US embassy cable - 05CAIRO3086

UNCLAS CAIRO 003086 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, EG, Media 
SUBJECT: MULTI-HOUR MUBARAK INTERVIEW TO AIR STARTING APRIL 
24 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly.  Not 
for Internet distribution. 
 
1. (SBU)  A multi-hour interview with President Mubarak will 
be aired over three consecutive days on Egypt Channel One 
starting on the evening of April 24.  The regional Arabic 
news channel Al-Arabiya has also bought the broadcast rights 
and will be airing it at the same time.  The interview was 
conducted by the prominent journalist/media tycoon Imad 
Adeeb, who is also rumored to act as an informal media 
advisor to Mubarak.  The interview was "directed" by Sherif 
Arafa, one of the most famous directors in contemporary 
Egyptian cinema. 
 
2. (SBU) While the interview is apparently principally 
focused on Mubarak's "historic recollections," including his 
accounts of the wars of 1967 and 1973, there has already been 
some speculation in the Egyptian media, and gossip in Cairo 
salons, that the interview contains some sort of  major 
announcement.  Speculation has centered on the following 
possibilities: 
 
-- that Mubarak will step down as head of the ruling NDP; 
-- that Mubarak will announce his intention to seek a fifth 
term of office this fall; 
-- that he will announce that he does not intend to run; 
-- that he will appoint a Vice President or announce a 
running mate for his ticket; or 
-- that there will be no suprises at all. 
 
3. (SBU) Comment:  We believe it unlikely that the President 
would use a taped interview, as opposed to a live speech, as 
a means to make a surprise announcement.  However, we cannot 
rule out this possibility.  In any case, we do expect that, 
in the course of a lengthy interview, which we understand 
will run up to nine hours in total, that Mubarak will have 
some interesting things to say, which we will report if 
warranted.  End comment. 
 
 
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CORBIN