SENATOR DODD'S APRIL 21-23 VISIT TO EGYPT

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 002500

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EG LE IR
SUBJECT: SENATOR DODD'S APRIL 21-23 VISIT TO EGYPT

Classified by DCM Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. During an April 21-23 visit to Egypt,
Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) met Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul
Gheit, the wife of imprisoned political figure Ayman Nour, a
group of Egyptian civil society and business leaders, and
attended a Coptic Easter Mass with the Ambassador. The
Senator discussed a range of issues, including Lebanon, Iran,
the peace process, Ayman Nour, and domestic political reforms
with the Foreign Minister, and encouraged Egypt to welcome
the Peace Corps. Ayman Nour's wife complained about her
husband's treatment in jail and the legal appeal process.
Senator Dodd also heard complaints from business leaders on
the status of U.S.-Egypt trade talks. End summary.


2. (C) After an Embassy request for Dodd to visit jailed
political figure Ayman Nour in prison was ignored by the
Government of Egypt, Senator Chris Dodd and Senate Foreign
Relations Committee staffer Janice O'Connell met with Nour's
wife Gameela Ismael April 22 in their Cairo home. Gameela
complained to the Senator about the treatment her husband was
receiving in prison, and expressed anxiety over the expected
May 18 response to Nour's legal appeal.


3. (SBU) In addition to a lively discussion with leading
Egyptian reform figures, the Senator was hosted for lunch by
the Executive Council of the Egyptian Council on Foreign
Relations, comprised of former diplomats, business leaders,
and government officials. The group expressed concerns over
reports of USG plans to strike Iran, a move they argued would
strengthen regional tensions and fuel Islamic anger toward
Washington. The President of the American Chamber of
Commerce in Egypt lamented the lack of progress on a
bilateral free trade agreement and cautioned against linking
trade talks to political conditions in Egypt. Failure to
move forward on the FTA, he argued, had undermined Egypt's
economic reformers.


4. (C) Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit hosted the Senator April
23 for lunch, where they discussed Lebanon, Iran, the Al
Manar satellite television station, and bringing the Peace
Corps to Egypt. On Lebanon, Aboul Gheit counselled patience
on both the presidency issue and Hizballah's disarming,
noting Syrian and Iranian meddling and strong influence.
Aboul Gheit lamented the recent expanded influence of Iran in
particular, noting that its growing regional influence must
be "checked." Egypt, he said, was the only state in the
region willing and able to take on such a challenge. One way
of countering negative Iranian influence, he added, was to
ensure Israel-Palestinian peace talks remained on track.
Egypt would seek to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas, press Hamas to move toward the established peace
process, and bring Israeli PM Olmert and Abbas (separately)
to Egypt in the coming months. Senator Dodd thanked Egypt
for its vital role in promoting the peace process and
acknowledged Aboul Gheit's decision to avoid meeting with
visiting Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Zahar.


5. (C) On Syria, the Senator requested that Egypt do all it
could to convince the Syrian regime to end its support for
radical Palestinian rejectionist groups resident in Damascus,
citing an Israeli statistic on suicide bombing attempts
sponsored by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. Aboul
Gheit noted that President Mubarak frequently presses his
Syrian counterpart on this topic and is blunt and direct in
his discussions with Asad. Still, Egypt's impression is that
the Syrian regime feels less pressure from Washington of late
on Iraq and the UNIIIC investigation of PM Hariri's murder.
On that investigation, Aboul Gheit believed Asad and his
close family members would only begin cooperating on Lebanon
and other issues were they to feel there was no danger from
Brammertz's efforts.


6. (C) On Iran's nuclear program, the Foreign Minister
argued forcefully against economic sanctions and/or military
strikes against Iran - both of which he believed would be
damaging to the region and to direct U.S. interests locally.
A diplomatic deal should be found that permits careful
monitoring of the Iranian program in return for a package of
incentives, Aboul Gheit argued. The Russians vice Chinese,
he concluded, were the key to any such deal.


7. (SBU) Turning to the issue of Lebanese Hizballah's
broadcast channel Al Manar and its incendiary programming,
Senator Dodd requested Egypt take decisive steps to end
broadcasting of the station on Egypt's Nilesat television
satellite. Aboul Gheit politely acknowledged the request,
stating he would take the issue up with Information Minister
Fikky.


8. (SBU) After raising concerns over the case of Ayman Nour
and the need to bolster Egypt's democratic institutions,
Senator Dodd made a strong pitch for bringing the Peace Corps
to Egypt, an organization in which he had been a volunteer
and for which he remained a fervent advocate. Aboul Gheit
sought additional information on why the Corps had never
operated in Egypt. The Senator promised to share additional
information.


9. (U) The Senator accompanied the Ambassador to an April 22
Coptic Easter Mass led by his Holiness Pope Shenouda at the
Coptic National Cathedral. The otherwise uneventful mass was
notable for the Ambassador and the Senator receiving the
loudest applause of all dignitaries whose names were
announced and welcomed by the Pope.


10. (U) The delegation did not have the opportunity to clear
this message.
RICCIARDONE