U.S. NAVAL SHOOTING INCIDENT NEAR THE SUEZ CANAL;

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000581 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2018 TAGS: PARM PREL EG SUBJECT: U.S. NAVAL SHOOTING INCIDENT NEAR THE SUEZ CANAL; GOE SAYS ONE EGYPTIAN KILLED Classified By: Acting DCM William R. Stewart for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On March 24 at approximately 6:00 p.m., the Global Patriot, a cargo ship on short-term charter to the U.S. Navy that was staged to enter the southern end of the Suez Canal for transit to the Mediterranean, reported that it fired warning shots in the direction of three unidentified civilian boats as they approached it while it lay at anchor. The Global Patriot reported no indications of casualties from its warning shots, and that the civilian boats had left without incident. However, press reports throughout the day March 25 said that one Egyptian had been killed and two wounded in the incident. Late on March 25, Ministry of Defense (MOD) and Ministry of Interior (MOI) sources told us that one Egyptian had been killed in the confrontation. MOI sources added that two Egyptians had been wounded. MOD Chief of Staff LTG Sami Enan ordered the Suez morgue to allow an embassy representative to view a videotaped autopsy of the deceased man. We expect the Global Patriot to exit the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea at approximately 7 PM local time. End Summary. ¶2. (U) According to the Global Patriot's incident report, at approximately 6:00 p.m. local time March 24 at a staging area north of Port Suez near the southern entrance to the Suez Canal, two small Egyptian civilian boats approached the Global Patriot, a cargo ship on short-term charter to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift command. The Global Patriot, armed with 50-caliber non-permanent mounted machine guns, was in the process of transporting military equipment from the UAE northward through the Suez Canal. When the two small boats came within 20-30 yards of the Global Patriot, it hailed them with a bull horn in Arabic and warned them to stop their route or else it would open fire. Following this warning, the two boats stopped their course toward the U.S. vessel. ¶3. (U) Subsequently, when a third small civilian boat came within 200 yards of the Global Patriot, it fired a white parachute warning flare, and then fired three warning shots 20-30 yards ahead of the approaching small boat. When the boat did not stop, the Global Patriot fired two additional warning shots, again 20-30 yards ahead of the ship. The Global Patriot's crew reported witnessing all of the warning shots splash into the sea. The Global Patriot's crew reported witnessing no visible injuries to the people aboard the boat, or any urgent signals from those aboard the boat indicating casualties. ¶4. (U) During the morning of March 25, Egyptian and international radio and press outlets reported one person killed and two injured during a confrontation with the Global Patriot. Al-Arabiya correspondent Randa Abul Azem told us that two sources reported to the station's Suez stringer that an Egyptian named Mohammed Fouad had been killed in the incident. Abul Azem told the Ambassador that the stringer had spoken with the deceased's family. ¶5. (C) Late in the afternoon of March 25, MOD Assistant Minister for Policy Major General Mohammed Al-Assar told us that the MOD had confirmed that one Egyptian, Muhammad Fouad Afifi, had been killed during the confrontation with the Global Patriot. MG Al-Assar invited an embassy representative to view an autopsy at the Suez morgue which would be videotaped for verification purposes. MG Al-Assar said that an embassy representative could "see the bullet" and speak to the deceased's family. He said that MOD COS LTG Sami Enan ordered the morgue to videotape the autopsy for the benefit of the American embassy. ¶6. (SBU) An embassy representative has traveled to the Suez morgue to view the body. MOI contacts also told us two Egyptians had been wounded in the incident; however, MG Al-Assar told us he had no details regarding the wounded Egyptians. ¶7. (C) After reading the Navy's account of the incident, the MOD asked us why the Global Patriot had traveled arrived earlier than normal at the entrance to Suez Canal, and why it was nearing a certain anchorage point at the time of the incident. We sent the MOD a written response that the vessel simply reached its destination faster than expected, and that the GOE Suez Canal Authority gave the vessel permission to proceed to the specified anchorage point. ¶8. (SBU) A U.S. naval officer aboard the Global Patriot told us that the vessel was proceeding northward through the Suez Canal and that he expected the vessel to exit the canal at approximately 7 PM local time. RICCIARDONE