Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10UNROME6
2010-01-21 12:28:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
UN Rome
Cable title:
EGYPTIAN AMBASSASDOR MISREPRESENTS SUPPORT FOR U.S.
how-toVZCZCXRO3986 RR RUEHRN DE RUEHRN #0006/01 0211228 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 211228Z JAN 10 FM USMISSION UN ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1258 INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0457 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0516 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0353 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0063 RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0016 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0048 RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 0019 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 0001 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0096 RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 0018 RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0031 RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0050 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0005 RUEHOU/AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU 0016 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0100 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 0001 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 0001 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0009 RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0012 RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 0018 RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 0001 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0066 RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME 1335
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 UN ROME 000006
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
IO/HS FOR ROBERT DOWNES
USUN NEW YORK FOR MARY MCLEOD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID ECON
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN AMBASSASDOR MISREPRESENTS SUPPORT FOR U.S.
CANDIDATE TO HEAD AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
REF: A. A) 09 UN ROME 63
B. B) 09 STATE 115214
C. C) 09 UN ROME 42
Summary
-------
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 UN ROME 000006
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
IO/HS FOR ROBERT DOWNES
USUN NEW YORK FOR MARY MCLEOD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID ECON
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN AMBASSASDOR MISREPRESENTS SUPPORT FOR U.S.
CANDIDATE TO HEAD AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
REF: A. A) 09 UN ROME 63
B. B) 09 STATE 115214
C. C) 09 UN ROME 42
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) USUN Rome Ambassador Cousin sought clarification from
Egyptian Ambassador Ashraf Rashed during a January 14 meeting
regarding his misrepresentation of GOE intentions to support the
official USG candidate, Thomas McInerney, in the election for
Director General of the International Development Law
Organization (IDLO). Despite assuring Ambassador Cousin twice
verbally (in the presence of other Mission staff) before the
election that Egypt would support McInerney's candidacy, Rashed
now claims with a straight face that he never made such
assurances. End Summary.
IDLO DG Election Results
--------------
2. (SBU) Despite tremendous effort by Washington colleagues,
U.S. embassy officers in IDLO member state capitals, and USUN
Rome to support McInerney, the Italian candidate for the IDLO DG
position won the November 25 election in a narrow victory on a
third ballot. Informal vote counts immediately prior to the
election based on input and analysis from discussions in Rome,
Washington and relevant capitals indicated a potential win for
McInerney. In the end, we were unable to overcome early lobbying
by the Italian government which locked in votes before the
interview process even began. The first round of three mandated
rounds of voting had McInerney tied with the Italian candidate
11 to 11; McInerney would have won if Egypt had voted for him as
Ambassador Rashed had assured the Ambassador. It was clear
during debate after the first ballot that Egypt did not support
the U.S. candidate in spite of earlier verbal assurances to the
contrary to Ambassador Cousin.
Egyptian Ambassador Unrepentant
--------------
3. (SBU) After repeatedly delaying requests for a one-on-one
meeting with Ambassador Cousin and twice cancelling
appointments, Ambassador Cousin was finally able to meet on
January 14 with Egyptian Ambassador Ashraf Rashed to express
concern with his misrepresentation of Egypt's position. Rashed
claimed several times that he had never stated that he or the
UN ROME 00000006 002 OF 002
GOE would support the USG candidate and, in an astonishing
statement, even claimed ignorance that McInerney was the
official USG candidate despite the fact that he had attended a
small gathering at Ambassador Cousin's residence in which
McInerney was formally presented as the USG candidate. He also
maintained that he had not received any instructions from Cairo
on the election, despite the fact that the Department (ref B)
had demarched the GOE in Cairo to support McInerney. While
maintaining that his statements must have been misunderstood,
Rashed contradicted himself at the end of the meeting by
conceding that, "We owe you one."
Comment
--------------
4. (SBU) The Egyptian Ambassador's unashamed misrepresentation
of his country's voting position will make it increasingly
difficult for us to work effectively with a key delegation in
several of the Rome-based international organizations. Not
surprisingly, we are disappointed by this behavior at a time
when we have significantly increased outreach to all regional
groups to frankly discuss our positions on a wide range of
issues.
COUSIN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
IO/HS FOR ROBERT DOWNES
USUN NEW YORK FOR MARY MCLEOD
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID ECON
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN AMBASSASDOR MISREPRESENTS SUPPORT FOR U.S.
CANDIDATE TO HEAD AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
REF: A. A) 09 UN ROME 63
B. B) 09 STATE 115214
C. C) 09 UN ROME 42
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) USUN Rome Ambassador Cousin sought clarification from
Egyptian Ambassador Ashraf Rashed during a January 14 meeting
regarding his misrepresentation of GOE intentions to support the
official USG candidate, Thomas McInerney, in the election for
Director General of the International Development Law
Organization (IDLO). Despite assuring Ambassador Cousin twice
verbally (in the presence of other Mission staff) before the
election that Egypt would support McInerney's candidacy, Rashed
now claims with a straight face that he never made such
assurances. End Summary.
IDLO DG Election Results
--------------
2. (SBU) Despite tremendous effort by Washington colleagues,
U.S. embassy officers in IDLO member state capitals, and USUN
Rome to support McInerney, the Italian candidate for the IDLO DG
position won the November 25 election in a narrow victory on a
third ballot. Informal vote counts immediately prior to the
election based on input and analysis from discussions in Rome,
Washington and relevant capitals indicated a potential win for
McInerney. In the end, we were unable to overcome early lobbying
by the Italian government which locked in votes before the
interview process even began. The first round of three mandated
rounds of voting had McInerney tied with the Italian candidate
11 to 11; McInerney would have won if Egypt had voted for him as
Ambassador Rashed had assured the Ambassador. It was clear
during debate after the first ballot that Egypt did not support
the U.S. candidate in spite of earlier verbal assurances to the
contrary to Ambassador Cousin.
Egyptian Ambassador Unrepentant
--------------
3. (SBU) After repeatedly delaying requests for a one-on-one
meeting with Ambassador Cousin and twice cancelling
appointments, Ambassador Cousin was finally able to meet on
January 14 with Egyptian Ambassador Ashraf Rashed to express
concern with his misrepresentation of Egypt's position. Rashed
claimed several times that he had never stated that he or the
UN ROME 00000006 002 OF 002
GOE would support the USG candidate and, in an astonishing
statement, even claimed ignorance that McInerney was the
official USG candidate despite the fact that he had attended a
small gathering at Ambassador Cousin's residence in which
McInerney was formally presented as the USG candidate. He also
maintained that he had not received any instructions from Cairo
on the election, despite the fact that the Department (ref B)
had demarched the GOE in Cairo to support McInerney. While
maintaining that his statements must have been misunderstood,
Rashed contradicted himself at the end of the meeting by
conceding that, "We owe you one."
Comment
--------------
4. (SBU) The Egyptian Ambassador's unashamed misrepresentation
of his country's voting position will make it increasingly
difficult for us to work effectively with a key delegation in
several of the Rome-based international organizations. Not
surprisingly, we are disappointed by this behavior at a time
when we have significantly increased outreach to all regional
groups to frankly discuss our positions on a wide range of
issues.
COUSIN