MFA MYSTIFIED BY AMBASSADOR IHAB SHERIF'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 005058

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER EG IZ
SUBJECT: MFA MYSTIFIED BY AMBASSADOR IHAB SHERIF'S
KIDNAPPING


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


1. (C) Alaa Al-Hadidi of the Foreign Minister's Cabinet told
poloff that, as of July 5, the GOE still had no firm clues as
to the location of kidnapped Ambassador Ihab Sherif, who was
heading Egypt's mission in Baghdad. Al-Hadidi further
confirmed that no group has claimed responsibility. He did,
however, observe that Sherif's kidnapping, in combination
with the assassination attempt on the Bahraini Charge and a
reported explosion near the Iranian Embassy, raised concern
of a possible "concerted campaign against Muslim diplomats."
Al-Hadidi promised to keep the Embassy apprised of further
developments. Charge had earlier talked to a senior member
of the MFA Cabinet to express concern over the kidnapping and
later with the Foreign Minister's Chief of Staff (FM Aboul
Gheit was in Libya for the AU Summit). Post understands that
vigorous efforts to locate Sherif and identify his captors
are underway via alternate channels.


2. (U) Public reactions to the kidnapping have included
anger at Sherif for exposing himself to danger and anger at
the MFA for failing to guarantee the Ambassador's security or
prepare him adequately for his mission. All Egyptian media
outlets carried the basic news of Sherif's abduction in their
July 3 and 4 editions, including a statement by the Shura
Council of Arab Affairs Committee head, Mohamed Bassyouni,
that the kidnapping was a message to Egypt to curb its role
in rebuilding Iraq. Meanwhile, television programs and
editorial pages analyzed the event for its possible outcomes
and the message the abduction sent to Egypt.


3. (U) On the popular Channel 2 program, El Beit Beitik,
Naguib Sawiris, whose Orascom employees have previously been
victims of kidnappings in Iraq, offered comfort to Sherif's
family, saying he thought the situation would end peacefully.
He suggested the kidnappers would eventually ask for a
ransom, as they did with Orascom employees. On Dream TV, the
Vice Chairman of the Egyptian Foreign Relations Council
pointed out that the motives for the kidnapping were not
clear, but noted that in dangerous countries, such as Iraq,
tighter security measures should be implemented for Egyptian
diplomats. On Nile TV, political analyst Mohamed Wahbi
accused Sunnis unhappy with the Iraqi government of the
kidnapping, while political science professor Moustafa Kamel
El-Sayyed accused the GOE of unwisely sending an ambassador
to an unstable Iraq.


4. (U) In the pro-government Al Ahram (circulation:
750,000),columnist Dr. Abdel Atti Mohammed speculated that
the kidnapping was an attempt to derail any initiative to
integrate Sunnis into the political process in Iraq.
However, he said, this attempt was misguided, as Egypt's
decision to send an ambassador was in Iraq's interest. He
also called on the Americans and Europeans to help win the
release of Sherif if they want more Arab ambassadors to go to
Iraq. Refiqi Fakry, a columnist in the pro-government Al
Akhbar (circulation: 800,000) agreed that the kidnapping was
not in Iraq's interest. He wrote that those responsible for
the kidnapping should not be so ungrateful for the Egyptian
role in rebuilding Iraq, and should immediately release
Sherif.



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CORBIN