US embassy cable - 05CAIRO3589

UNCLAS CAIRO 003589 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, PGOV, KPAO, EG, Media Themes 
SUBJECT:  POLICE ROUND UP MUSLIM BROTHERS:  EGYPTIAN MEDIA 
THEMES, MAY 4 TO 9 
 
 
1.  Headlines:  Egyptian media devoted much of their May 6 
- 7 weekend coverage to talks between President Mubarak, 
Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, and Oman's Sultan Qabous at 
Sharm El Sheikh.  The media also reported on a proposed 
amendment to constitutional article 76.  On the latter, on 
May 8 opposition Al Wafd (circulation: 200,000) ran a 
column: "The Assassination of Egyptian Political Life." 
Also on May 8 pro-government Al Ahram (circulation: 
750,000) printed a small headline on its front page, "A 
Strange Statement by Bush," reporting on President Bush's 
call for open presidential elections in Egypt and 
international monitoring.  End headlines. 
 
2.  Muslim Brotherhood (MB) members hit the streets, get 
arrested.  All major newspapers reported May 7 that 200 MB 
members had been arrested and 30 policemen injured in 
clashes during May 6 demonstrations in four provinces. 
According to a May 7 report on news website "Masrawy.com," 
a MB member in Daqahliyya province died after police fired 
tear gas on demonstrators.  Pro-government Al Akhbar 
(circulation: 800,000) noted that MB members had been 
arrested for "resisting authority and injuring security 
forces."  The following day, all newspapers reported that, 
in fact, 400 MB members had been detained, along with MB 
leader Essam El Erian.  Erian declared, through his lawyer, 
that he had been arrested because of his plans to run for 
the presidency.  Egyptians read on May 9, in pan-Arab 
newspapers Al Hayat and Al Sharq Al Awsat, MB Supreme Guide 
Mahdy Akef's statement that the MB will not stop 
demonstrating "until political reform is implemented." 
(Note: Akef also issued a vague warning about "civil 
disobedience," bit it was not reported.  (End note.) 
 
3.  April 30 terrorist attacks discussed:  On May 7 
independent daily Al Masri Al Youm (circulation: 20,000) 
reported that the government could not identify the dead 
body found after the April 30 bomb attack near the Egyptian 
Museum  initially reported in the media as that of the 
bomber.  A leading medical examiner was quoted saying that 
DNA tests on the dead man were "inconclusive."  On May 6 Al 
Ahram's editor-in-chief criticized satellite channels for 
focusing on the terrorist attacks in Egypt.  Also on May 6, 
a senior Al Ahram commentator wrote that the attacks 
revealed the flaws in Egyptian security forces' handling of 
terrorism and criticized the GOE's disregard for the 
country's lower classes.  Al Akhbar reported May 6 that 
government interrogations of arrested terrorist suspects 
had revealed that the attacks' organizers had collected 
money publicly under the pretext of sending it to victims 
of war in Iraq.  On May 7 another Al Ahram columnist stated 
that terrorists in Egypt "are nourished by mosque preaching 
and cassette tapes that instigate negative ways of 
thinking." 
 
4.  Egyptian media OK; Arab media not OK:  On May 9 
Egyptian Channel 2's popular program "Al Bayt Baytak" 
("Make Yourself at Home") hosted Hassan Abul Ella, 
assistant of Minister of Information; Mustafa Bakry of the 
sensationalist weekly Al-Osboa (circulation: 50,000); and 
Dubai TV media celebrity, Mutaz Al Demerdash.  Abul Ella 
stated that the Egyptian media serve the country better 
than other Arab media establishments that "aim only at 
attacking other countries."  Mentioning Al Hurra TV in 
particular, Bakry claimed that satellite TV channels serve 
"hidden political agendas."  Demerdash replied that the 
Arab media has to abandon its "taboos" and "love of 
conspiracy theories" if it wanted to improve. 
 
GRAY