END-USE DEMARCHE DELIVERED

S E C R E T CAIRO 000458

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2019
TAGS: PREL MASS PARM EG
SUBJECT: END-USE DEMARCHE DELIVERED

REF: A. STATE 23015

B. CAIRO IIR 6 899 0093 09

C. CAIRO IIR 6 899 0085 09

Classified By: MINISTER COUNSELOR FOR ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL AFFAIRS WI
LLIAM R. STEWART PER 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (S/NF) On March 15, OMC Chief delivered ref A points on
one violation and one potential violation of Egypt's end-use
obligations to Major General Al-Assar, Senior Advisor to the
Minister of Defense. He informed al-Assar that the State
Department would notify Congress of the December 2008
gun-tube violation, in which a contracted engineer reverse
engineered the 155 mm gun tube of a M109 self-propelled
howitzer (ref B). Major General al-Helmi, Senior MOD
Advisor, acknowledged the violation and stressed that the
engineer was acting independently and not under orders.


2. (S/NF) OMC Chief also requested more information on a
potential end-use violation involving the December 2008 visit
of a senior Chinese delegation to Fayid Air Force Base, where
Chinese officials may have viewed a static display of an F-16
aircraft, its armaments, and technical workshops (ref C).


3. (S/NF) OMC Chief stressed USG concerns over Egypt's
end-use violations and offered to provide additional training
to MOD officials on end-use obligations in order to prevent
further violations. He also suggested that end-use issues be
added to the agenda for the yearly Military Cooperation
Committee (MCC) meetings to promote regular dialogue on the
importance of end-use obligations. Al-Assar took the
suggestion but did not provide a response.
SCOBEY