GENERAL SCHWARTZ'S MEETING WITH COS ANAN

S E C R E T CAIRO 000706 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2019 TAGS: PREL PARM MASS MOPS KPAL IS EG SUBJECT: GENERAL SCHWARTZ'S MEETING WITH COS ANAN Classified By: A/DCM William R. Stewart per 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. Key Points: - (S/NF) During a April 6 meeting, Egyptian military Chief of Staff Sami Anan discussed regional security and bilateral military issues with US Air Force Chief of Staff General Schwartz. - (S/NF) Anan said Egypt is "sparing no efforts" to find a durable cease fire in Gaza and encouraged the U.S. to "vigorously engage" in the Middle East peace process. - (S/NF) On Bright Star, General Schwartz voiced U.S. Air Force support for conducting a viable and productive exercise focused on current threats. - (S/NF) On Egyptian plans to procure F-16 aircraft, General Schwartz encouraged Anan to expedite GOE,s request for additional F-16s to avoid a break in the production line. -------------- Gaza and Middle East Peace -------------- ¶2. (S/NF) General Schwartz, who was accompanied by AFCENT Commander LTG North, commended Egyptian efforts on Gaza. Anan said the GOE has "spared no effort" to find a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and to reconcile Palestinian factions. He encouraged the Obama administration to "vigorously engage" in the Middle East peace process, saying a resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict would unleash a "chain of solutions" for other regional security problems. Anan called Gaza the "illegitimate son of the Middle East" who had lots of "fathers claiming responsibility," including Hezbollah, Syria, Qatar, and Iran. ¶3. (S/NF) General Schwartz said that the new US administration was moving quickly to engage in the Middle East, as evidence by the appointment of Special Envoy George Mitchell. Anan hoped for positive results, but categorized Mitchell's appointment as "a piece of bread for the mouths" of Arabs and expressed concern with his consultative approach. Anan recommended that the best approach to solving the Arab-Israeli conflict was to use a "master plan" with "clearly identified" steps to push both sides towards an agreement. Anan added that the U.S. "will achieve great success" in the region if Arabs believe that the U.S. is committed to resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. -------------- Mil-Mil Relations: Bright Star and F-16s -------------- ¶4. (S/NF) General Schwartz voiced support for a revamped Bright Star exercise in fall 2009. While the exercise would be on a smaller scale than past Bright Stars, he expressed confidence that the event could still be viable, productive, and focused on current threats. Anan stressed that Bright Star symbolized the strength of the bilateral military relationship, adding it was an excellent opportunity for leaders to exchange ideas. ¶5. (S/NF) General Schwartz noted the long history of cooperation between the Egyptian and American air forces. He encouraged Anan to expedite GOE,s impending request for Block 50 F-16s, in order to avoid a break in the production line. Anan said that purchasing new F-16s using FMF funds was a priority for the Egyptian military, calling F16s the "backbone" of the Egyptian Air Force. Anan anticipated that Egypt would provide a "positive reply." Anan looked forward to Egyptian involvement in the new U.S. Africa Command. On overall mil-mil cooperation, Anan said Egypt was "determined to keep the relationship strong" through "honesty, transparency, and loyalty." SCOBEY