Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CAIRO1855
2007-06-18 10:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

SAAD EDDIN IBRAHIM ACCUSED OF ESPIONAGE AND

Tags:  PGOV KDEM PHUM EG 
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VZCZCXRO8097
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #1855 1691004
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181004Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5709
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001855 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR WATERS AND DAVIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2017
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM EG
SUBJECT: SAAD EDDIN IBRAHIM ACCUSED OF ESPIONAGE AND
DAMAGING EGYPT'S ECONOMIC INTERESTS

REF: CAIRO 1821

Classified By: Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs,
Catherine Hill-Herndon, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001855

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR WATERS AND DAVIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2017
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM EG
SUBJECT: SAAD EDDIN IBRAHIM ACCUSED OF ESPIONAGE AND
DAMAGING EGYPT'S ECONOMIC INTERESTS

REF: CAIRO 1821

Classified By: Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs,
Catherine Hill-Herndon, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) Egyptian newspapers reported on June 18 that renowned
Egyptian-American democracy activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim
(SEI),recently the target of a smear campaign in Egypt's
government-backed press for his attendance at President
Bush's June 5 Prague speech (reftel),has been accused of
"damaging the state's economic interests" (for reportedly
asking President Bush to condition U.S. assistance to Egypt)
and "espionage for a foreign state." According to press
reports, on June 17 Nabil Louka Bebawi, a Coptic former
police general and Lions Club leader, filed a complaint
against SEI at the Public Prosecutor's office (Note: The
Public Prosecutor is Egypt's Attorney-General equivalent.
End note). The June 18 issue of Al Ahram, Egypt's largest
state-owned daily, carried the text of the complaint: "All
Egyptian and international press reported that when Dr. Saad
Eddin Ibrahim, a dual national, met with President Bush, he
asked him to cut back U.S. financial assistance to Egypt,
alleging that Egypt does not maintain human rights. What he
did is a crime under Article 77D of the Egyptian penal code,
which punishes with imprisonment anyone who works with a
foreign country, or for its interests, or spies for it,
causing harm to the military, political, diplomatic, or
economic interests of Egypt." When such a complaint is filed
with the Public Prosecutor's office, the normal next step is
for state prosecutors to investigate the allegations, and
then determine whether to press charges.

2. (C) Poloff called Barbara Ibrahim, SEI's wife, to alert
her to the allegations. Noting that this was "not
surprising," given the heightened venom of recent media
attacks against SEI, Ibrahim said that her husband is
currently in Amman, and will likely subsequently travel to
Dubai, Qatar, northern Iraq, and the U.S. for a variety of
projects. Ibrahim said that SEI does not plan to return to
Egypt until "mid to late July, at the earliest."


3. (SBU) Meanwhile, on June 17, USAID officers in Cairo were
sent an anonymous e-mail alleging that "dangerous financial
violations (have been committed) by the Ibn Khaldun Center
(the Egyptian civil society organization headed by SEI) in
the last few months. The attached documents prove that the
Center has violated its contracts with donor organizations
and misappropriated the money of tax payers." The e-mail
attached alleged financial documents from the Ibn Khaldun
Center. Embassy's MEPI staff is looking into the allegations.
JONES