Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06CAIRO6736
2006-11-06 15:41:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:
MFA PROTESTS USG COMMENTS ON SADAT CONVICTION
how-toVZCZCXRO0891 OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV DE RUEHEG #6736 3101541 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 061541Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2446 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 006736
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR DORAN AND WATERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM EG
SUBJECT: MFA PROTESTS USG COMMENTS ON SADAT CONVICTION
REF: A. CAIRO 6600
B. CAIRO 6294
Classified By: DCM Stuart Jones, for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 006736
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR DORAN AND WATERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM EG
SUBJECT: MFA PROTESTS USG COMMENTS ON SADAT CONVICTION
REF: A. CAIRO 6600
B. CAIRO 6294
Classified By: DCM Stuart Jones, for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On November 2, in a conversation with Assistant
Minister for Americas Salama Shaker, DCM expressed USG
concern over the sentencing of MP Talaat El Sadat to one year
of hard labor (ref A),citing the November 1 statements of
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Sean McCormack.
Shaker, noting her surprise that the U.S. would "support"
Sadat, promised to convey USG views to FM Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
DCM clarified that the USG does not support Sadat personally,
but rather his right to criticize the government. On
November 5, Shaker called Ambassador, under instructions from
FM Aboul Gheit (then with President Mubarak in China) to
protest that the spokesman's comments to the media on the
Sadat case are "unacceptable" and "very offensive to the
Government and people of Egypt."
2. (C) Comment: The conviction of Sadat in a military trial
has not resulted in a public outcry in Egypt. Even democracy
advocates, while privately lamenting the blow to freedom of
speech and due process, have not raised their voices publicly
in Sadat's defense. As reported reftel, Sadat is widely
viewed as an unpredictable maverick without a significant
political constituency. He evidently crossed not only
Egyptian legal lines, but also public opinion standards, when
he conducted a series of interviews, including regional
satellite TV, to charge Mubarak (by name) and the military
leadership, with complicity in Anwar El Sadat's assassination
(ref B).
RICCIARDONE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR DORAN AND WATERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM EG
SUBJECT: MFA PROTESTS USG COMMENTS ON SADAT CONVICTION
REF: A. CAIRO 6600
B. CAIRO 6294
Classified By: DCM Stuart Jones, for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).
1. (C) On November 2, in a conversation with Assistant
Minister for Americas Salama Shaker, DCM expressed USG
concern over the sentencing of MP Talaat El Sadat to one year
of hard labor (ref A),citing the November 1 statements of
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Sean McCormack.
Shaker, noting her surprise that the U.S. would "support"
Sadat, promised to convey USG views to FM Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
DCM clarified that the USG does not support Sadat personally,
but rather his right to criticize the government. On
November 5, Shaker called Ambassador, under instructions from
FM Aboul Gheit (then with President Mubarak in China) to
protest that the spokesman's comments to the media on the
Sadat case are "unacceptable" and "very offensive to the
Government and people of Egypt."
2. (C) Comment: The conviction of Sadat in a military trial
has not resulted in a public outcry in Egypt. Even democracy
advocates, while privately lamenting the blow to freedom of
speech and due process, have not raised their voices publicly
in Sadat's defense. As reported reftel, Sadat is widely
viewed as an unpredictable maverick without a significant
political constituency. He evidently crossed not only
Egyptian legal lines, but also public opinion standards, when
he conducted a series of interviews, including regional
satellite TV, to charge Mubarak (by name) and the military
leadership, with complicity in Anwar El Sadat's assassination
(ref B).
RICCIARDONE