Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CAIRO749
2008-04-13 10:13:00
SECRET
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:
OMAR SOLIMAN DISCUSSES IRAQ APRIL 12
how-toVZCZCXRO6426 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHEG #0749 1041013 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 131013Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8891 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
S E C R E T CAIRO 000749
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ EG
SUBJECT: OMAR SOLIMAN DISCUSSES IRAQ APRIL 12
REF: A. CAIRO 678
B. CAIRO 702
Classified By: Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone
Reasons: 1.4 (B) and (D)
S E C R E T CAIRO 000749
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ EG
SUBJECT: OMAR SOLIMAN DISCUSSES IRAQ APRIL 12
REF: A. CAIRO 678
B. CAIRO 702
Classified By: Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone
Reasons: 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (S/NF) Ambassador raised Iraq, and urged that Egypt do
more to support the GOI, in an April 12 meeting with EGIS
Chief Omar Soliman. The recent Iraqi military operation was
clear evidence that PM Maliki was operating on a national
rather than sectarian basis in confronting rebel groups.
This is what Egypt and other Arab states had demanded so it
was important to support Maliki now by recognizing this
publicly. We also hoped Egypt would finalize plans to return
an ambassador; there are many non-Arab states with a strong
presence in Iraq and the Arabs need to follow suit if they
wished to help Maliki resist Iranian influence.
2. (S/NF) Soliman argued that it was Iraqi PM Maliki who
needed to demonstrate that the GOI was friendly to Arabs,
both in and out of Iraq. Maliki retains a "bad attitude"
toward Arabs according to Soliman, and his government does
not yet appear to be a government for the Iraqi people as a
whole. Soliman maintained that he had counseled Maliki and
NSA Rubaie on this personally at the May, 2007 conference in
Sharm el Sheikh. Soliman firmly agreed with the U.S. plan to
maintain troop levels in Iraq, and said that any drawdown now
would be most ill-advised.
RICCIARDONE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ EG
SUBJECT: OMAR SOLIMAN DISCUSSES IRAQ APRIL 12
REF: A. CAIRO 678
B. CAIRO 702
Classified By: Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone
Reasons: 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (S/NF) Ambassador raised Iraq, and urged that Egypt do
more to support the GOI, in an April 12 meeting with EGIS
Chief Omar Soliman. The recent Iraqi military operation was
clear evidence that PM Maliki was operating on a national
rather than sectarian basis in confronting rebel groups.
This is what Egypt and other Arab states had demanded so it
was important to support Maliki now by recognizing this
publicly. We also hoped Egypt would finalize plans to return
an ambassador; there are many non-Arab states with a strong
presence in Iraq and the Arabs need to follow suit if they
wished to help Maliki resist Iranian influence.
2. (S/NF) Soliman argued that it was Iraqi PM Maliki who
needed to demonstrate that the GOI was friendly to Arabs,
both in and out of Iraq. Maliki retains a "bad attitude"
toward Arabs according to Soliman, and his government does
not yet appear to be a government for the Iraqi people as a
whole. Soliman maintained that he had counseled Maliki and
NSA Rubaie on this personally at the May, 2007 conference in
Sharm el Sheikh. Soliman firmly agreed with the U.S. plan to
maintain troop levels in Iraq, and said that any drawdown now
would be most ill-advised.
RICCIARDONE