CAIRO ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 006953

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER ECON KPAL EG IZ IS ICRC MEPN
SUBJECT: CAIRO ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING:
EGYPT AND ARAB LEAGUE RESPONSES

REF: STATE 163365 (NOTAL)

Classified by Ambassador Francis Ricciardone for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) During an introductory meeting September 6, the
Ambassador reviewed with Arab League Secretary General Amre
Moussa reftel points ahead of an Arab League foreign
ministers meeting scheduled for September 8 in Cairo. The
Ambassador sought Moussa's and the League's support on
Iraq's political transition, public condemnation of
terrorism, progress on the Israeli-Palestinian issues,
Syria-Lebanon (septel),and regional reform. Moussa began by
calling for an enhanced US-Arab dialogue to bridge what he
called a "growing divide". On Iraq, Moussa said he was ready
to make positive statements on Iraq's constitution once he
saw a final draft, noting that the issue of language on
Iraq's "Arab identity" had been resolved. On UN terror
language, Moussa said he was pushing Arab leaders to agree to
language that categorically condemned attacks on civilians
but was facing some resistance. On the Magen David Adom
issue, Moussa said that without clarity on what Israel would
do with its West Bank settlements and its security barrier,
the Arabs were simply not prepared to offer Tel Aviv a
"reward" for leaving Gaza. Regarding a planned Arab-Arab
American forum in Houston, Moussa said the League may
postpone the gathering in deference to Hurricane Katrina
relief efforts in that city. The DCM also delivered reftel
demarche to MFA Cabinet Chief of Staff Wafa'a Bassim
September 6. End summary.

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Arab League Secretary General Calls for Enhanced Dialogue
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2. (C) During an introductory call on Arab League Secretary
General Amre Moussa September 6, the Ambassador delivered
reftel demarche ahead of a September 8 League meeting of
foreign ministers in Cairo. Moussa opened the meeting by
calling for an expanded and deepened bilateral dialogue
between the League and the USG on key issues affecting the
region, citing Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict as
examples. Moussa acknowledged his admiration for America's
positive contributions to Egypt's development efforts and
suggested that most Egyptians were unaware of the tremendous
assistance delivered by the U.S. Recent damage to America's
public image in the region, he suggested, might be reversible
via improved coordination and dialogue with regional leaders
to deal with regional challenges. Moussa cited Washington's
Broader Middle East and North Africa initiative as an example
of a project he felt had not succeeded due to a lack of local
participation in its inception. Moussa further warned that
public opinion in the Middle East should not be ignored. "We
recognize the U.S. as the world's only superpower, but we
cannot simply say 'yes, sir' and follow blindly behind."
There must be some give-and-take, he added.

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Supporting Iraq's Political Process
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3. (C) Responding to the Ambassador's request for Arab
League support for Iraq's political development, Moussa said
he had warned Iraqi President Talabani in April that he would
publicly criticize problematic language in the TAL
(Transitional Administrative Law) over Iraq's "Arab identity"
if it was included in the draft constitution. Nevertheless,
after numerous calls and dialogue with key Iraqi political
figures, the issue was successfully resolved. Moussa was
waiting to see a final, public draft of the constitution
before making public remarks. If the revised language on
Iraq's Arab identity is in the document, he said, he would
make positive public statements in support of Iraq's
political process. This episode, Moussa added, was an
example of where the U.S., Iraq, and the Arab League could
have consulted privately in order to avoid dispute.

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Terror Language for the UN General Assembly
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4. (C) The Ambassador welcomed Moussa's public, positive
remarks on the subject of agreeing to an international
definition of terrorism in line with the UN Secretary
General's proposal, and called for his continued efforts to
propel Arab states to accept a similar position. Moussa
confirmed his strong conviction that terrorism was "a plague"
that harms civilians. Civilians, he added, no matter their
nationality, race, or creed, must be protected. This
position reflected his own strong, personal convictions on
the matter. He would continue his efforts to convince Arab
ministers and leaders to adopt a similar view, regardless of
some resistance from certain quarters.

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Peace Process, Magen David Adom Issue
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5. (C) Moussa agreed with the Ambassador that all parties
needed to seize the momentum created by disengagement and
maintain further progress on the Roadmap. However, expanding
Arab diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel, as the
Ambassador also called for, would be "rewarding Israel for
what it should have done long ago." The Arab states and the
League will be forthcoming in our efforts to assist the
Palestinians, he said, but "don't expect us to stand up and
salute Israel for departing Gaza." We still need to see, he
continued, what Israel will do with its West Bank settlements
and its security wall; "both of which are being expanded,
while we sit and speak." The question of how the settlements
issue is addressed will affect everything else, he said.


6. (C) The Ambassador urged Moussa not to stand in the way
of Swiss efforts to convene a diplomatic conference on the
Third Protocol and to bring Israel's Magen David Adom society
into the Red Cross/Crescent movement. Moussa said no, "Israel
has already been paid a high price for Gaza disengagement.
It doesn't deserve any more." Moussa said he would
reconsider the issue in six months, to allow time to see how
Israel reacts in dealing with West Bank settlements,
Jerusalem, the barrier, and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The Ambassador countered that this was a humanitarian issue
and should not be viewed through the prism of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Moussa said the Organization
of Islamic Conferences (OIC) had already taken a clear
position on the issue.

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Sustaining Momentum on Regional Reform
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7. (C) Noting the strong impact that elections in Egypt and
elsewhere in the region were having, the Ambassador requested
Moussa to continue his efforts to push the regional and Arab
League reform agenda, including recognition and support for
the planned November Forum for the Future meeting in Manama.
Moussa revealed interest in continuing the discussion on
reform, suggesting that he and the Ambassador meet at a later
time to discuss the issue in greater detail.

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DCM With MFA Cabinet Chief of Staff
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8. (C) Also on September 6, the DCM delivered reftel
demarche to MFA Chief of Cabinet Wafa'a Bassim, who was
accompanied by Cabinet staffers Alaa Hadidi and Mohamed
Aboulkheir. Bassim, newly arrived from her previous position
as Ambassador to Bucharest, was not up to speed on the
substance of the Arab League agenda, but promised to convey
the U.S. demarche to the Minister and other appropriate GOE
officials. After thanking Egypt for its offer of hurricane
relief assistance (septel),the Charge called for GOE support
at the upcoming Arab League ministerial to make progress on
key topics spelled out in reftel. Bassim noted that the
subject of condemning terrorism was on the meeting agenda for
the first time in League history. On Iraq, Bassim said Egypt
was taking a "wait and see" approach on the issue of the
constitution and resending an Ambassador to Baghdad. On all
other issues, Bassim "took note" of U.S. positions but had no
substantive response.


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RICCIARDONE