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