US embassy cable - 05CAIRO3164

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 003164 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KPAO, EG, MEPI Grants, USG assistance, negative media 
SUBJECT:  EGYPTIAN MEDIA CAMPAIGN AGAINST USG ASSISTANCE 
PRIMARILY TARGETS THE GOVERNMENT 
 
REF:  A. CAIRO 2990 
      B. CAIRO 2877 
      C. CAIRO 2524 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  There has been a marked increase 
recently in negative Egyptian media commentary concerning 
USG assistance to Egypt, with opposition daily Al-Wafd 
(circulation: 200,000) leading the charge.  Critical 
commentaries and articles have consistently portrayed USG 
assistance as 'interference' in Egypt's domestic affairs 
and a 'threat' to Egypt's sovereignty.  Al-Wafd's 
vociferous campaign against USAID has gone so far as to 
urge the GOE to forgo accepting any USAID assistance. 
Commentary in the independent and pro-government press has 
criticized MEPI grants as well.  Much of this criticism 
represents an attempt by the opposition to put Mubarak's 
government on the defensive.  End summary. 
 
2.  (U) The banner headline of Al-Wafd's Sunday, March 20, 
edition read "No to American Aid: Politicians and Economic 
Experts Support Al-Wafd Party Chairman's Call."  In the 
same edition, a cartoon depicted a foot labeled "Egyptian 
[political] parties" kicking an Uncle Sam-like figure with 
a cowboy hat and moneybag, labeled "foreign interference." 
The newspaper highlighted calls by Al-Wafd party Chairman 
Dr. No'man Gomaa for the GOE to refuse further USAID 
assistance, because, in Gomaa's words:  "such funding 
brings disgrace to Egypt's sovereignty and independence." 
Articles and commentaries published in Al-Wafd later that 
week also alleged: 
 
-- The majority of USAID assistance "reverts back to 
America, along with the dignity of the Egyptian people"; 
 
-- "U.S. assistance promotes negative attitudes and imports 
foreign concepts that promote America's regional 
ambitions"; and 
 
-- "The ruling National Democratic Party [NDP] cannot live 
without this humiliating 'assistance.'  While the NDP 
claims mutual interests, America only understands power and 
personal interests." 
 
3.  (U) On April 10, privately-owned Arab Regional 
Television (ART) aired a two-hour program, Hanat Al-Yak 
("You're Cornered"), which discussed USAID assistance to 
Egypt.  (Note:  This program is produced and hosted by Iman 
No'man Gomaa, daughter of Al-Wafd party Chairman Gomaa. 
End note.)  Two speakers critical of USG assistance 
appeared, along with one speaker in support.   While the 
pro-USAID speaker highlighted specific examples where it 
has improved the lives of ordinary Egyptians, the program's 
host incorrectly represented USAID's work.  For example, 
she stated that 26,000 U.S. experts and 22,000 U.S. 
consultants are hired in Egypt to work on USAID projects. 
She also gave air time to several callers arguing that USG 
assistance is a "pressure tool" and "a threat to Egypt's 
sovereignty." 
 
4.  (U) Commentaries critical of USG assistance have also 
appeared in independent papers Al-Masri Al-Youm 
(circulation: 20,000) and Nahdet Masr (circulation: 
20,000), and the opposition weekly Al-Araby (circulation: 
20,000).  A March 18 profile about USAID assistance and 
MEPI grants in the nationalist magazine Rose El-Youssef 
(circulation: 70,000) quoted a reputed Cairo intellectual 
saying:  "It is no secret that the grant process will open 
the door to suspicious organizations and imposters.  These 
funds could then be used to influence the will of Egyptian 
voters and cast a long shadow on the funding of Egypt's 
election campaigns." 
 
5.  (SBU) Comment:  While the recent Egyptian media 
criticism of USAID assistance has often pointed to then- 
Ambassador Welch's March 3 grant signing ceremony at the 
Embassy (ref C), the real target is the GOE.  When 
President Mubarak took away the opposition's thunder by 
supporting an amendment to Article 76 of the constitution, 
allowing political parties to take part in this year's 
presidential election, the opposition looked for a new 
issue and found it by portraying the GOE as beholden to USG 
assistance.  (Note:  The GOE itself may have recently 
employed similar tactics against the Muslim Brotherhood, 
seeking to discredit it by accusing it of being in dialogue 
with the USG -- refs A and B.  End note.)  The recent media 
criticism appears mainly to serve the opposition as a means 
to discredit the Mubarak regime and probably does not 
reflect major popular support against USG assistance.  End 
comment. 
 
CORBIN