Spy chief a contender for president's post

Cairo: He appears briefly on TV, not saying much, if anything at all, and then fades into the secrecy and quiet diplomacy that men like him prefer. One day he's in Jerusalem, the next in Gaza, then back to Egypt to whisper in the ear of his boss, President Hosni Mubarak.

Omar Sulaiman, the head of Egypt's foreign intelligence service, has been at Mubarak's side through triumph and crisis, including a 1995 ambush on the president's motorcade that killed two security officers. It is this loyalty, to an unpopular president whose 26 years in power have been marked by emergency law, that may lift Sulaiman even higher: He is often mentioned as a possible successor to 80-year-old Mubarak.

Tailored suits

Although he prefers tailored suits and smart ties, Sulaiman has the military background that has defined Egyptian leaders since Jamal Nasser seized power in a 1952 coup. The gifted military strategist has had years of diplomatic relations with the US, Israel and the Arab world, and he's regarded as a pragmatist likely to carry on Egypt's privatisation and economic reform.

This balance is important to the West, especially Washington, which gives Egypt about $2 billion (Dh7.3 billion) in military and economic aid.

"Sulaiman is a bridge between Egypt's military and security services," said Robert Springborg, an expert on Egypt and director of the London Middle East Institute. "He's in a very critical position. He has his hands on the control of Egyptian politics without having them dirty. No one else in the country has that role, and he's also the principal foreign policy guy ... a diplomat's diplomat."

Those predicting Sulaiman may be the next president, however, quickly note one of his biggest obstacles: Mubarak's son, Jamal, a 44-year-old entrepreneur, is also being groomed for the spot.

But Jamal Mubarak has image issues. He has no military credentials, lacks foreign policy experience and he sits in the leadership of ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), largely viewed as driven by special interests and unable to stem inflation.

Even though Egypt is a democracy, the army also plays a power-broker role. It could negotiate a deal with the NDP on a presidential candidate or back Sulaiman or one of its own generals as an independent in the 2011 elections.

"I believe the military has already decided who will be the next president," said Dia'a Rashwan, a political analyst with Al Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies. He added that Sulaiman "is one of the most likely candidates" because of his foreign policy resume and his ability to play down his military credentials and appear, in both dress and manner, more civilian.

"That will give the impression that the army is not directly ruling the country," Rashwan said.

Sulaiman's profile has been rising. He was the chief negotiator in talks that led to the June truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. That success lifted Egypt's credibility as a strategic actor in the region. The agreement also protected Cairo from a repeat of the security crisis it faced in January when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians broke through the Gaza border and entered Egypt.

The possibility of a Sulaiman candidacy slipped into the gossip of Egypt's political class several years ago. But some analysts suggest that the 73-year-old former infantryman turned spymaster may be considered too old, and his close ties to Mubarak and Washington a detriment at a time many Egyptians are angered at and dismissive of both.

Sulaiman was born in Qena, a town in a poor region of Upper Egypt. He enrolled in a military academy and distinguished himself in the Arab-Israeli wars in 1967 and 1973.

Bullet-proof

He moved through the ranks of government intelligence, and in 1995 was credited with saving President Mubarak's life by insisting that he travel in a bullet-proof limousine during a visit to Ethiopia. Mubarak and Sulaiman were in the car leaving the airport at Addis Ababa when insurgents, who had sneaked in from Egypt, fired on the motorcade. The bullets did not pierce the president's car.

"Sulaiman has the image of a respected law-and-order guy," said Amr Hamzawy, an Egyptian political scientist and analyst for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "He represents stability in a time of rising social tension."

He has his hands on the control of Egyptian politics without having them dirty. No one else in the country has that role, and he's also the principal foreign policy guy ... a diplomat's diplomat."