Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05CAIRO3176
2005-04-28 15:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

PREPARING FOR GENERAL ABIZAID'S VISIT TO EGYPT

Tags:  PREL MOPS MASS EG 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 003176 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2015
TAGS: PREL MOPS MASS EG
SUBJECT: PREPARING FOR GENERAL ABIZAID'S VISIT TO EGYPT

Classified by Charge Michael Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 003176

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2015
TAGS: PREL MOPS MASS EG
SUBJECT: PREPARING FOR GENERAL ABIZAID'S VISIT TO EGYPT

Classified by Charge Michael Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) General Abizaid, Embassy Cairo warmly welcomes your
return visit to Egypt. U.S.-Egyptian military relations have
benefited from our strategic reliance on one another for over
25 years. We look forward to your visit as yet another
opportunity to reconfirm our common commitment to stability
in the Middle East and to discuss frankly how we feel Egypt
can contribute even more to positive political development in
the region.


2. (C) We recommend that you touch upon the following
topics in your meetings with Chief of Staff Weheba and Field
Marshal Tantawi. We look forward to discussing these topics
with you prior to your meetings.

-- BRIGHT STAR planning is proceeding well, as confirmed by
Lt Gen Smith and LTG Whitcomb when they participated in a
National Force Commanders' Conference in Egypt April 11-13.
Egypt has been understanding of the need to streamline the
exercise. You might commend the MoD for inviting Iraq and
Afghanistan to send observers and reiterate the need to make
BRIGHT STAR increasingly relevant to today's training needs
-- such as fighting the global war on terror.

-- Iraqi military training in Egypt has stalled after one
session in late 2004. Training costs appear to be a major
factor in Iraq's hesitance to take Egypt up on its offer to
train 500 to 700 Iraqi soldiers every six weeks. You might
reiterate the need for the MoD to maintain direct ties with
its Iraqi counterpart and to directly market this training
offer to Iraq. You might also ask the MoD about any dialogue
it may have with NATO concerning cooperation on Iraqi
training programs.

-- Egypt's donation of more arms and ammunition to the Afghan
National Army now comes with an offer to participate in the
airlift effort (Egypt wants to provide two C-130 flights out
of the dozen required). You might thank the MoD for this
generous offer and assure them that their sorties into
Afghanistan will receive proper coordination and due
publicity.

-- Egypt's field hospital in Afghanistan has been a success,
treating over 100,000 patients and helping Egypt make a key
contribution to the coalition. It is funded through
November. The MoD may inquire about the availability of
continued funding; Egypt would likely not continue the
deployment if required to expend national funds.

-- Suez Canal transits and overflights have tapered off, yet
remain vital to U.S. force mobility. You might reiterate the
appreciation expressed by TRANSCOM Commander Handy during his
March 1 visit to the MoD.

-- The Gaza border remains a sensitive subject between Israel
and Egypt, largely due to differing assessments of the threat
posed by cross-border tunnels and other weapons smuggling in
the area. Egypt and Israel continue to negotiate the
deployment of 750 military border guards in this sensitive
zone; you might ask your MoD interlocutors how close they
feel they are to an agreement with Israel and how soon they
envision an actual deployment.

-- Our Article 98 agreement with Egypt was renewed in early
March, 2005. You might thank the MoD for its important (if
limited) role in that decision.

-- Peacekeeping support in the Sudan will become more
critical as peace agreements are implemented. Egypt is
poised to help; it should show leadership in the development
of PKO efforts in its neighborhood.

-- Egypt's military modernization plans continue to be rather
vague. You might remind the MoD of the mutual benefits of
longer-range planning in terms of doctrine, materiel,
organization, personnel, training, leadership, and
facilities. You might also stress that a clearer vision
would bolster U.S. Congressional support for a strengthened
Egyptian defense posture.

-- Representative Lantos may again submit an amendment in the
U.S. Congress to cut military aid to Egypt; Representative
Weiner recently submitted a similar bill (HR 1670). The MoD
will request your help, as it has done before, in countering
these initiatives. You might note the value we place on
Egypt as a partner and offer your support, yet call on Egypt
to play a more visible role in pursuing our common goals in
the region -- Iraq and Afghanistan being two of the more
visible places for such a role.

Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo
You can also access this site through the
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website.

CORBIN