EGYPTIAN AND ARAB LEAGUE REACTION TO MURDER OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 009254

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER EG SY LE
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN AND ARAB LEAGUE REACTION TO MURDER OF
LEBANESE POLITICIAN GIBRAN TUENI

REF: STATE 223709

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


1. (C) Post conveyed reftel demarche December 13 to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Arab League, calling for
prompt condemnations of the December 12 murder of Lebanese
politician Gibran Tueni and strong support to the Government
of Lebanon. MFA Cabinet staff member Amr Sherbiny welcomed
copies of the President's and Secretary's statements on the
attack, but noted that the Government of Egypt had yet to
make any official statement. He offered that a statement was
currently in the drafting stage, but that it was unclear
under whose name (the Ministry, or the Presidency) the
statement would be issued. Post has yet to locate any
official GOE reaction to the attack in local media outlets,
but notes that the topic has been covered factually by the
state and opposition media and discussed widely on local TV
talk shows. Sherbiny offered no substantive comment on the
potential expansion of the UNIIIC mandate to include Tueni,s
murder.


2. (C) Post also shared the USG statements condemning the
attack with Arab League Press Secretary Alaa Rushdy, and
called for similarly strong statements from the League and
the Secretary General. Rushdy shared that Secretary General
Moussa, in Doha on official business, had publicly condemned
the attack during a press conference December 12, offering
condolences to Tueni's family, and calling for an
investigation to find and prosecute those responsible for his
murder. Since Moussa has already commented publicly on the
matter, the League does not plan on issuing a written
statement. However, Moussa will travel to Beirut December 14
for Tueni's funeral, where he is expected to meet with the
Lebanese Prime Minister and other senior Lebanese political
figures. Moussa will then visit Damascus on Thursday,
December 15, to meet with senior Syrian officials.


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