MESSAGE ON KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON SYRIA:

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 002552

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS EG SY LE
SUBJECT: MESSAGE ON KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON SYRIA:
EGYPTIAN LEADERSHIP FULLY ON BOARD, CONVEYS MESSAGE TO UN
SRSG TERJE LARSEN

REF: A. STATE 60768

B. STATE 60150 (NODIS/NOTAL)

C. CAIRO 1705 (NODIS/NOTAL)

Classified by Charge Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) The Charge spoke separately on April 2 with
Presidential Spokesman Soliman Awad and MFA Chief of Staff
Sameh Shukry to request the Government of Egypt to reinforce
with the Syrian leadership the importance of timely
parliamentary elections in Lebanon and of Syria's providing a
timetable for departure of all its forces from Lebanon.
Drawing from talking points contained in ref A and the memcon
in ref B, the Charge pressed for continuing GOE support for
full withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon. The Charge
also thanked Egypt for its valuable role in advancing the
international community's objectives contained in UNSCR 1559,
and emphasized the importance of maintaining internal
security in Lebanon after a series of recent bombings there.


2. (C) MFA Cabinet Chief of Staff Sameh Shukry said UN
Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) Terje
Larsen told Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit earlier April 2 that
he expected Syria on April 3 to provide Larsen with a
detailed timetable for withdrawal of all its forces from
Lebanon. Larsen reported to the GOE, Shukry confided, that
Syrian President Bashar was "sensitive regarding the
finger-pointing at Damascus" after four recent bombings in
Lebanon. According to Shukry, Egypt had the impression that
"the Syrians were taking the situation seriously and
understood the gravity of the matter." After conveying the
U.S. message to Aboul Gheit, Shukry called the Charge later
in the day April 2 to convey the Foreign Minister's assertion
that Egypt "would be doing its best" on this issue.


3. (C) In response to the Charge's demarche, Presidential
Spokesman Soliman Awad said that President Mubarak would be
meeting Larsen at 3:30 PM April 2. Awad said that President
Mubarak had "spoken very harshly" with Syrian Foreign
Minister Farouk Sharaa after the latter "had lied in Riyadh"
in telling the Saudis that Egypt supported the idea of a
three-way meeting between Mubarak, Abdullah, and Asad.
Mubarak's trip to see Asad in person (March 15) and Egypt's
hosting of Lebanese opposition figure Waleed Jumblat (March
21) "reflected President Mubarak's staunch support for
Lebanon's sovereignty." Egypt, Awad continued, was
encouraging Syria and President Asad to accelerate Syria's
withdrawal from Lebanon and to avoid interfering in the
political life of Lebanon (ref C).


4. (C) Interestingly, MFA Chief of Staff Shukry called the
Charge back a second time April 2 (their third conversation
that day) following the meeting between President Mubarak and
SRSG Larsen to share that the former had strongly urged
Syrian President Asad in Algiers on the margins of the Arab
League summit to withdraw his forces from Lebanon before
elections there. President Mubarak's impression, he noted,
was that the Syrians were not responsible for the current
security situation in Lebanon (i.e., the four most recent
bombings there),and were quite concerned over recent events.


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GRAY