EGYPT: COS WEHEBA AND CENTCOM DEPUTY COMMANDER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 002896

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2015
TAGS: PREL MOPS MASS EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT: COS WEHEBA AND CENTCOM DEPUTY COMMANDER
REVIEW COOPERATION ON BRIGHT STAR EXERCISES, IRAQ,
AFGHANISTAN


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


1. (C) Summary: Meeting with Egyptian Chief of Staff
Weheba on April 13, senior U.S. military commanders led by
Deputy CENTCOM Commander LTG Smith agreed that plans for
BRIGHT STAR 2005 were on track. Weheba hoped to invite
Congressional observers to that exercise. Weheba welcomed an
apparent downturn in violence in Iraq, reiterating Egypt's
offer to train more Iraqi soldiers. He said the Iraqi
military needed U.S. advice to develop an effective force
structure and training regime. Weheba also reiterated
Egypt's commitment to donate more arms and ammunition to the
Afghan army, without offering to help transport this material
from Egypt due to "limited" airlift capacity. LTG Smith
emphasized the symbolic value of Egyptian participation in
the airlift effort. In closing, Weheba appealed for DoD
support in explaining Egypt's military contributions to the
U.S. Congress. End summary.


2. (SBU) CENTCOM Deputy Commander LTG Smith, joined by
ARCENT Commander LTG Whitcomb and BRIGHT STAR lead planner MG
Comstock, met with Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed
Forces Weheba in Cairo April 13. Reviewing the status of
BRIGHT STAR planning (and the ongoing National Force
Commanders Conference associated with that exercise),these
senior officers agreed that BRIGHT STAR this fall will
showcase a high degree of military cooperation among the
various participants. LTG Whitcomb noted that the U.S. and
Egypt worked as "one team in concert" planning this exercise.
Weheba encouraged the attendance of U.S. Congressional
observers for portions of the exercise and reiterated that
Iraq and Afghanistan were welcome as observers.


3. (C) Discussing a welcome downturn in violence in Iraq,
Weheba asked about reports of some coalition members pulling
troops out of Iraq. LTG Smith noted the need to focus on
training of Iraqi security forces and hoped that some nations
might shift their participation to training missions rather
than pulling out altogether. Regarding Egypt's offer to
train Iraqi forces, LTG Smith said the Iraqi MoD was inclined
to pursue training programs in Iraq where possible; overseas
training offers were often judged on cost. Weheba said "we
have given our offer and are waiting." LTG Smith emphasized
the utility of Iraqi forces seeing how a professional
military operated in another Arab country. He also stressed
USG hopes that efforts to build the leadership structure of
the Iraqi military would be complemented with continuity in
that leadership -- without frequent changes in the military
structure each time a new political leadership took control.


4. (C) Weheba said the Iraqi military needed U.S. advice as
it structured its new military and trained its forces. He
felt that various training offers from European states should
complement "strong U.S. advice on force structure" to avoid a
piecemeal approach. LTG Whitcomb cited the value of BRIGHT
STAR as one of many opportunities for Iraq to observe
effective military training and planning. Weheba said Egypt
needed U.S. advice regarding how to deal with Iraq, as
Egyptians often failed to understand the ethnic animosities
and other internal dynamics of their Iraqi neighbors. Weheba
was optimistic that there were "no obvious divisions" in the
new Iraqi government, yet cautioned that internal divisions
in a military could divert attention from the crucial goal of
developing defensive capabilities.


5. (C) The Chief of Staff reiterated Egypt's offer to
donate more arms and ammunition to the Afghan National Army.
(In a subsequent conversation, a close advisor of the
Minister of Defense stressed to Embassy personnel that the
MoD wanted the U.S. to begin transporting these shipments
soon.) Weheba was less forthcoming, however, when asked
whether Egypt might assist in the airlift effort to deliver
the materiel to Afghanistan. LTG Smith emphasized the value
of Egypt assuming one or two of the dozen sorties that would
be required in the operation. Weheba quipped that he would
have to fly commercial if he visited Afghanistan, stating
that Egypt did not have the airlift capacity to entertain
many overseas missions. "C-130's are very limited," he said.
LTG Smith cited the importance of a strong Egyptian signal
to Washington (and a powerful visual of Egyptian aircraft on
site in Afghanistan) to bolster U.S. appreciation for Egypt's
contributions to Afghan reconstruction.


6. (C) Turning the conversation to Congressional
perceptions of Egypt's contribution to regional stability,
Weheba said that delegations visiting the MoD were usually
laudatory of Egyptian efforts. "We can't talk to all" the
members of Congress, he lamented, appealing to the USG to
help tell the story of Egypt's contribution. "We count on
you" to raise awareness in Washington, he concluded.


7. (U) LTG Smith did not have an opportunity to clear this
cable before departing Cairo.


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