Wikileaks: “Suleiman Recruited Agents in Syria and Iraq To Counter Iranian Influence”

Wednesday December 01, 2010 15:22

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

According to released Wikileaks cables, Egypt’s Security Chief, Omar Suleiman, had his intelligence officers recruit agents in Syria and in Iraq in an attempt to counter the increasing Iranian influence and support for militants in Egypt.

Omar Suleiman

According to Wikileaks, Suleiman told U.S. Admiral, Michael Mullen, in a 2009 meeting that Iran tried to recruit Bedouins in Egypt in order to smuggle weapons to Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip, and that the Egyptian security forces arrested a cell running under the Lebanon-based Hezbollah party.

In a leaked document dated April 30, 2009, Suleiman told Mullen that Iran must pay the price for its interference in regional affairs.

The leaked document revealed that Suleiman reportedly told Mullen that if the United States wants Egypt to cooperate on Iran, the issue would take a big burden off of Egypt.

Suleiman was also quoted as telling Mullen that Egypt started a ‘confrontation’ with Hezbollah and Iran, and that if they interfere in Egyptian affairs, Egypt will interfere in internal Iranian policies. He also reportedly started recruiting agents operating in Iran and in Syria.

According to a separate cable, Mousa held a meeting with U.S. General David Petraeus in 2009, and accused Iran of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Group in Cairo.

He reportedly informed Petraeus that Iran had heeded to Egypt’s warnings to stop intervening in internal Egyptian policies.

Other cables also published by WikiLeaks indicated that U.S. congressmen held meetings with Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, and with Suleiman, in which the two Egyptian officials revealed they are worried about the Iranian nuclear program, but at the same time advised against a military attack on Iran.