DIMMING PUBLIC FOCUS ON SUEZ INCIDENT; UPDATE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000737 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FO OSD FOR DASD KIMMITT NSC FOR PASCUAL CENTCOM FOR AMMONS MANAMA PLEASE PASS TO NAVCENT E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2018 TAGS: MOPS PARM PGOV PREL EG SUBJECT: DIMMING PUBLIC FOCUS ON SUEZ INCIDENT; UPDATE ON BILATERAL ENGAGEMENT REF: A. CAIRO 720 ¶B. CAIRO 715 ¶C. CAIRO 623 ¶D. CAIRO 609 Classified By: DCM Stuart Jones for reason 1.4 (b). ¶1. (C) The March 24 Suez incident that resulted in the death of Mohammed Fouad Affifi has generally been supplanted in the Egyptian press and the public's awareness by more pressing domestic concerns, such as the violent clashes between police and protestors April 6-7 in Mehalla that resulted in a number of deaths (ref B) and the April 8 Local Council elections (ref A). In light of popular dismay over long breadlines, economic malaise and the violent clashes between police and demonstrators in Mehalla, the initial public anger over the Suez incident has receded in the press and on the blogs. ¶2. (U) Overall, press reporting and commentary on the incident dropped off dramatically following the President's March 27 condolence phone call to President Mubarak, and with the exception of a few articles during the last two weeks, the story has essentially disappeared. An April 3 article in pro-government Al-Ahram called for a U.S. $10 million compensation payment to the deceased, arguing that the U.S. paid this amount to the Lockerbie victims. On April 10 Al-Ahram reported Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S. Fahmy's comment: "We are still waiting for the U.S. and GOE investigations...(which)...might require compensation." Opposition daily Al-Wafd criticized the GOE April 10 for not putting the U.S. ship's captain on trial. ¶3. (C) The U.S. investigation into the incident is ongoing, and laboratory tests could take months to complete. The substantive portion of the Egyptian MOD-led investigation is apparently completed, and Egyptian investigators have urged a quick conclusion to the U.S. investigation. The Egyptians have agreed to some U.S. requests to share evidence and testimony, and have provided a brief summation of statements from witnesses who were on the deceased's boat and on a nearby boat at the time of the incident. ¶4. (C) We plan to follow the advice of Prime Minister Nazif, Assistant Minister of Defense MG Al-Assar, and Suez Governor Galal (refs C and D) to wait until the investigations are completed before discussing the provision of a "solatia" and/or other payments with the Egyptian authorities. RICCIARDONE