SYRIA/LEBANON: EGYPT CONSIDERING IMPLICATIONS OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 009313 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER EG LE SY UNSC SUBJECT: SYRIA/LEBANON: EGYPT CONSIDERING IMPLICATIONS OF NEXT STEPS ON HARIRI PROBE REF: STATE 225178 Classified by ECPO Minister Counselor Michael Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The Charge delivered reftel demarche to Presidential Spokesman Soliman Awad December 15, sharing the draft UN Security Council resolution on the Hariri murder investigation and calling for a strong Egyptian role in supporting Lebanon's request for an expanded/extended mandate for the UN International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIC). Awad offered little substantive response, other than to note that Egypt was closely following developments with respect to Syria and Lebanon. Awad committed to sharing the USG message with the President. During the same conversation, Awad was receptive to the Charge's request that Egypt make strong public statements of support for the Iraqi political process shortly after the December 15 national elections. ¶2. (C) Post also delivered reftel demarche December 15 to MFA Cabinet staffer Amr Sherbiny and to the Arab League Secretariat Chief of Staff Hesham Youssef. Youssef faxed the SIPDIS draft US-UK-French sponsored UNSC resolution to Moussa in Damascus, and shared the gist of the USG call for support for the Lebanese government, ahead of the Secretary General's meetings with Bashar Asad and Syrian FM Sharaa. Youssef had not yet received a readout of Moussa's meetings in Beirut or Damascus. MFA Cabinet staffer Sherbiny had little to say on the ongoing UNSC debate over an expanded/extended UNIIC mandate but promised to convey the USG demarche to his Minister. JONES