SCENESETTER FOR CODEL COLE, JULY 29-30

UNCLAS CAIRO 004559 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR H/MORRIS PETERS TO PASS TO CODEL ROME PASS MFO HQ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OREP MARR PGOV PREL EG IZ SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR CODEL COLE, JULY 29-30 REF: A. STATE 115260 ¶B. CODEL-CASTEEL EMAILS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Embassy Cairo warmly welcomes your visit to Egypt on July 29-30. Your visit to the Multinational Force and Observers' South Camp and other facilities will offer an opportunity to talk to U.S. commanders on the ground about MFO's operational mission and organizational structure, force levels and budgetary requirements of the U.S. contingent, and MFO's response to regional terrorist attacks and its monitoring of the Egyptian Border Guard deployment. End Summary. -------------- Background and Organization -------------- ¶2. (U) The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) is an independent international organization created by the 1979 Treaty of Peace between Egypt and Israel and the Treaty's 1981 Protocol to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of Treaty and employ best efforts to prevent any violation of its terms. It does so through combining static and mobile means of observation by air, land, and sea to execute its mission. MFO began its mission on April 25, 1982, the day that Israel returned the Sinai to Egyptian sovereignty. The Protocol establishes four security zones, three of which are in the Sinai (Zones A, B, and C) and one in Israel (D). The Protocol also stipulates limitations on military force levels and equipment within each zone. MFO's expenses, less contributions from the governments of Germany, Japan, and Switzerland, are funded in equal parts by Egypt, Israel, and the United States. Ten participating countries--Australia, Canada, Columbia, Fiji, France, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, the United States, and Uruguay--provide the MFO with military contingents that make up the Force. ¶3. (U) The Parties to the Treaty assigned the MFO the following tasks: --Operation of checkpoints, reconnaissance patrols, and observation posts along the international boundary and within Zone C. --Periodic verification of the implementation of the provisions of the Protocol, to be carried out at least twice per month, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties --Additional verifications within 48 hours after the receipt of a request from either Party --Ensure the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Tiran ¶4. (U) The Director General, Ambassador (ret.) James A. Larocco, leads the MFO from Rome. The Director General exercises authority through his staff at the Headquarters in Rome; the Force Commander (Italian Major General Roberto Martinelli) and his staff in the Sinai; and the Director General's Representatives and their staff in Cairo and Tel Aviv. The Force and Observers consist of: --a Headquarters with branches for Operations & Training, Liaison, Support, Engineering, Communications and Information Systems, and Personnel; --three infantry battalions; --a Civilian Observer Unit, which conducts reconnaissance missions of verification in the four Treaty zones; --a Coastal Patrol Unit; --a Fixed Wing Aviation Unit; --a Binational Transportation Unit; --an Engineering Unit; --a Force Military Police Unit; --a Flight Following Section; --and other multinational and military staff of the Force Commander. ¶5. (SBU) These functions are carried out in Egypt at North Camp, the MFO's largest installation and site of the Force Commander's Headquarters, located in the northern Sinai at el-Gorah; at the smaller South Camp, near Sharm el Sheikh; and at thirty remote operational sites, including Sector Control Centers (SCCs),Observation Posts, and Check Points located throughout Zone C. Both North Camp and South Camp are MFO facilities, not U.S. facilities, under the command of the Force Commander. The MFO exists and operates independently of the embassies of the contributing states and is not under the oversight of either the theater commander or the U.S. or other Ambassadors in Cairo and Tel Aviv. -------------- The U.S. Contingent -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The MFO's Civilian Observer Unit (COU), established on April 25, 1982, is the only MFO element present in all four zones and the chief unit in charge of the MFO core mission of verification, observation, and reporting. The unit currently consists of fifteen members, all of whom are U.S. nationals. Roughly half are seconded from the U.S. Department of State; the other half are hired directly by the MFO. ¶7. (SBU) The United States Army provides the largest contingent to the MFO based at both North and South Camp. The U.S. contingent consists of the U.S. Infantry Battalion (USBATT) and the U.S. Support Battalion (SPTBATT),in addition to Task Force Headquarters. U.S. Forces are under administrative control of Third Army United States Army Central (ARCENT),but on deployment they are under operational control of the MFO. ¶8. (SBU) CENTCOM provides Force protection support for the MFO with Rome oversight, the result of an MOU signed between CENTCOM and the MFO in 1998. The U.S. Battalion does not respond or send reports to MFO Headquarters in Rome. It sends reporting through its chain of command, to MFO Headquarters at North Camp. The Force Commander, Major General Roberto Martinelli, is the conduit for all reports, including violations. Rome is the right place to ask questions about violations. ¶9. (SBU) Task Force Headquarters is comprised of 27 U.S. soldiers, mostly officers and senior NCOs. They are assigned to key leadership positions on the Force Commander's staff, including personnel, operations, logistics, medical, engineering, communications, force protection, safety, and aviation. Many of these personnel are dual-hatted and also serve a staff function for Task Force Sinai (TFS),the internal U.S. headquarters organized to provide command and control to all U.S. soldiers assigned to the MFO. The senior American in the Force serves as Chief of Staff (COS) and also commands TFS. The MFO COS (who is also U.S. TFS Commander) is Col. Tim Parks (USA). Col. Parks will guide your visit, coming down from MFO Headquarters at el Gorah (North Camp) to take charge of the visit in Sharm. Col. Parks directs all staff actions within the Force and answers for the Force in the Force Commander's absence. As TFS Commander, Col. Parks has been centrally-selected for brigade command in the US Support Battalion and the US Headquarters Contingent. The Chief of Support is also an American Colonel and is responsible for the timely and effective logistical support to the entire force. The Operations Officer manages the day-to-day execution of the MFO mission. ¶10. (SBU) USBATT occupies the southern sector of Zone C and observes and reports activity, in accordance with the Treaty and its Protocol. USBATT is also responsible for the operation and security of South Camp. From January 2002 to the present, the Army National Guard has provided the infantry battalions. Arkansas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Iowa, Michigan and New Jersey provided the first six infantry battalions. A battalion from the California National Guard assumed the mission in January 2005 and was the first unit to execute the mission for a full 12 months. The Texas National Guard provides the current Task Force; Puerto Rico will follow in January 2007. USBATT has been cut back in recent years to about 425 personnel. Col. Parks will explain where the U.S. Battalion operates--and generally they are deployed from Taba to Sharm. There is very little exposure to the Israeli border. ¶11. (SBU) SPTBATT, consisting of approximately 235 personnel, provides logistical, aviation, medical and dental and explosive ordinance disposal support to MFO. SPTBATT provides direct logistical support to all eleven continents within the MFO at both base camps and all remote sites -------------- MFO Cairo -------------- ¶12. (SBU) You'll have the opportunity to meet Norm St. Pierre, MFO Director General Larocco's official representative in Cairo to the Egyptian government. MFO Cairo deals with treaty issues, finance, security, and conducting MFO's day-to-day business with Egyptian government offices. MFO Cairo also maintains liaison with local embassies of the MFO's Participating Donor States and serves as a contact for local press. -------------- Recent Terrorist Attacks -------------- ¶13. (SBU) You'll also be briefed on how MFO has responded to terrorist attacks in the region. On April 26, 2005, a suicide bomber targeted an MFO Liaison vehicle 11 km north of North Camp by detonating a device while an MFO vehicle, carrying 2 MFO personnel (from Norway and New Zealand) and two Egyptian officials, passed. There were no injuries. -------------- -- Monitoring the Egyptian Border Guard Deployment -------------- -- ¶14. (SBU) In September 2005, the MFO undertook to monitor the Egyptian Border Guard deployment along the Egyptian side of the border between Egypt and Gaza. Egypt's decision to create a new Border Security Force of 1,000 trained and well-armed personnel troops for the Gaza border provided Israel with the confidence necessary for it to depart Gaza at that time. MFO's mission, its first new role since the its original responsibilities were defined, is to verify the border guard deployment is consistent with the Treaty. ¶15. (SBU) Egypt remains fully engaged on Gaza security issues since Israel's withdrawal of troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip last September. Egypt has improved its capacity to prevent cross-border smuggling into Gaza, and has worked to faithfully implement the November 15, 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access - brokered by Secretary Rice - that provided Gazans an international border outside Israel for the first time since 1967. Egypt also plays a unique and activist role in dealing with Palestinian political and armed factions, including efforts to broker a cease-fire with Israel and to resolve the crisis sparked June 25 when an Israeli soldier was kidnapped by Palestinian militants. -------------- Domestic politics -------------- ¶16. (SBU) After a period of substantial political reforms, the late 2005 parliamentary elections ended in violence, over a dozen deaths, and widespread allegations of fraud and ballot box manipulation. Although NDP candidates won 360 of 444 seats, Muslim Brotherhood candidates won 88 seats and thereby established a more open platform from which to attack the Mubarak regime and its policies favoring Arab-Israeli peace and close cooperation with the U.S. Mubarak's elected term expires in 2011. There is much public controversy over perceptions that Mubarak is aiming to establish his son Gamal as his successor. Both President Mubarak and son Gamal deny such plans. A series of incidents, including harassment of opposition activists and crackdowns against political demonstrations have called into question the GOE's commitment to political reform. But the GOE is working on a package of constitutional amendments, said to slightly redistribute powers among the branches of the government and also to facilitate the enactment of anti-terror legislation based on western models. It is too soon to tell if these measures will advance a meaningful reform process. RICCIARDONE