UPDATE ON DEPORTATION REQUEST: CASE OF IYAD AHMAD

UNCLAS CAIRO 002453 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR NEA/ELA, CA/VO, AND CA/FPP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAL CVIS PTER EG IS SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DEPORTATION REQUEST: CASE OF IYAD AHMAD ANWAR BADAWI, A97-374-624 ¶1. (SBU) Econ-Political MinCouns has raised the case of Mr. Badawi with Egyptian Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister Amin Meleika on three occasions: November 13, November 23, and November 30. On November 13, MinCouns orally explained the background of the case and asked if Egypt would allow Mr. Badawi to pass through Egypt into Gaza. Meleika offered to look into the case, but requested more details in writing. ¶2. (SBU) On November 23, MinCouns provided Meleika the information supplied on November 18 by NEA/ELA which dealt primarily with the immigration and fraud aspects of Mr. Badawi's deportation case. Meleika then requested more details on USG concerns about Mr. Badawi's security issues, including possible ties to Hamas. NEA/ELA sent this information on November 21, and MinCouns passed it to Meleika on November 23, stressing the time sensitivity of the request. On November 30, MinCouns again asked Meleika what the status of the Badawi case was; Meleika reported that no decision had been made. ¶3. (SBU) On each occasion that MinCouns raised the Badawi deportation case, Deputy Assistant Minister Meleika stressed the sensitive nature of any case involving a Palestinian and security concerns, and the fact that it would need careful, intra-GoE coordination before he could give a final response. He did not think that the initial rejection of the case by the Egyptian Consul General in San Francisco in December 2007 should be taken as final. He promised to raise the case with the appropriate GoE entities, but said he could not promise when a definitive decision would be made. ¶4. (SBU) The Embassy's Homeland Security Working Group is fully engaged with this case, and we will continue to press for an early decision. However, we note that with several major holidays approaching, it may be difficult for the GoE to coordinate a response before the end of December, as requested by the Department. SCOBEY