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Omar Suleiman (politician)

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For the Syrian musician, see Omar Souleyman.
Omar Suleiman
16th Vice President of Egypt
In office
29 January 2011 – 11 February 2011[1]
PresidentHosni Mubarak
Preceded byHosni Mubarak*
Succeeded byVacant
Director of the General Intelligence Directorate
In office
22 January 1993 – 31 January 2011
PresidentHosni Mubarak
Preceded byNour El Dien Afeefy
Succeeded byMurad Muwafi
Personal details
Born (1936-07-02) 2 July 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[2]
Six-Day War[3]
Yom Kippur War[3]
  • Office vacant from 14 October 1981 – 29 January 2011.

Omar Suleiman (Arabic: عمر سليمان, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [ˈʕomɑɾ seleˈmæːn]; born 2 July 1936) was for 18 years head of Egypt's national intelligence agency. On 29 January 2011, Suleiman briefly became the 16th Vice President of Egypt after being appointed by President Hosni Mubarak.[4] On 10 February 2011, Suleiman was briefly made de facto head of state under Egypt's constitution, assuming all presidential powers.[5] The following day Suleiman announced Mubarak's resignation and governing power was transferred to the Armed Forces Supreme Council,[6] of which General Omar Suleiman is reportedly a member.[7] According to the Egypt State Information Service, Suleiman subsequently ceased holding the office of Vice President.[1]

Millions of Egyptian citizens[8] involved in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, opposed Suleiman or Mubarak remaining in power without elections taking place.[9][10] Human rights groups tied Suleiman’s career to a regime marked by widespread human rights abuses,[11][12][13] and asserted that many Egyptians "see Suleiman as Mubarak II."[11] Torture victims and human rights groups charged that Suleiman oversaw the systematic use of torture on detainees and that in at least one instance he personally tortured a detainee during his career in intelligence.[14][15][16] In response to the 2011 protests, Suleiman blamed foreign influence and appealed to protestors to go home.[17]

Early life and education

Suleiman was born in Qena in Southern Egypt. He left Qena for Cairo in 1954, at the age of 19, 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.[3] 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. A fluent English speaker,[18] Suleiman was transferred to military intelligence, where 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.[14][15][16]

Suleiman became deputy head of military intelligence in 1986, and its director in 1991.[19] In 1993, he became the chief of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service (EGIS). In 1995, he is said to have 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.[20] 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 senior 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 called him "one of the world's most powerful spy chiefs". In 2009, Foreign Policy magazine ranked him as the Middle East's most powerful intelligence chief, ahead of Mossad chief at the time Meir Dagan.[21][19]

According to diplomatic cables leaked to Wikileaks, Suleiman pledged in 2007 to Yuval Diskin of the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) to "cleanse" Sinai of Palestinian arms smugglers.[22]

CIA "rendition" program

Suleiman has been directly implicated in the controversial CIA "rendition" program.[18][23] 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.[24] 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 being as worthless as "a bucket of warm spit".[18]

He has been accused of complicity in the torture of Al-Qaeda suspects in Egypt,[25] 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 retracted his confession.[24]

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.[20] 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.[20] 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.[20] He has denied any intent to run for election to the office.[26] On 29 January 2011, he was named Vice President of Egypt during the civil unrest,[27] ending a vacancy in the position that lasted almost 30 years. He was sworn in two days later.[28]

On 5 February 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 that 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.[29] 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."[30] According to an interview with the Egyptian ambassador to the United States on February 10, 2011, Omar Suleiman became the de facto President of Egypt after President Mubarak transferred his power to Suleiman.[31] The following day Suleiman announced Mubarak's resignation and governing power was transferred to the Armed Forces Supreme Council.[32] According to the Egypt State Information Service, Suleiman subsequently ceased holding the office of Vice President.[1]

Public image and perception

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.[33] 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.[34]

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.[35] 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".[36] 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."[37]

Domestic

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

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.[38] 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."[33]

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.[39] 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."[40]

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".[41]

United States

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.[38]

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.[42] 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.[43] Habib has said he will sue the Egyptian government for his treatment.[44] Tom Malinowski of Human Rights Watch asserts "the Americans knew what was going to happen to people who were rendered to Egypt".[45]

The Alliance of Egyptian Americans[46] Egyptian American Organization,[47] and the Society of Egyptian Americans[48] 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.[49]

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."[50][51] 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.”[38] 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".[52]

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."[53]

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."[54]

Non-governmental organizations

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.[38]

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 3 Feb. 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."[11] The Committee to Protect Journalists and Freedom House have also criticized the Mubarak regime for its violence against protesters and suppression of journalists.[55][56]

References

  1. ^ a b c *"Former Vice President Omar Suleiman". Egypt State Information Service. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  2. ^ Black, Ian (30 January 2011). "Egypt protests - as they happened". London: guardian.co.uk. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |retrieve= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c "Profile: Omar Suleiman" aljazeera.com 30 April 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  4. ^ Witte, Griff (30 January 2011). "Egyptian soldiers show solidarity with protesters, activist ElBaradei joins demonstrations". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  5. ^ "Egypt Ambassador: Suleiman "De Facto Head of State" - World Watch". CBS News. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  6. ^ Michael, Maggie; Keath, Lee (11 February 2011). "'Egypt is Free' chants Tahrir after Mubarak quits". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  7. ^ AlJazeera (11 February 2011). "Egypt's military leadership". Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  8. ^
  9. ^
  10. ^
    • 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.
  11. ^ a b c Post Store (5 February 2011). "'Washington Post': What Mubarak Must Do Before He Resigns". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  12. ^ "'HRW': What Mubarak Must Do Before He Resigns". HRW.org. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ a b Admin, Moyers (22 February 1999). "Bill Moyers Journal: Michael Winship: For the US in Egypt, Blowback Is a Bitch". PBS.org. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  15. ^ a b "Egypt in Crisis: Omar Suleiman and CIA Rendition". ABC News. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  16. ^ a b Lisa Hajjar. "Suleiman: The CIA's man in Cairo - Opinion". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  17. ^ "Omar Suleiman". Globalpost.com. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  18. ^ a b c Mayer, Jane. "Who is Omar Suleiman?" www.newyorker.com Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  19. ^ a b Blair, David (24 February 2009). "The fixer in the shadows who may emerge as Egypt's leader". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  20. ^ a b c d Slackman, Michael. "Choice Likely to Please the Military, Not the Crowds" New York Times 30 January 2011. A10.
  21. ^ "The List: The Middle East's Most Powerful Spooks". Foreign Policy. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  22. ^ Hope, Christopher (9 February 2011). "WikiLeaks: Suleiman told Israel he would 'cleanse' Sinai of arms runners to Gaza". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  23. ^ Stein, Jeff (30 January 2011). "The CIA's complicated relationship with Egypt". The Washington Post. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  24. ^ a b France-Presse, Agence (31 January 2011). "Mubarak's new deputy linked to CIA rendition program". The Raw Story. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  25. ^ Soldz, Stephen. "The Torture Career of Egypt's New Vice President: Omar Suleiman and the Rendition to Torture Program". Dissident Voice. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  26. ^ "Suleiman: 'Egypt Will Not Be Anything Like Tunisia'", (interview described on blog) Reporter's Notebook by Christiane Amanpour, 3 Feb. 2011, at ABC News / International web site
  27. ^ "Egypt's Mubarak picks vice-president for first time". Reuters. 29 January 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  28. ^ "CIA: The World Factbook - Egypt". Cia.gov. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  29. ^ "Egypt VP Target of Assassination Attempt That Killed Two Bodyguards, Sources Tell Fox News". Fox News.com. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  30. ^ "Source retracts statement on Suleiman assassination attempt". Jpost..com. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  31. ^ "Egypt unrest: Mubarak's speech leaves nation, world wondering who's in charge – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs". News.blogs.cnn.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  32. ^ Michael, Maggie; Keath, Lee (11 February 2011). "'Egypt is Free' chants Tahrir after Mubarak quits". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  33. ^ a b Clayton Swisher (29 January 2011). "'AlJazeera': Suleiman selection was done by the Bilderberg's reassures Western allies". Blogs.aljazeera.net. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  34. ^ Mayer, Jane (7 January 2009). "'New Yorker': Who Is Omar Suleiman?". Newyorker.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  35. ^ Ashley Fantz (4 February 2011). "'CNN': Why are reporters being attacked?". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  36. ^ "'MSNBC': Amid Cairo chaos, a rash of attacks on journalists". Worldblog.msnbc.msn.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  37. ^ "'LATimes': Egypt government supporters attacking foreign journalists". Articles.latimes.com. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  38. ^ a b c d "'Business Week': Mubarak's Top Spy Rejected by Cairo Streets as Masses March". Businessweek.com. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  39. ^ "'World Tribune': Oppostion split over terms for Mubarak's exit". Worldtribune.com. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  40. ^ "'ABC News': What Happens Next in Egypt? A Look from Cairo". Abcnews.go.com. 6 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  41. ^ "CNN.com Video". CNN.
  42. ^ Lisa Hajjar. "'Al Jazeera': Suleiman: The CIA's man in Cairo". English.aljazeera.net. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  43. ^ Mayer, Jane, "The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals", 2008. p. 125
  44. ^ "Habib to sue US and Egypt over torture case: SMH 9 January 2011". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  45. ^ "Egypt Unrest: Didn't U.S. Intelligence See It Coming?". NPR. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  46. ^ "The Alliance of Egyptian Americans: Open Letter to President Obama in Support of the Egyptian People". Aeamisr.org. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  47. ^ "Egyptian American Organization: Statement". Eaous.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  48. ^ الرابطة المصرية. "The Society of Egyptian Americans: Letter". Seamyegypt.org. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  49. ^ "Americans Sympathetic to Egyptian Protesters". Gallup. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  50. ^ "Cables: Israel Favored Egypt's VP Suleiman." Washington Post - Politics, National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - Washingtonpost.com. 7 Feb. 2011. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. [1].
  51. ^ "Choice Likely to Please the Military, Not the Crowds." New York Times. 29 Jan. 2011. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. [2].
  52. ^ "Egypt mending fences with Lieberman". ICEJ News. 23 April 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  53. ^ "'New York Times': Allies Press U.S. to Go Slow on Egypt". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  54. ^ "'PressTV': Mubarak setting thugs loose on people". Presstv.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  55. ^ "Egyptian Authorities Must Refrain from Violent Suppression of Protests". Freedom House. 26 January 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  56. ^ 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 		Vacant
Title next held by
TBD

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