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| Africa North |
| Mubarak's spy chief feared Jihadists' escape from prisons |
| 2013-11-21 |
| [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The biggest fear of Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... 's regime prior to his ouster on Feb. 11, 2011 was the escape of dozens of Jihadists from Egyptian jails, late vice president Omar Suleiman ... Now former Vice president of Egypt. From 1993 until his appointment to that office in 2011 he was Minister without Portfolio and Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate (EGID)... said in a recording released on Tuesday. "Jihadis view the society as an infidel one. Their (escape) from prison is very dangerous. I am afraid of the jihadis who refused the initiative to halt violence," Suleiman said in the recording published by Egyptian news website Youm7. The former intelligence chief is believed to have made the statement during a meeting in the presidential palace a few days after the deadly violence took place in Tahrir square. The violence was later known as the "Battle of the Camel" because camels were used by anti-revolution forces to attack protesters in Tahrir. Suleiman, who died on July 2012 in a hospital in the United States, noted in the recording that jihadist prisoners were linked to foreign groups and particularly al-Qaeda and are "exploiting the revolution's youths to cause chaos and impoverish Egypt." Mubarak's closest deputy was also reportedly saying that ousted President Mubarak was willing to respond to the protesters' demands at the time of the January 2011 uprisings. "The youth's revolution has its advantages. But we (must not) forget our history. The word 'leave' does not (match) with people's morals," he said in reference to protesters' chant against Mubarakdemanding he leaves and exits power. He also added during the January 2011 uprising "foreign parties were supporting the revolution to threaten the country's security." Suleiman was also reportedly discussing amending Article 76 of the Egyptian constitution, which addresses presidential elections. He said there needs to be an amendment in which "the president remains for two terms and that would enable a real decentralization of power." The intelligence chief also warned about holding early elections in the absence of security which could lead to "massacres." |
| Posted by:Fred |