ABSTRACT
Repeated SSIS successes against Islamic Group insurgents combined with a growing public outcry against militant atrocities meant that Egypt’s war on terrorism was shifting overseas by the late 1990s. This period might well be called the General Intelligence Era in Egyptian security for EGIS had once again become the preeminent player in the Egyptian intelligence community. The 1995 assassination attempt on President Mubarak in Ethiopia was another factor in the EGIS ascendancy, for the assassins were thwarted at least in part by some critical advice from EGIS Director ‘Umar Soleiman. A politically savvy former military officer with previous experience leading the MID, Soleiman fundamentally enhanced and redefined EGIS’s liaison relationship with the CIA. New emphasis was placed on intelligence sharing and joint operations against al-Qa’ida and its powerful Egyptian affiliates; Egypt was also one of the first countries to participate in Washington’s controversial policy of ‘extraordinary rendition’ whereby alleged militants were kidnapped by the CIA in third countries and shipped to states like Egypt for interrogation and incarceration. Indeed CIA renditions helped the Egyptian government capture, interrogate, convict and execute several Egyptian jihadist leaders. On the eve of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, ‘Umar Soleiman had positioned EGIS as a pivotal member in a growing US-led international intelligence coalition against terrorism. In addition to its vital American connections, Cairo forged closer security ties with several important Arab states including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Algeria and the United Arab Emirates.
