Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CAIRO1521
2009-08-06 14:20:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

EGYPT RESPONDS TO REQUEST FOR FURTHER EVIDENCE

Tags:  KTFN EFIN PREL PTER UNSC EG UK 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #1521 2181420
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 061420Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3348
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1266
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
S E C R E T CAIRO 001521 

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, IO/PSC FOR CROWE
TREASURY FOR CARLTON GREEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2029
TAGS: KTFN EFIN PREL PTER UNSC EG UK
SUBJECT: EGYPT RESPONDS TO REQUEST FOR FURTHER EVIDENCE
ABOUT HANI AL-SABAI

REF: A. SECSTATE 80204

B. CAIRO 1428

C. CAIRO 1363

Classified By: Economic-Political Minister-Counselor
Donald A. Blome for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

S E C R E T CAIRO 001521

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, IO/PSC FOR CROWE
TREASURY FOR CARLTON GREEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2029
TAGS: KTFN EFIN PREL PTER UNSC EG UK
SUBJECT: EGYPT RESPONDS TO REQUEST FOR FURTHER EVIDENCE
ABOUT HANI AL-SABAI

REF: A. SECSTATE 80204

B. CAIRO 1428

C. CAIRO 1363

Classified By: Economic-Political Minister-Counselor
Donald A. Blome for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (S/NF) In an August 2 meeting, Egyptian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Minister and Coordinator for
Counter-Terrorism Ashraf Mohsen responded to the requests for
more information contained in reftel A by providing forty
pages of documents, in Arabic, which he said are the records
from Hani al-Sabai's 1999 military court trial. (Documents
passed via e-mail to NEA/ELA.) Mohsen said this is the first
time the GoE has provided military court records to another
government, evidencing how strongly it believes that al-Sabai
should not be removed from the UNSCR 1267 Committee list.
Mohsen delivered the documents with the understanding that
the U.S. will not share them with other countries. Mohsen
said the GoE does not object to the U.S. using the
information contained in the records in discussions with
other U.N. 1267 committee members.


2. (S/NF) Mohsen added that information responsive to the
reftel A points also can be found on the Al Maqrezi Center
for Historic Studies website (www.almaqreeze.com). According
to Mohsen, the website contains examples of incitement and
recruitment, as well as support for Osama Bib Laden, attacks
on U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Hamas military
activities.


3. (S/NF) Mohsen told us he also recently spoke with a
military prosecutor involved in al-Sabai's trial. Reading
from notes, Mohsen said the prosecutor told him that al-Sabai
was the fifth ranking member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ).
Mohsen said al-Sabai is a member of the EIJ Shura Council,
which Mohsen claimed still exists but is inactive because
most members are "dead or in jail." According to Mohsen,
al-Sabai is or was Deputy Director of the EIJ Mass Media
Committee which formerly published the "Mujahideen Report."
Mohsen said EIJ member Ahmed Ibrahim al-Sayed al-Naggar
(Mohsen provided no further information about al-Naggar
except that he is "probably" currently in an Egyptian prison)
testified during the military trial that al-Sabai called him
in March 1998 and asked him to join Osama Bin Laden's "global
front."
SCOBEY