Egypt military backs Mubarak's VP for president

Hosni Mubarak's former vice president and spy chief Omar Suleiman will have the behind-the-scenes backing of Egypt's ruling generals and the state media's powerful propaganda machine in his bid to succeed his longtime mentor for the nation's highest office, according to officials with firsthand knowledge.

Suleiman, 75, will set out as a formidable presidential challenger to stop the Islamists from taking over the country and may also try to sell himself as a safe pair of hands for those increasingly frustrated over tenuous security and a worsening economy. (AP)