US embassy cable - 05CAIRO4820

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 004820 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PREF, PHUM, IS, EG, ICRC 
SUBJECT: MDA:  EGYPT REMINDED OF IMPORTANCE OF MDA ISSUE ON 
EVE OF OIC MINISTERIAL 
 
REF: A. STATE 118394 
 
     B. CAIRO 4597 
     C. CAIRO 4379 
     D. CAIRO 4262 (NOTAL) 
     E. AMMAN 4474 
     F. STATE 97599 (NOTAL) 
     G. CAIRO 3842 
     H. CAIRO 3752 
     I. CAIRO 3178 (NOTAL) 
     J. CAIRO 2875 (NOTAL) 
     K. CAIRO 2515 (NOTAL) 
     L. CAIRO 2481 
     M. CAIRO 1798 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified by Economic-Political Counselor John Desrocher for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C)  On June 26, PolOff shared ref A points with Amr 
Rushdy of the Foreign Minister's cabinet.  Rushdy will travel 
with the Minister to Sanaa for the June 27 OIC ministerial 
and coordinates the Magen David Adom (MDA) issue as part of 
his portfolio.  Familiar with the U.S. position on MDA 
inclusion, Rushdy confirmed the Egyptian position noted 
reftels that the GOE would not take the lead in promoting 
MDA's participation, but also would not oppose it.  PolOff 
emphasized the importance of cooperation in creating a 
positive atmosphere in the Middle East and noted that a 
resolution that might detract from that cooperation would be 
unhelpful. 
 
2.  (C)  Rushdy said the OIC resolution opposing a diplomatic 
conference on the Third Additional Protocol "will be 
submitted."  He questioned whether any OIC member could 
openly object to it, or publicly support the conference on 
the Third Additional Protocol.  He added that "this 
resolution was triggered by Ambassador Pfirter himself," 
describing how the OIC group in Geneva had approached the 
Ambassador in an effort to reach an accommodation on the MDA 
issue.  Ambassador Pfirter had reportedly replied to a "mild" 
OIC note citing the need for more deliberation with a "very 
unhelpful" comment that he would deal only with individual 
countries, not the OIC.  "I don't care about the OIC, only 
individual countries," was the quote reportedly circulated 
among OIC participants in that exchange.  The OIC 
subsequently assembled an expert level group in Geneva to 
study the issue and help prepare a resolution text.  Rushdy 
said that, with this background, it would be particularly 
difficult for any OIC member to "oppose it publicly." 
 
3.  (C)  Further describing the mechanism for OIC 
deliberations, Rushdy said members would be given the texts 
of 87 resolutions for consideration in Sanaa.  Addressing 
that number of issues in a brief conference often meant 
adopting multiple reservations simply by asking whether any 
member had objection to resolutions "one through 10," for 
example.  He did not envision anyone challenging this 
particular resolution. 
 
4.  (C)  PolOff also discussed the MDA in the context of the 
OIC ministerial with Arab League Spokesman Hossam Zaki on 
June 26.  The League is only an observer at the OIC (and will 
be represented at the Assistant Secretary General level), yet 
PolOff stressed the need to encourage a cooperative mood. 
Zaki reiterated concerns reported ref B. 
 
 
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GRAY