MEETING OF THE EMBASSY'S HOMELAND SECURITY WORKING

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 003320 SIPDIS NEA FOR DAS DIBBLE AND FOR NEA/ELA; DS FOR JOE MORTON AND FOR DSS AND IP/NEA; S/ES FOR AMBASSADOR HOFMANN; S/CT FOR MARGARET HAWTHORNE; CA FOR AMBASSADOR HARTY. E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2015 TAGS: PTER ASEC PGOV KVPR EG SUBJECT: MEETING OF THE EMBASSY'S HOMELAND SECURITY WORKING GROUP (MAY 4, 2005) REF: A. CAIRO 3184 ¶B. CAIRO 3183 ¶C. CAIRO 3062 Classified by Charge Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) The Charge chaired on May 4 a meeting of the Embassy's Homeland Security Working Group (HSWG). A/DCM, RSO, LEGAT, ORA, DEA, CONS, and ECPO attended. ¶2. (C) HSWG members reviewed information and preliminary conclusions regarding the two April 30 terrorist attacks in Cairo (refs A and B) that left four foreign tourists wounded and three Egyptian perpetrators dead. HSWG members agreed that while some of the details of these incidents remain obscure, the two incidents appeared to be premeditated attacks on foreigners conducted by members of the same group. At least one person linked to this group remains at large. HSWG members are continuing consultations with GOE counterparts on these incidents and will refine threat assessments as warranted. ¶3. (C) ECPO briefed HSWG members on a recent message from the Department concerning the posssible return to Egypt of two detainees currently held at Guantanamo. HSWG members agreed on an approach for engaging the GOE on issues cited in the telegram. ¶4. (SBU) ECPO updated HSWG members on plans to send six Egyptian judges and prosecutors to Washington in June for bilateral law enforcement consultations and preliminary discussions with the Egyptian Ministry of Justice on a regional law enforcement cooperation conference in Cairo proposed for November 2005 that would host representatives of seven Arab states plus Egypt. The GOE, the Embassy, and USDOJ are collaborating in the discussions. ¶5. (SBU) The Consul General advised HSWG members that Washington appreciates the regular stream of potential Viper entries Embassy Cairo has been providing. He urged all members of the HSWG to remain vigilant for information that could be used for new Viper entries. ¶6. (SBU) DEA advised HSWG members that he was departing soon for a meeting on maritime drug interdiction, to include a potential increase in interdiction operations on the Suez Canal. DEA's counterpart agency from the GOE, in addition to Greece and Pakistan, are stepping up cooperation with the U.S. on this issue. 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. GRAY