CODEL HASTINGS' CAIRO MEETINGS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 002578 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR NEA/ELA, G/TIP, AND H (PLEASE PASS TO REP. HASTINGS) E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS OSCE PHUM KCRM OREP EUN PREF PTER, IZ, JO, EG SUBJECT: CODEL HASTINGS' CAIRO MEETINGS Classified By: Ambassador Margaret Scobey, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Internet release. ¶1. (C) Summary: In December 6 meetings, senior Egyptian government officials told Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) that the incoming U.S. administration should focus on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process "from day one." FM Ahmed Aboul Gheit told Hastings that the Barcelona Process has been completely displaced by the Mediterranean Union, which he said is currently working on forming a secretariat. Hastings asked that Egyptian parliamentarians participate in an upcoming Washington meeting of OSCE and Mediterranean partner MP's, but received no assurances from either the FM or the Speaker of the People's Assembly regarding Egyptian participation. End summary. -------------- MINISTER OF INTERIOR -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Minister of Interior Habib al Adly began the meeting with warm praise for USG-GOE security and CT cooperation. Queried by Hastings on smuggling rings, Adly discussed the increase in Egyptians' use of human traffickers to illegally migrate to Europe, commenting that, "after the Europeans enacted more restrictive visa requirements, many Egyptians have turned to these smugglers." Discussing the increase in African migrants being shot on the Egyptian border as they attempt to illegally enter Israel, Adly said that many are killed in the exchange of fire between Egyptian security forces and Bedouin smugglers, or by shots from the Israeli side of the border. He lamented the loss of life on the Sinai border, but emphasized that Egypt was committed to controlling the border. ¶3. (SBU) Queried by Hastings on port security, Adly averred that Egypt maintains "high control" of its ports, but that "faster mechanisms" were needed for better identifying passports and potential criminals/terrorists. He said that the GOE has "good cooperation and coordination" with the Embassy, highlighting cooperation regarding the inspection of U.S.-bound containers. Adly predicted that the global financial crisis would result in increased crime and "possible unrest" in Egypt. -------------- MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) When queried by Hastings regarding Egypt's views on the Barcelona Process and the Union for the Mediterranean, FM Aboul Gheit said that Barcelona was "obviated" by the launch of the Mediterranean Union in July 2008, and that with the November Mediterranean Union ministerial in Marseilles, "the words 'Barcelona Process' have been formally deleted from the agenda - we are all focused now on the Mediterranean Union." Aboul Gheit said that the Mediterranean Union's secretariat is currently being formed, and that a multilateral meeting will be held "soon" to discuss joint projects in various sectors (for instance, environment, development, and energy). Aboul Gheit opined that if the Mediterranean Union obtains "sufficient resources" it will prosper, but if not, "it will become stagnant, like Barcelona." Emphasizing the importance of the OSCE's Mediterranean partners, Hastings asked that Egyptian parliamentarians participate in an upcoming meeting of OSCE and Mediterranean partner parliamentarians he is organizing in Washington. Aboul Gheit did not respond. ¶5. (SBU) Turning to the peace process, Aboul Gheit urged that the new U.S. administration help Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas "ensure reforms and improve the quality of life for Palestinians in the West Bank, so they see that the government offers services." He recommended that the administration "lean on the Israelis - push from the first day - and not get distracted by the financial crisis." -------------- MOD GENERALS -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In a subsequent lunch with Assistant Minister of Defense MG Mohamed Said Al-Assar and several accompanying senior generals, the military officers expressed deep dismay at Congress' conditioning of $100 million in assistance (either ESF or FMF) to Egypt in the 2008 Foreign Appropriations bill. Al-Assar stressed repeatedly the "success story" of military cooperation between Egypt and the U.S., and that political issues should not be mixed with military issues: "By doing so, you are really hurting the strategic relationship between us." When Hastings raised Iraq, Al-Assar noted that his staff is arranging a visit to Egypt by the Iraqi Minister of Defense, and that he expects bilateral relations to "grow." The generals all urged that the new U.S. administration focus on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process - "that is the backbone of all other problems in the area, and it must be solved." -------------- SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Speaker of the People's Assembly Fathi Surour stressed that the Egyptian government is very "sensitive": "If you attack us, we attack you. If you humiliate us publicly, we get nervous, and we respond in kind." He said that he did not ask the incoming U.S. administration for "everything ... just not to be hypocrites with regard to human rights. How can you criticize us for human rights violations, but be running Guantanamo, and killing thousands of innocent Iraqis and Afghans?" Warming to the subject, Surour asserted that "U.S. rhetoric on human rights distorts the bilateral relationship." He questioned why President Bush is "only listening to the enemies of Egypt. Why does he meet with Saad Eddin Ibrahim? Why are these people your advisors on Egypt?" ¶8. (SBU) On regional issues, Surour advised that the Obama administration focus on the Middle East peace process, "but do not begin from zero. Start from the basis of the Roadmap." Hastings raised the upcoming Washington meeting of OSCE and Mediterranean parliamentary partners. Surour did not respond to Hastings request that Egypt send a delegation of MP's to participate. -------------- JORDANIAN AMBASSADOR -------------- ¶9. (SBU) In a wide-ranging December 7 discussion with Jordanian Ambassador to Cairo Hani El Mulki, Mulki pledged to contact the Speaker of the Jordanian parliament after the Eid al Adha holiday, to urge him to send MP's to the OSCE parliamentary meeting in Washington. ¶10. (SBU) CODEL Hastings did not have the opportunity to clear on this cable. SCOBEY