US embassy cables show Suleiman had close Israeli ties
THE LATEST documents released by WikiLeaks reveal that Omar Suleiman, who was appointed Egyptian vice-president last month, was Israel’s favoured candidate to replace president Hosni Mubarak.
Leaked cables from US embassies in Tel Aviv and Cairo show the close co-operation between Mr Suleiman and Israeli officials, as well as intense interest in Jerusalem and Washington over who would replace the ageing Egyptian president.
Mr Suleiman has been a regular visitor to Israel and periodically hosts Israeli officials in Cairo. As Egyptian intelligence chief, he was Israel’s point man on contacts concerning developments in both the West Bank and Gaza.