Egyptian vice president Omar Suleiman, the former head of security services and chief torturer, was the official identified by Israel more than two years ago as its favored candidate to succeed President Hosni Mubarak, according to cables released by WikiLeaks this week.
The Israeli backing for Suleiman was made public by the Daily Telegraph, a right-wing British newspaper, which obtained US diplomatic cables that were later posted on the web site of the Internet whistleblower organization.
Suleiman has been heading the negotiations with opposition groups on behalf of the Mubarak regime, and has the backing of the Obama administration to lead a “transition” regime that would maintain the pro-US military dictatorship if Mubarak steps down or flees the country.
Cables from the American embassies in Tel Aviv and Cairo show Suleiman to be the point man for collaboration with Israel in repression of the Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, where Egypt controls part of the border. He was also the key ally for US officials in secret operations, including rendition and torture, conducted as part of the “war on terror.”
Reporting on a visit by Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak to Egypt, a senior Israeli adviser, David Hacham, told his interlocutor at the US embassy in Tel Aviv that Mubarak’s “aged appearance and slurred speech” had “shocked” Barak and others in the Israeli delegation.
