Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CAIRO336
2007-02-07 12:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

SPY SPANDAL INVOLVING CANADA, EGYPT, AND ISRAEL

Tags:  PREL PGOV PINR PTER MEPN EG IS CA 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEGA #0336 0381212
ZNY CCCCC ZZH ZUI RUEWMCE2208 0381207
O 071212Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000336 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR PTER MEPN EG IS CA
SUBJECT: SPY SPANDAL INVOLVING CANADA, EGYPT, AND ISRAEL
UNDERSCORES TENSIONS IN EGYPTIAN-ISRAELI RELATIONS


CLASSIFIED BY DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION STUART JONES FOR
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

-------
SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000336

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR PTER MEPN EG IS CA
SUBJECT: SPY SPANDAL INVOLVING CANADA, EGYPT, AND ISRAEL
UNDERSCORES TENSIONS IN EGYPTIAN-ISRAELI RELATIONS


CLASSIFIED BY DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION STUART JONES FOR
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) A SPY SCANDAL INVOLVING AN EGYPTIAN-CANADIAN CITIZEN
AND THREE ISRAELIS BECAME PUBLIC ON FEBRUARY 4. STATE
SECURITY ARRESTED AN EGYPTIAN-CANADIAN IN JANUARY WHEN HE
RETURNED TO CAIRO ON A FAMILY VISIT FOR SPYING ON EGYPTIAN
CITIZENS IN TURKEY AND CANADA ON BEHALF OF ISRAEL. CANADIAN
EMBASSY CONTACTS SAY THEY HAVE NOT GAINED CONSULAR ACCESS AS
OF FEBRUARY 6. EGYPTIAN MEDIA IS ABUZZ WITH SPECULATION ON
THE CASE, BUT IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE CASE WILL AFFECT
EGYPT'S RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL. END SUMMARY.

--------------
NEWS BREAKS OF EGYPTIAN ARREST
--------------


2. (SBU) ON FEBRUARY 4, NEWS EMERGED THAT EGYPT HAD ARRESTED
MOHAMED ESSAM AL ATTAR, AN EGYPTIAN-BORN CANADIAN CITIZEN
ACCUSED OF SPYING FOR ISRAEL, AS HE SOUGHT TO ENTER LEGALLY
INTO EGYPT IN EARLY JANUARY. PRESS STORIES ANNOUNCED THAT
EGYPT ALSO REQUESTED INTERPOL TO ARREST THREE NAMED ISRAELI
"INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS" WHOM THE GOE BELIEVES RECRUITED ATTAR
TO SPY FOR ISRAEL. MEDIA STORIES SAY ATTAR FLED EGYPT OVER
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES BACK IN 2001, WAS RECRUITED BY ISRAELI
AGENTS IN TURKEY, AND SPIED ON EGYPTIAN DIPLOMATS AND
CITIZENS IN TURKEY AND IN CANADA, AFTER HE MOVED THERE.
ATTAR WAS REPORTEDLY A UNIVERSITY DROP-OUT, AND HAD FLED
EGYPT TO AVOID A LAWSUIT OVER PAYMENT FOR A WRECKED RENTAL
CAR. ACCORDING TO OTHER PRESS REPORTS, ATTAR WAS A TROUBLED
INDIVIDUAL, RAISED BY HIS MOTHER, AND ESTRANGED FROM HIS
FATHER - HIMSELF A RETIRED AIR FORCE PILOT AND SON OF A
PROMINENT AL AZHAR MOSQUE FIGURE. MEMBERS OF THE FATHER'S
FAMILY HAVE GIVEN INTERVIEWS IN WHICH THEY SEEK TO CLEAR THE
ATTAR FAMILY NAME. A TRIAL FOR ATTAR WILL REPORTEDLY
COMMENCE ON FEBRUARY 11, ACCORDING TO ATTAR'S LEGAL COUNSEL,
RAGAB AL ASSAL.

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CANADA WAITING FOR CONSULAR ACCESS
--------------


3. (C) CANADIAN EMBASSY DCM CHRIS HALL TOLD EMBOFF CANADA
WAS BLINDSIDED BY THE NEWS, AND HAD NOT GAINED CONSULAR
ACCESS TO ATTAR AS OF FEBRUARY 6, DESPITE REPEATED REQUESTS
TO THE GOE. HALL STATED THAT ATTAR WAS GRANTED CANADIAN
CITIZENSHIP IN NOVEMBER 2006, AND WAS ISSUED A PASSPORT TWO
WEEKS LATER ("THIS IS INCREDIBLY FAST FOR OUR SYSTEM," HALL
ADDED). ATTAR HAD LEGALLY CHANGED HIS NAME IN CANADA, HE
NOTED, AND THE PICTURE IN THE EGYPTIAN PAPERS LOOKS TO BE THE
ONE FROM HIS CANADIAN PASSPORT.

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COMMENT
--------------


4. (C) THERE HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE SPECULATION REGARDING THE
TIMING OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF ATTAR'S ARREST. ALTHOUGH HE
WAS ARRESTED IN EARLY JANUARY, THE EGYPTIANS ANNOUNCED IT
ONLY ON FEBRUARY 4. THIS COULD BE AN EFFORT TO DEFLECT
ATTENTION FROM THE ALLEGATION THAT THE EILAT SUICIDE BOMBER
(JANUARY 29) ENTERED ISRAEL FROM GAZA, VIA EGYPT. THE
EGYPTIANS ARE ALSO SENSITIVE TO NEWS REPORTS FROM ISRAEL THAT
THEY ARE SHIPPING WEAPONS INTO GAZA.
RICCIARDONE