News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Egyptian intelligence director Omar Suleiman is the most powerful intelligence chief in the Middle East, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Foreign Policy Magazine. Suleiman led a list which included Israel’s Mossad Chief Meir Dagan, head of the Iranian Quds Force Qassem Suleimani, the Syrian military’s deputy chief of staff Assef Shawkat and Saudi Prince Muqrin Bin ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz, the director general of the Kingdom’s General Intelligence Presidency, The Media Line reported.

Suleiman, popular in Egypt and trusted by the country’s ruling elite, is considered a possible successor to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak who is rumored to be considering stepping down. According to The Media Line, however, it is widely believed that the president is grooming his son, Gamal Mubarak, to succeed him. In such a scenario, Suleiman may serve as a staged buffer to help Gamal succeed his father, or take the vice presidency.