CODEL TAUSCHER'S MEETING WITH MINDEF TANTAWI

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 000667 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2019 TAGS: PREL PARM MASS MOPS KPAL IS IR EG SUBJECT: CODEL TAUSCHER'S MEETING WITH MINDEF TANTAWI REF: A. CAIRO 448 ¶B. CAIRO 161 CAIRO 00000667 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Matthew H. Tueller for reasons 1 .4 (b) and (d). ¶1. Key Points - (S/NF) During a April 9 meeting, Minister of Defense Field Marshal Tantawi told CODEL Tauscher that the US-Egypt bilateral security relationship was strong. - (S/NF) Senior Advisor to the Minister of Defense MG al-Assar described Egyptian logistical support for the US military, including providing overflight clearances and security for US warships transiting the Suez Canal. - (S/NF) Senior Advisor MG al-Helmi said Egypt was "working hard" with the US Army Corps of Engineers to implement the FMF-sponsored BTADS project along the Egypt-Gaza border. - (S/NF) Al-Assar recognized Iran as a serious regional threat and advocated a "peaceful and political solution" to Iran's attempts to develop a nuclear weapons, saying the region "could not afford another conflict." -------------- Mil-Mil Cooperation -------------- ¶2. (SBU) During a April 9 meeting, Representatives Ellen Tauscher (D-CA),Michael Turner (R-OH),Loretta Sanchez (D-CA),Trent Franks (R-AZ),and Parker Griffith (D-AL) discussed bilateral security cooperation, counter smuggling, and Iran with Minister of Defense Field Marshal Tantawi. Al-Assar described Egyptian logistical support for the US military, including providing 45,000 overflight clearances since September 11, 2001 and security for US warships transiting the Suez Canal. Al-Helmi expressed appreciation for 30 years of Foreign Military Financing (FMF),saying the support was crucial to modernizing the Egyptian military and replacing outdated Soviet equipment. -------------- Counter Smuggling -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Al-Helmi said MOD was "cooperating fully" with the US Army Corps of Engineers to combat arms smuggling into Gaza. He noted that BTADS - the FMF-funded seismic-acoustic sensors system being installed along the Egypt-Gaza border - was delayed due to "small technical changes" requested by MOD (ref A),but added that Tantawi had agreed in January to accelerate the project's implementation (ref B). (Comment: In February, Tantawi severed the satellite link necessary to calibrate seismic-acoustic tunnel detection equipment being installed along the Egypt-Gaza border, in addition to ordering the discontinuation of GPS technology used to accurately pinpoint tunneling activity. End Comment). -------------- Iran -------------- ¶4. (S/NF) Al-Assar said Iran's ambitious conventional and non-conventional weapons program was a threat to regional security. He expressed Egypt's willingness to cooperate with regional partners for a "peaceful and political solution," saying the region "could not afford another conflict." Establishing a Weapons of Mass Destruction-free zone in the Middle East remained Egypt's priority, al-Assar continued, because as long as Israel had a nuclear weapon, other countries would follow. Representative Tauscher stressed the need to send Iran a clear message that a nuclear weapons program was "unacceptable." Tantawi stressed that "we must refuse to let Iran have a nuclear weapon," but advised finding a "diplomatic" solution. -------------- Military Transformation -------------- ¶5. (S/NF) Representative Sanchez stressed the importance of transforming military forces to address current and future asymmetrical threats. She looked forward to increased US-Egypt cooperation on combating emerging threats and enabling regional countries to assume responsibility for regional security. Switching from English to Arabic, Tantawi agreed that future threats like counter terrorism and counter CAIRO 00000667 002.2 OF 002 insurgency demanded non-conventional military capabilities. In Egypt's case, however, he said that conventional threats along their borders from Sudan and Libya necessitated robust conventional capabilities. "I do not know what Qaddafi will think tomorrow," Tantawi added, so Egypt must be prepared for unexpected conventional threats. Tantawi finished by saying "we are ready to be a partner" in promoting regional stability and security. SCOBEY