreign agendas. He did not even bother to veil his threats of retaliation against protesters."[7] The Committee to Protect Journalists and Freedom House have also criticized the Mubarak regime for its violence against protesters and suppression of journalists.[52][53]

References

  1. ^ Black, Ian (January 30, 2011). "Egypt protests - as they happened". London: guardian.co.uk. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |retrieve= ignored (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Profile: Omar Suleiman" aljazeera.com April 30, 2008. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  3. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/29/AR2011012903283.html
  4. ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20031433-503543.html
  5. ^ *The Guardian: Egypt protests: The feeling in Tahrir Square was one of disbelief
  6. ^
    • The Guardian: Cairo's biggest protest yet demands Mubarak's immediate departure

      those rallying against the current regime have come together in a remarkable surge of grassroots decision-making to forge a common consensus on their aims...the resignation of not just Mubarak but also the entire ruling party establishment – including Omar Suleiman.

    • Al Jazeera: 'No to Suleiman, no to Shafiq'

      “Suleiman, Suleiman, get on a plane tonight,” was one refrain. ... Ahmed, a taxi driver from the Medinat Nasr neighbourhood, called him “Mubarak’s right hand”; Osama, a businessman who walked across the bridge from Cairo’s upscale Zamalek district, called him “the big man” behind the regime’s “dirty policies.”

    • Business Week: Mubarak’s Top Spy Rejected by Cairo Streets as Masses March

      Omar Suleiman, the military careerist singled out by President Hosni Mubarak to save his regime, lacks the support where he now needs it most: the streets of Cairo. “The Egyptians don’t want Mubarak and they don’t want Suleiman,” said Chayma Hassabo, a researcher on Arab political movements at Cedej, a Cairo-based research center. “They want the whole system to change.” ... Signs popped up on Tahrir Square reading: “Mubarak and Suleiman: Get Out.”

    • Al Jazeera: Politics pervade Cairo's streets

      Outside, chants of "No Mubarak, No Suleiman, No Shafiq" echoed across Tahrir Square, and several demonstrators held signs comparing the police to terrorists.

    • Christian Science Monitor: ElBaradei arrives at Tahrir Square for what could be a key moment

      Hossam Hamalawy, an Egyptian activist and journalist, told Al Jazeera English ... "We do not want Omar Suleiman or other figures connected with the regime to continue. The military has been ruling Egypt since 1962 and we don’t want the military in the freedom arena."

    • New York Times: Choice of Suleiman Likely to Please the Military, Not the Crowds

      Mr. Suleiman, a former general, is also the establishment’s candidate, not the public’s. His appointment, and his elevation, if it were to occur, would represent not the democratic change called for on the street, but most likely a continuation of the kind of military-backed, authoritarian leadership that Mr. Mubarak has led for nearly 30 years.
  7. ^ a b c Washington Post: What Mubarak Must Do Before He Resigns
  8. ^ HRW: What Mubarak Must Do Before He Resigns
  9. ^ Business Week: Mubarak’s Top Spy Rejected by Cairo Streets as Masses March

    Suleiman’s career has moved in lockstep with a regime marked by widespread abuses, say Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
  10. ^ a b Admin, Moyers (1999-02-22). "Bill Moyers Journal: Michael Winship: For the US in Egypt, Blowback Is a Bitch". PBS.org. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  11. ^ a b "Egypt in Crisis: Omar Suleiman and CIA Rendition". ABC News. 2011-02-01. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  12. ^ a b http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/02/201127114827382865.html
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ Los Angeles Times: Omar Suleiman warns of coup as tensions rise between Egyptian demonstrators, army

    The protests are "very dangerous for society and we can't put up with this at all," he said. "We don't want to deal with Egyptian society with police tools." ... "We appreciate the Egyptian army's role in protecting protesters", said Muhammad Mursi, who has met with Suleiman to discuss the crisis. "But in some places protesters are being taken to military camps and they are being tortured like those from the [police intelligence] tortured people in the past."
  15. ^ a b c Mayer, Jane. "Who is Omar Suleiman?" www.newyorker.com Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  16. ^ Blair, David (2009-02-24). "The fixer in the shadows who may emerge as Egypt's leader". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
  17. ^ a b c d Slackman, Michael. "Choice Likely to Please the Military, Not the Crowds" New York Times January 30, 2011. A10.
  18. ^ "The List: The Middle East's Most Powerful Spooks". Foreign Policy. 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
  19. ^ Blair, David (2009-02-24). "The fixer in the shadows who may emerge as Egypt's leader". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
  20. ^ Stein, Jeff (January 30, 2011). "The CIA's complicated relationship with Egypt". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  21. ^ a b France-Presse, Agence (January 31st, 2011). "Mubarak's new deputy linked to CIA rendition program". The Raw Story. Retrieved January 31st, 2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  22. ^ Soldz, Stephen. "The Torture Career of Egypt's New Vice President: Omar Suleiman and the Rendition to Torture Program". Dissident Voice. Retrieved January 31st, 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  23. ^ "Suleiman: 'Egypt Will Not Be Anything Like Tunisia'", (interview described on blog) Reporter's Notebook by Christiane Amanpour, Feb. 3, 2011, at ABC News / International web site
  24. ^ "Egypt's Mubarak picks vice-president for first time". Reuters. 29 January 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  25. ^ CIA: The World Factbook - Egypt
  26. ^ "Egypt VP Target of Assassination Attempt That Killed Two Bodyguards, Sources Tell Fox News". Fox News.com. February 4, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  27. ^ "Source retracts statement on Suleiman assassination attempt". Jpost..com. Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  28. ^ http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/10/egypt-unrest-mubarak-may-address-nation-party-chief-says/?hpt=T1&iref=BN1
  29. ^ a b AlJazeera: Suleiman selection was done by the Bilderberg's reassures Western allies
  30. ^ New Yorker: Who Is Omar Suleiman?
  31. ^ CNN: Why are reporters being attacked?
  32. ^ MSNBC: Amid Cairo chaos, a rash of attacks on journalists
  33. ^ LATimes: Egypt government supporters attacking foreign journalists
  34. ^ "Egyptian protesters say Tunisia is the solution". RFI. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  35. ^ a b c d Business Week: Mubarak’s Top Spy Rejected by Cairo Streets as Masses March
  36. ^ World Tribune: Oppostion split over terms for Mubarak's exit
  37. ^ ABC News: What Happens Next in Egypt? A Look from Cairo
  38. ^ "CNN.com Video". CNN.
  39. ^ Al Jazeera: Suleiman: The CIA's man in Cairo
  40. ^ Mayer, Jane, "The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals", 2008. p. 125
  41. ^ Habib to sue US and Egypt over torture case: SMH 9 January 2011
  42. ^ NPR: Egypt Unrest: Didn't U.S. Intelligence See It Coming?
  43. ^ The Alliance of Egyptian Americans: Open Letter to President Obama in Support of the Egyptian People
  44. ^ Egyptian American Organization: Statement
  45. ^ The Society of Egyptian Americans: Letter
  46. ^ Gallup: Americans Sympathetic to Egyptian Protesters
  47. ^ "Cables: Israel Favored Egypt's VP Suleiman." Washington Post - Politics, National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - Washingtonpost.com. 7 Feb. 2011. Web. 07 Feb. 2011. [2].
  48. ^ "Choice Likely to Please the Military, Not the Crowds." New York Times. 29 Jan. 2011. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. [3].
  49. ^ "Egypt mending fences with Lieberman". ICEJ News. 23 Apr 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  50. ^ New York Times: Allies Press U.S. to Go Slow on Egypt
  51. ^ PressTV: Mubarak setting thugs loose on people
  52. ^ Freedom House: Egyptian Authorities Must Refrain from Violent Suppression of Protests
  53. ^ CPJ: Mubarak intensifies press attacks with assaults, detentions
    CPJ: Egyptian media say foreign journalists have 'hidden agenda'

Further reading

  • Shpiro, Shlomo (2004). "Intelligence Services and Political Transformation in the Middle East". International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence. 17 (4): 575–600. doi:10.1080/08850600490496407.
  • Sirrs, Owen L. (2010). A History of the Egyptian Intelligence Service: A History of the Mukhabarat, 1910-2009. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780415569200.
Political offices
Vacant
Title last held by
Hosni Mubarak 		Vice President of Egypt
2011–present 		Incumbent

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