DANISH CARTOON CONTROVERSY: GOE WORKING TO DEFUSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000800

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ASEC EG DA
SUBJECT: DANISH CARTOON CONTROVERSY: GOE WORKING TO DEFUSE
CRISIS, VIOLENT PROTESTS IN EGYPT UNLIKELY

REF: A. CAIRO 713


B. CAIRO 712

C. STATE 20587

D. STATE 20453

Classified by ECPO Minister Counselor Michael Corbin for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) According to our European colleagues, GOE officials,
and our own analysis, the GOE and Egyptian public remain
deeply angered over the cartoon controversy and believe
additional steps can be taken by the Danes to defuse the
current tensions. The issue of physical security for the
Danish and other European missions has never been in
question, due to a strong Egyptian security presence which we
expect will prevent the violent protests witnessed elsewhere
in the region (ref B). Nevertheless, a public boycott of
Danish products continues, small demonstrations continue at
schools, Islamic institutions, and the Danish/Norwegian/EU
missions, and the local media continue to focus attention on
the issue. The GOE, after pressing the issue for months with
the Europeans and within the Islamic community, remains upset
but understands the dangers of allowing the issue to be
controlled by extremists in the region.


2. (C) The Ambassador conveyed USG concerns on the issue
February 8 to MFA Chef du Cabinet Wafaa Bassim and informed
her that Secretary Rice would be calling Foreign Minister
Ahmed Aboul Gheit on the same topic. On February 9, the
Ambassador raised the issue with Arab League Secretary
General Moussa, who stressed his public support for a joint
statement by the UN Secretary General, the EU's Solana, and
the OIC Secretary General. Moussa predicted that if
publications of the cartoons were to stop, Muslim
demonstrators would "run out of ammo," and the situation
would quickly calm down. Moussa also shared that Solana
would be in Cairo February 15, and that a potential OIC
ministerial in Mecca "was on hold." Moussa also mentioned
plans to launch an Arab-European dialogue to enhance
relations between the two regions, the first session of which
is to occur April 26-27 at the Arab World Institute in Paris.
The Ambassador also invited his Danish counterpart to attend
a G-8 Ambassadors lunch February 8 to discuss how best to
engage the GOE on the issue. The Dane and other Europeans
expressed apprehension over how the issue had been handled by
their governments and did not understand how the situation
had become so inflamed. The European Ambassadors conveyed
that Aboul Gheit, in a high-handed and emotional manner, had
made matters worse in their dealings with him, as had the
Egyptian Ambassador in Copenhagen.


3. (C) A senior MFA official suggested February 8 that the
crisis would not subside until the Danish Government issued a
formal statement similar to White House statements, including
reference to respect for religious beliefs. In other
conversations with MFA diplomats, poloff heard praise for the
USG's handling of the controversy, reminiscent of President
Bush's steps to reassure Muslims in the tense aftermath of
September 11. MFA diplomats suggested the U.S. could make
further positive impressions in the Islamic world by calling
for additional interfaith dialogue and reconciliation, or by
hosting a high-level event focused on this topic. The GOE
response to the cartoons, they admitted, had been an activist
one within the OIC and in the region over the past months.
The reason, they said, was because Egypt is the home of Al
Azhar and because Egypt wanted to defend Islamic dignity in
the face of a perceived "European unity" in defending the
Danes over publication of the cartoons. As a further result
of GOE activism, the Saudis felt compelled to press even
further, in a "competitive reaction" to Egypt's efforts -
given the Kingdom's role as home to Islam's holiest sites.
RICCIARDONE