GOE ON WSIS AND INTERNET FREEDOM

UNCLAS CAIRO 008402 SIPDIS SENSITIVE EB/CIP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECPS ETRD ECON EINT ETTC EG SUBJECT: GOE ON WSIS AND INTERNET FREEDOM REF: SECSTATE 196384 Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) During a meeting with GOE Minister of Communication and Information Technology Dr. Tarek Kamel October 31, the Ambassador asked Kamel for the GOE's position on the recent European Commission proposal on Internet management (reftel) in the lead up to the Tunis World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The Ambassador emphasized that the proposal to put Internet management under multilateral governmental control would "strangle" the Internet, stifling the free flow of ideas and introducing burdensome bureaucracy. The United States would not allow this to happen. ¶2. (SBU) Dr. Kamel expressed support for the protection of the free flow of ideas over the Internet. The issue of Internet supervision had become too politicized, he said, and suggested that the creation of an international forum or Internet advisory board, consisting of technical experts, Nobel prize winners, etc., might maintain this protection. The U.S. could be more "flexible," he continued, without endangering the grassroots, bottom-up, free spirit of the Internet. Kamel said he doubted the issue would be resolved in the WSIS in Tunis. (Note: According to one of his aides, Dr. Kamel will personally lead a "large" Egyptian delegation to the WSIS. End note.) RICCIARDONE