Analysts Assess Role of Egyptian Intelligence Services in Cr

As the crisis in Egypt continues to escalate¹, the role of the security and intelligence forces becomes more critical. President Hosni Mubarak said he will not run for re-election, and he appointed intelligence chief General Omar Suleiman as vice² president. The protesters, however, do not have a very favorable view of the intelligence services.
Larry Goodson, professor of Middle East Studies at the U.S. Army War College, said that when pro-Mubarak demonstrators clashed with anti-government protesters, it appeared to have been orchestrated by the government.
"When I saw that amazing footage of people on horseback and camelback galloping³ through Tahrir Square, and the tanks just sort of there and these guys coming through - that's, like, crazy, and clearly suggested to me that the regime had deployed⁴ those people to attack what was essentially⁵ a peaceful, albeit⁶ unruly and unwanted by the regime, protest," said Goodson.
The government has denied any role in the clashes. But former intelligence analyst⁷ Owen Sirrs, who has written what many analysts⁸ consider to be the definitive⁹ history of Egyptian intelligence, believes the attacks probably were organized by the country's new vice president and former intelligence chief, General Omar Suleiman.
In his capacity as head of the Egyptian intelligence service, he is also the de facto head of the Egyptian intelligence community, General Suleiman would definitely be involved in something like this," said Sirrs. "I have a feeling that these particular pro-Mubarak protesters would probably be affiliated¹⁰ in some way with the state security service, which is their domestic intelligence, quasi-FBI equivalent."
Mubarak named Suleiman as vice president on January 29. The president subsequently said he will not run for re-election, but he did not accede¹¹ to the protesters' demands that he step down immediately.
As head of the General Intelligence Service, Suleiman primarily was responsible for foreign intelligence matters, but also had some domestic security responsibilities. He also is a presidential confidante. In 2009, Foreign Policy magazine dubbed¹² him the most powerful spy chief in the Arab world.
Sirrs said the Egyptian intelligence services' poor human rights record and Suleiman's closeness to President Mubarak make him unpalatable to the protesters.
"I don't think that a lot of these people would make any distinction as to whether Omar Suleiman is focusing on foreign matters or internal security matters," said Sirrs. "In their minds, he is the one very public figure of the intelligence apparatus¹³ in Egypt. And of course, the security services in Egypt have a pretty gruesome reputation with regard to repression¹⁴, consistent violations¹⁵ of human rights, torture. I mean, it's all listed in the various human rights reports."
The General Intelligence Service has a long and close relationship with the U.S. CIA, say analysts, especially on counterterrorism matters.
Egypt's domestic intelligence service, which is under the Interior Ministry¹⁶, maintains a vast network of informants, ranging up to perhaps one million people by some estimates. Sirrs said the domestic intelligence service's reputation is particularly bad for its treatment of dissidents.
"This particular service has a reputation for brutality¹⁷, for rounding up dissidents, indentifying dissidents, bringing them to the prisons, torturing them in the prisons," said Sirrs. "And in some cases people die at the hands of the Mukhabarat agents."
Sirrs added, though, that the little-noticed military intelligence service may play the most crucial role in the Egyptian crisis. He noted¹⁸ that while it doesn't directly suppress dissent¹⁹, it does keep tabs on army personnel for their loyalty²⁰ to the president and, perhaps more importantly, loyalty to the military leadership, which may be critical to any political move the army might make.

1 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 galloping   

adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
• Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。

4 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

5 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

6 albeit   

conj.即使；纵使；虽然

参考例句：

• Albeit fictional,she seemed to have resolved the problem.虽然是虚构的，但是在她看来好象是解决了问题。
• Albeit he has failed twice,he is not discouraged.虽然失败了两次，但他并没有气馁。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

10 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

11 accede   

v.应允，同意

参考例句：

• They are ready to accede to our request for further information.我们要是还需要资料，他们乐于随时提供。
• In a word,he will not accede to your proposal in the meeting.总而言之，他不会在会中赞成你的提议。

12 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

14 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

15 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

16 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

17 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

18 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

19 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

20 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。