DEMARCHE DELIVERED: TORCHING OF OPPOSITION AL-GHAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 002350 SIPDIS NEA FOR HALE, ALSO FOR NEA/PI (KIRBY),NEA/ELA AND DRL/NESCA NSC FOR PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2028 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM EG SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: TORCHING OF OPPOSITION AL-GHAD PARTY HEADQUARTERS REF: A. STATE 119972 ¶B. CAIRO 2339 Classified By: DCM Matthew H. Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On November 12, we demarched MFA Deputy Assistant Minister for Human Rights Wael Aboulmagd on the November 6 torching of Al-Ghad party headquarters (ref A). We expressed particular concern that the headquarters of an opposition party was destroyed, and that according to some reports, the public prosecutor is planning to bring charges only against members of the party's Nour wing, but not the Moussa wing. Aboulmagd affirmed that the GOE needs to respond to what he termed the "criminal activity" that transpired at the Al-Ghad party headquarters November 6. Aboulmagd said that either the Nour wing or the Moussa wing of the Al-Ghad party is free to file a complaint with the public prosecutor's office. Aboulmagd described the torching as an internal Ghad party matter, and asserted that the GOE was not involved. He expressed admiration for Ayman Nour as a parliamentarian. ¶2. (C) Amir Salem, the attorney for both Ayman Nour and his wife Gameela Ismail, told us separately November 12 that the public prosecutor is considering bringing charges of arson, rioting and vandalism against Ismail and some of her associates. Salem stressed that it is currently too early to predict whether the public prosecutor will file these charges with a criminal court or drop the case entirely. ¶3. (U) Gameela Ismail and Moussa Mustafa Moussa, the leader of the GOE-supported wing of Al-Ghad, made a joint appearance on a popular television talk show the evening of November 11. Ismail accused Moussa of being an agent for the ruling National Democratic Party and State Security Investigative Services, and Moussa accused her of being an agent of the United States. SCOBEY