MFA ON HIZBALLAH CELL, SMUGGLING, CT COOPERATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001194 SIPDIS FOR S/CT AND NEA/ELA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2029 TAGS: PREL PTER CT UN IR LE EG SUBJECT: MFA ON HIZBALLAH CELL, SMUGGLING, CT COOPERATION REF: A. CAIRO 451 ¶B. CAIRO 336 Classified By: Economic-Political Minister-Counselor William R. Stewart for reason 1.4 (b). ¶1. (C) On June 23, MFA Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Deputy Assistant Minister Ashraf Mohsin told visiting S/CT officer Patrick Worman that the MFA believes Hizballah should be part of the political process in Lebanon. Mohsin said the GOE views Hizballah's terrorist operation in Egypt as "unacceptable." He noted that it has been "very easy" for Hizballah to recruit in Egypt since the Gaza war, especially among Egyptian men under 30 and the socially and economically disaffected. According to Mohsin, Hizballah recruited tribal Bedouin in the Sinai with cash payments. He asserted there is no difference between the agendas of Hizballah and Iran. Regarding the February Khan Al-Khalili bombing in February 2009 (refs A and B),Mohsin said the group responsible used a crude explosive device. He also noted that group recruited a number of Europeans. The GOE has eliminated the threat from this group for now, he stated. ¶2. (C) Regarding smuggling from Sudan into Egypt, Mohsin noted the difficulty of patrolling the 1000 kilometer-long border. He said tribes use a smuggling route from Sudan into Egypt over the Libyan border, and that Egypt tolerates a measure of goods smuggling from Sudan so as "not to upset the tribes." Mohsin suggested bilateral "small group discussions" on specific counterterrorism issues, as opposed to larger formal meetings. He criticized UN sanctions regimes as "not useful" for Egypt because the GOE often cannot marshal the legal evidence to enforce sanctions resolutions. He called for improved bilateral cooperation at the UN in order to strengthen these regimes. ¶3. (U) S/CT officer Patrick Worman cleared this message. SCOBEY