MUBARAK MEETS ABBAS, TALABANI; EGYPTIANS CONTINUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 003260 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV EG IZ XF IS SUBJECT: MUBARAK MEETS ABBAS, TALABANI; EGYPTIANS CONTINUE TO VENT OVER ISRAELI RELATIONS Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs Wi lliam R. Stewart. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) President Mubarak hosted several Arab leaders visiting Cairo for the Arab Olympics November 11-13. Mubarak met Palestinian Authority President Abbas, Saudi King Abdullah, Jordanian King Abdullah II, and hosted a lunch with Iraqi President Talabani, Sudanese President Bashir, and Yemeni President Saleh. In addition, an Iraqi delegation led by Sheikh Aziz Nazhan met with FM Aboul Gheit November 13. ¶2. (C) MFA Senior Cabinet Advisor Hosam Zaki told us November 11 that Abbas had been downcast in his meeting with Mubarak, and "very disturbed" at the Israelis, accusing them of "backtracking" and "playing games." As a result, President Mubarak had instructed Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit to send a non-paper to Secretary Rice on November 12 in connection with Annapolis preparations. ¶3. (C) Talabani and Mubarak discussed the possibility of exchanging ambassadors, according to Zaki. Talbani reportedly said that the Egyptian ambassador could live nearby his own residence in Baghdad, and that he would provide him with the same level of security as he received. Zaki said that Aboul Gheit promised to consider this offer, but did not commit, noting that Talabani lives outside the Green Zone. Talabani agreed to re-start the moribund "Egyptian-Iraqi Joint Committee," and offered to send FM Zebari to Cairo to kick it off. He said the committee would look at trade and political issues. Aboul Gheit reiterated to Talabani Egypt's offer to train Iraqi security forces, which Talabani welcomed. ¶4. (C) Zaki, and other key MFA interlocutors, have expressed exasperation over what they consider to be an overt Israeli campaign to convince the U.S. Congress to cut USG assistance to Egypt. On November 9, Zaki gave us a brief account of the November 7 Aboul Gheit meeting with Israeli FM Livni that took place in Lisbon on the margins of the Euromed conference. Zaki said that Aboul Gheit had conveyed a stern message on behalf of President Mubarak: If the Israeli goal is to scuttle the US-Egyptian relationship, and cause USG funding to Egypt to be cut, then "so be it." But, Egyptian behavior and strategic interests will not be altered by these Israeli tactics. He noted that Livni had not apologized over the dissemination of an Israeli report critical of Egyptian anti-smuggling performance to the Hill. ¶5. (C) MFA Deputy Assistant Minister for the Americas Mohammad Aboul Dahab told visiting Political Counselor to Embassy Tel Aviv Marc Sievers November 14 that the recent letter from Knesset member Joval Steinetz to members of Congress was just the latest example of Israeli "bad faith." We responded that neither the USG nor the Israeli government should be blamed for opinions of some members of our legislatures. Nevertheless, our MFA contacts continue to make clear their view that we are not doing enough to protect the U.S.-Egypt bilateral relationship from Congressional criticism. RICCIARDONE