Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06CAIRO1409
2006-03-07 14:59:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

EGYPTIAN MEDIA THEMES, FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 4: IRAQ;

Tags:  PGOV KPAO KMDR OPRC EG DA XZ IS XF IZ 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 001409 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/PPD AND RRU-NEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KPAO KMDR OPRC EG DA XZ IS XF IZ
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN MEDIA THEMES, FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 4: IRAQ;
PRESS FREEDOMS; REACTION TO SECRETARYS VISIT TO EGYPT


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 001409

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/PPD AND RRU-NEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KPAO KMDR OPRC EG DA XZ IS XF IZ
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN MEDIA THEMES, FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 4: IRAQ;
PRESS FREEDOMS; REACTION TO SECRETARYS VISIT TO EGYPT



1. Summary. The past week saw strong reactions to the news
of the violence in Iraq and to the one-year prison term
meted out to a journalist from independent daily, Al-Masry
Al-Yom, for publishing a story criticizing a former
government minister (although the article was later
subsequently retracted). At the same time, the press
focused heavily on President Mubarak's regional tour,
speculating as to his motives and whether or not they were
linked to Secretary Rice's visit of the previous week.
Commentary about Secretary Rice's visit continued, and some
were more positive than earlier ones. End summary.



2. Unity for Iraq? News of internecine violence in Iraq
spread throughout the Egyptian media, and spurred
commentary on Iraq to an extent not seen previously in

2006. While much of the commentary focused on predictions
of civil war, many looked inwardly at the unity of Islam.
On February 26, all papers carried the denunciation of
Sheikh Al-Azhar Tantawi of the Iraqi bombings and his
demand that Muslims not differentiate between Sunni and
Shi'a. On the same day, a columnist in leading pro-
government daily, Al-Ahram (circulation 750,000) challenged
Muslims to look inwardly and question their "silence
regarding the destruction of real holy places" given their
eagerness for violence over the Danish cartoons. Similar
commentary in pro-government daily, Al-Akhbar (700,000) on
February 26 challenged all Muslims "to defend the Prophet
and come together to defuse the tension between the Shi'a
and the Sunnis in Iraq." That theme continued on March 1
in the same paper, with the description of the violence as
"more blasphemous than the cartoons," and a request that
Al-Azhar demonstrate leadership and convene a special
conference. Commentaries also focused on whether or not a
civil war would really erupt in Iraq. For at least one
commentator in Al-Akhbar (February 27),the specter of
civil war remained far off, as "Sunni and Shi'a have never
fought each other in Iraq before and they know their real
enemy." Still, in Al-Akhbar, a daily columnist accused the

terrorists led by al-Zarqawi of plotting sectarian tension
as a means to "embarrass other Arab countries and drag them
into a war to defend the Sunnis." On the same day, an
editorial in the more aggressively pro-government daily,
Al-Gomhouriyya (circulation 500,000) suggested that Iraqis
"unite against the (U.S.-led) occupation" in order to keep
from sliding into civil war.


2. Government Restrictions on Freedom of the Press. Early
in the week, news reports announced the one year sentencing
of an Al-Masry Al-Yom (circulation 100,000, independent
daily) journalist for writing a news piece that included
misinformation about the former Minister of Housing,
Ibrahim Soliman. Although the paper published a correction
on the following day, Soliman who filed 37 lawsuits
against journalists while in office - sued the paper.
Throughout the week, considerable news and commentary
reaction followed. Reactions were not limited to Al-Masry
Al-Yom, but journalists from many papers and several
television talk-show commentators commented on the story,
citing it as an example of President Mubarak's failure to
implement his two-year old promise to dilute the law that
allows for imprisonment of journalists. Journalists noted
the "irony" that the court ruling was made in February on
the same date that Mubarak made his promise back in 2004.
Journalists also organized a meeting to demonstrate their
ir
support for freedom of the press. Commentators also
ridiculed the notion that government ministers should be a
kind of "holy category above criticism. After the week's
heavy commentary and coverage, on March 4, all papers
announced that that the former minister in question had
responded to requests by the Supreme Council of the Press
by agreeing to drop all libel charges against journalists,
including the journalist from Al-Masry Al-Yom.


3. Television Commentary on Freedom of the Press. Early
in the week, both state and satellite television channels
carried lively discussion programs on the issue, focusing
on journalism as a profession and its role in a democracy.
On February 26, Egyptian Television's Channel 2 program,
"El-Beit Beitak" (Make Yourself at Home),and Dream TV's
"10 PM" hosted guests critical of the verdict, one of whom
characterized it as a "flagrant violation of democracy and
freedom of the press." Dream TV's guest, a well-known
writer, called for protection of journalists whom he
described as "only doing their part to expose corruption
that is powerful and protected by all means." On February
27, Egyptian Television's Channel One program, "Wughat
Nazar" (Point of View) hosted the chairman of the Press
Syndicate who averred that "journalists are demanding the
right to serve society as a whole by revealing corruption."
On February 28, Channel One's program, "Etkallem" (Speak)
hosted (al-Manar TV affiliated) Mustafa Bakry, (brother of
Mahmoud Bakry, editor of the anti-American weekly, Al-
Osbou' and a Member of Parliament) who discussed his 25-day
detention under similar charges. He described himself as
subject to potential future detention, as the trial is
still ongoing, and opined that "President Mubarak is the
only official in Egypt who accepts criticism."


4. Reactions to the Verdict from Print Journalists. Print
journalists from several papers discussed the issue at
length, focusing especially on its ramifications for their
profession. Independent dailies, Al-Masry Al-Yom and
Nahdet Misr (circulation: 50,000 each) analyzed the
sentencing in the context of failed government, failed
presidential promises, and failed democracy. On February
26, a senior Al-Masry Al-Yom columnist, Magdy Mehanna,
criticized President Mubarak for "failing to defend his
initiative on canceling this law and allowing the enemies
of press freedom to win." A Nahdet Misr columnist
commented sarcastically on the GOE's "own kind of
democracy," contrasting the freedom given to the Danish
cartoonist while Egyptian journalists "who never touch upon
religious issues" are imprisoned. On March 2, another Al-
Masry Al-Yom columnist declared that "the GOE is the sole
beneficiary of the national press which serves the
presidency alone," while Nahdet Misr's editor-in-chief
argued that press freedom "strengthens the regime, rather
than weakens it, as the GOE thinks, and brings it closer to
the people." Pro-government dailies, Al-Ahram and Al-
Akhbar, focused on Mubarak's failure to implement his
promise, but also searched for compromise solutions. Many
commentators argued that internal professional standards
and "court-imposed fines should be sufficient punishments
for journalists," (Al-Akhbar, March 1). Al-Ahram
columnist, Salah Montasser, summarized the situation as
"bringing journalists together to protest on the second
anniversary of the President's promise to abolish the
imprisonment of journalists for the stories they write."


5. Secretary Rice and U.S. Pressure on Egypt; continued
reactions. While President Mubarak embarked on a regional
trip of his own, the past week saw continued commentary on
the previous week's visit by Secretary Rice. Headlines
shifted from Secretary Rice's remarks in Egypt the previous
week to Mubarak's comments last week that his Middle East
trip had "nothing to do with Dr. Rice's visit," and Egypt
is "not being pressured by the U.S.; relations with the
U.S. are good" (all papers, February 26-March 1). Some
commentaries in pro-government dailies Al-Akhbar and Al-
Ahram were surprisingly positive, noting a "change in
Rices tactics, as there was no pressure this time and less
criticism about democracy" (Al-Ahram, March 1),and there
had been a "keenness to use a subtler tone this time" (Al-
Akhbar, February 26). However, other columnists in those
papers and the independents remained critical of Rices
ulterior goals. On March 2, a columnist in Al-Ahram
criticized the U.S. for "not learning from its mistakes and
trying to force its ways and its will on other countries"
and on March 1, a columnist in Al-Masry Al-Yom - whose
editor-in-chief, Hisham Kassem, was one of the participants
in the Secretary's civil society meeting - predicted that
"with the decrease in economic assistance, the U.S. has
lost most of its powerful cards in Egypt, except for
for
military assistance." A February 26 editorial in the
sometimes anti-U.S. pro-government daily, Al-Gomhouriyya,
called upon the U.S. to "drop its policies of interfering
in the internal affairs of the region and adopt a new
policy that seeks fair solutions to put out fires rather
than igniting them."

Ricciardone