MEETING WITH ALEXANDRIA'S NEW GOVERNOR: FIRST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ALEXANDRIA 00806

FOR DEPT PASS INR/OIL/B; CAIRO PLS PASS AID

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PINR EG
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH ALEXANDRIA'S NEW GOVERNOR: FIRST
IMPRESSIONS

REF: CAIRO 15935


1. (C) SUMMARY: IT IS TOO EARLY TO ASSESS THE
CHARACTER OF THE NEW MAN ON THE ALEXANDRIA HOT SEAT.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS OF GOVERNOR GAWSAQI ARE FAVORABLE,
ALTHOUGH KEY CONTACTS FEEL HE HAS INSUFFICIENT GRIT
AND EXPERIENCE FOR THIS VERY TOUGH JOB. OTHERS CLAIM
THAT AL GAWSAQI'S ALLEGED "SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP" WITH
MUBARAK WILL PAY THE GOVERNORATE MANY DIVIDENDS. END
SUMMARY.


2. (U) TWO WEEKS AGO, SAYYID ISMAIL AL-GAWSAQI WAS
APPOINTED GOVERNOR OF ALEXANDRIA (REFTEL). THE MOVE
CAME AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE (HE IS RELATIVELY UNKNOWN),
AND HE WAS NEVER EVEN MENTIONED AS BEING IN CONTENTION.
SINCE HIS ARRIVAL IN ALEXANDRIA, AL-GAWSAQI HAS STAYED
BUSY MEETING WITH GOVERNORATE OFFICIALS AND LEADING
BUSINESSMEN. REQUESTS BY FOREIGNERS FOR MEETINGS WITH
HIM WERE POLITELY, BUT FIRMLY, TURNED ASIDE, UNTIL
JULY 24 WHEN THE LOCAL CONSULAR CORPS WAS FORMALLY
INTRODUCED TO HIM.


3. (LOU) THE AFFAIR, CEREMONIAL IN NATURE, HELD NO
SUBSTANCE ALTHOUGH IT GAVE THE CONSULS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO ASSESS THE GOVERNOR'S FLUENCY IN ARABIC, FRENCH,
AND ENGLISH (HE WAS APOLOGETIC ABOUT HIS ABILITY IN
THE LATTER TWO BUT GETS ALONG VERY WELL IN BOTH). HE
SAID ALL THE RIGHT THINGS ABOUT FRIENDSHIP AND HIS
DESIRE TO SOLVE MANY OF THE PROBLEMS AFFLICTING
ALEXANDRIA. AT THE END OF THE MEETING, THOSE PRESENT
SHOOK HANDS WITH THE GOVERNOR AS THEY FILED OUT OF HIS
OFFICE. I MANAGED TO PLACE MYSELF AT THE END OF THE
LINE (HARDER THAN IT SOUNDS AMONG MY PROTOCOL CONSCIOUS
COLLEAGUES) AND, AS A RESULT, WAS ABLE TO HAVE A FEW
WORDS WITH HIM. GAWSAQI SAID HE VERY MUCH WANTED TO
HAVE GOOD COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. HE SAID HE HAD
NOT HAD TIME TO STUDY THE DETIALS OF OUR VARIOUS AID
PROJECTS, BUT HE IS AWARE THAT OUR CONTRIBUTION TO
ALEXANDRIA IS CONSIDERABLE. HE WENT OUT OF HIS WAY
TO EMPHASIZE THAT HIS DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN TO US, AND
I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS SINCERE.


4. (C) FIRST IMPRESSION: GAWSAQI COMES ACROSS AS A
SINCERELY EARNEST, HONEST, AND WELL MEANING OFFICIAL.
SEVERAL OF OUR CONTACTS, HOWEVER, HAVE EXPRESSED
CONCERN THAT HE MAY NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT EXPERIENCE, GRIT,
AND "STREET SMARTS" TO TACKLE ALEXANDRIA'S VARIATED
SECURITY, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS. "GOOD INTEN-
TIONS DON'T NECESSARILY MAKE A GOOD GOVERNOR," ONE
KEY BUSINESSMAN REMINDED US.


5. (C) OTHERS POINT OUT THAT GAWSAQI MAY PROVE TO BE
A MORE EFFECTIVE GOVERNOR THAN MANY EXPECT. THE REASON:
HIS ALLEGED CLOSE RELATIONS WITH PRESIDENT MUBARAK.
AS REPORTED REFTEL, GAWSAQI SERVED FOR A TIME IN THE
EGYPTIAN AIR FORCE. SEVERAL SOURCES TELL US THAT
MUBARAK AND GAWSAQI WORKED TOGETHER IN THE EAF ON TWO
OCCASIONS. IN THE 1960'S, DURING THE TENURE OF SIDQI
MAHMUD AS AIR FORCE COMMANDER, HE WAS ALLEGEDLY
EAF LEGAL ADVISOR AND SHARED AN OFFICE WITH MUBARAK
WHO WAS WORKING AS AN AIDE TO THE COMMANDER (COMMENT:
THIS IS THE FIRST I HAVE HEARD THAT MUBARAK EVER HAD
SUCH A JOB, AND OUR MEAGER BIO FILES FAIL TO SHED ANY
FURTHER LIGHT. PERHAPS INR/B CAN. END COMMENT.)
WHETHER OR NOT THIS STORY IS APOCRYPHAL, MUBARAK KNEW
GAWSAQI AGAIN AFTER HE BECAME EAF COMMANDER IN THE
MID-1970'S AND WAS APPARENTLY VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS
ABILITY.


6. (C) ANOTHER STORY WHICH IS CIRCULATING ALSO
UNDERSCORES CLOSE LINKAGES BETWEEN THE TWO
MEN: A FEW YEARS AGO, THE PRESIDENT APPARENTLY WANTED
TO APPOINT GAWSAQI ATTORNEY GENERAL, A KEY POST IN THE
LEGAL SYSTEM HERE. THE NOMINATION WAS THWARTED BY THE
JUDGES REVIEWING THE NOMINATION BECAUSE THE ATTORNEY
ENERAL MUST, ACCORDING TO EGYPTIAN LAW, BE DRAWN FROM
HE COURT OF CASSATION (ONE OF THE TWO HIGHEST COURTS).
AWSAQI WAS SUBSEQUENTLY APPOINTED GOVERNOR OF BENI
UQAYF. DURING A VISIT TO THIS GOVERNORATE, MUBARAK
AS SUPPOSEDLY VERY IMPRESSED WITH HIS FRIEND'S
DMINISTRATION, AND ON JULY 10 HE REWARDED HIM WITH
LEXANDRIA.
HAMBLEY


7. (C) ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INR CAN SHED ON
GAWSAQI WOULD BE APPRECIATED. NUMEROUS PHOTOS WERE
TAKEN DURING THE JULY 24 CONSULAR CORPS PRESENTATION,
AND WE WILL FORWARD ONE OF THE GOVERNOR AS SOON AS WE
RECEIVE A COPY. INR MAY ALSO WISH TO NOTE THAT GAWSAQI
SERVED A SHORT TIME IN THE FOREIGN MINISTRY AND MAY
HAVE HAD A BRIEF POSTING IN THE U.S.


HAMBLEY