EGYPT STILL STUDYING PROPOSED UNSC RESOLUTION ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 008269

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER IO LE SY EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT STILL STUDYING PROPOSED UNSC RESOLUTION ON
MEHLIS REPORT

REF: A. STATE 197619

B. USUN NEW YORK 02484

Classified by ECPO Minister Counselor Michael Corbin for
reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) In advance of the Ambassador's meeting with FM Aboul
Gheit (scheduled for October 27 but postponed by the FM until
October 29) ECPO MinCouns delivered Ref A demarche to the
MFA's Assistant Minister for American Affairs Aly Houssam Al
Hefny on October 27. Drawing on Refs A and B, MinCouns
clarified that the proposed sanctions are targeted against
individuals designated as criminal suspects by the Commission
and not against governments and stressed that the USG
believes that the P3 text strikes the necessary balance
between support for the Mehlis Commission and pressure on
Syria.


2. (C) Assistant Minister Al Hefny responded that the GOE
is still studying the report, but underlined that the Syrian
file receives President Mubarak's personal attention. "The
GOE is eager," he said, to see justice done and "not to have
any further complications in the region." Al Hefny also
added that according to reporting from the GOE's New York
office, the Russian, UK, French and Algerian FMs would all
attend the Ministerial meeting on October 31.


3. (C) As for Egypt's reaction to the text, Al Hefny said
that the GOE had taken into account NEA A/S Welch's telephone
call to Egyptian UNSC PermRep Maged Abdel Fatah. The MFA's
desk officer for American Affairs, Basil Ahmed, told us
privately after the meeting that his MFA colleagues handling
the resolution were working on alternative language for OPs
3, 4, and 5 (no further information). Al Hefny concluded by
saying that the FM will discuss the proposed resolution in
detail with the Ambassador when they meet on October 29.


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