FOLLOWING UP WITH EGYPT ON SUSPECTED IRANIAN ARMS

S E C R E T CAIRO 000693 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/CPI ZARZECKI E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2019 TAGS: PREL ETTC PARM EG SU IR KPAL SUBJECT: FOLLOWING UP WITH EGYPT ON SUSPECTED IRANIAN ARMS OVERFLIGHTS REF: A. SECSTATE 34041 ¶B. CAIRO 56 ¶C. CAIRO 483 ¶D. CAIRO 611 Classified By: A/DCM William R. Stewart for Reason 1.4(b),(c),and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) On April 23, Ambassador raised ref A points on suspected Iranian arms overflights with Egyptian military Chief of Staff LTG Sami Anan during the visit of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen. Anan said replied that MOD, along with the relevant GOE authorities, would "immediately consider" denying overflight clearances within the parameters of Egyptian and international law, once the GOE received specific flight information. He stressed the need for "complete information" on each flight, including evidence that the plane was carrying arms intended to be smuggled into Gaza, instead of arms being shipped for the legitimate military use of a regional country. "We must be careful about reciprocity" with regional states, Anan added. Anan also requested information on the specific arms in the shipment, noting that international law permitted the overflight of conventional weapons, as long as Egypt is notified of the plane's cargo. (Comment: Anan's comments echoed those made earlier by MFA counter terrorism officials (ref D) on the need for more information related to the cargo's suspected final destination and not just information on the plane. End Comment). SCOBEY