Egypt: New Head of State was Mubarak's Poodle: Wikileaks Cable.

The new ruler of Egypt is not the former intelligence and torture chief Omar Suleiman who was vice-president and in charge of the transition under Mubarak. However Suleiman remains a key member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. See this article.

This point seems to have been missed in some recent reports from antiwar.com and on the CBC just recently. I just watched a prof. from American University in Cairo say that Suleiman is now completely out of government. Of course he is out of government as vice president but he is back in as a key member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces unless Al Jazeera is wrong. It seems likely that they are correct. Given his importance in the military and as former chief of intelligence it makes sense he would be a member of the Supreme Council.

Hussein Tantawi the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has been a long serving member of the Mubarak regime. Nathan Brown of George Washington University said: "He's the defense minister. He's a career officer... Anyone that serves the ministry for that long is part of the regime," "I would be surprised if he kept that job that long without being loyal [to Mubarak]." Although not associated with the human rights abuses as is Suleiman some protesters thought he would make little difference.

A protetester remarked:"He's corrupt... He's not favored in the military. He's there because he stayed loyal to Honsi Mubarak," "We're scared one of the military people steps up and controls us, like Mubarak did."

The Wilkileaks leaked U.S. State Dept. cable which cited "academics and civilian analysts," called Tantawi "Mubarak's poodle". The cable also said mid-level officers in the Egyptian military were infuriated by his incompetence and blind loyalty to Mubarak.

So on the surface the poodle has replaced the torturer. However the torturer is still in the ruling body and will no doubt have an important role behind the scenes.

Beside Suleiman the Supreme Council has other key members with close connections with the U.S. Lieutenant General Sami Anan the armed forces chief may have a crucial role in coordinating interim arrangements. Anan was actually in Washington when the uprising began and cut his visit short to return. The U.S. is reported as pushing for him to play a key mediating role. No doubt they think that Suleiman is just too much damaged goods to be out front and center. Mubarak may have had a point abot foreign elements behind the scenes. He should know. They helped him for decades!