US embassy cable - 05CAIRO5058

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 005058 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, EG, IZ 
SUBJECT: MFA MYSTIFIED BY AMBASSADOR IHAB SHERIF'S 
KIDNAPPING 
 
 
Classified by Charge Michael Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
1.  (C) Alaa Al-Hadidi of the Foreign Minister's Cabinet told 
poloff that, as of July 5, the GOE still had no firm clues as 
to the location of kidnapped Ambassador Ihab Sherif, who was 
heading Egypt's mission in Baghdad. Al-Hadidi further 
confirmed that no group has claimed responsibility.  He did, 
however, observe that Sherif's kidnapping, in combination 
with the assassination attempt on the Bahraini Charge and a 
reported explosion near the Iranian Embassy, raised concern 
of a possible "concerted campaign against Muslim diplomats." 
Al-Hadidi promised to keep the Embassy apprised of further 
developments.  Charge had earlier talked to a senior member 
of the MFA Cabinet to express concern over the kidnapping and 
later with the Foreign Minister's Chief of Staff (FM Aboul 
Gheit was in Libya for the AU Summit).  Post understands that 
vigorous efforts to locate Sherif and identify his captors 
are underway via alternate channels. 
 
2.  (U) Public reactions to the kidnapping have included 
anger at Sherif for exposing himself to danger and anger at 
the MFA for failing to guarantee the Ambassador's security or 
prepare him adequately for his mission.  All Egyptian media 
outlets carried the basic news of Sherif's abduction in their 
July 3 and 4 editions, including a statement by the Shura 
Council of Arab Affairs Committee head, Mohamed Bassyouni, 
that the kidnapping was a message to Egypt to curb its role 
in rebuilding Iraq.  Meanwhile, television programs and 
editorial pages analyzed the event for its possible outcomes 
and the message the abduction sent to Egypt. 
 
3.  (U)  On the popular Channel 2 program, El Beit Beitik, 
Naguib Sawiris, whose Orascom employees have previously been 
victims of kidnappings in Iraq, offered comfort to Sherif's 
family, saying he thought the situation would end peacefully. 
 He suggested the kidnappers would eventually ask for a 
ransom, as they did with Orascom employees.  On Dream TV, the 
Vice Chairman of the Egyptian Foreign Relations Council 
pointed out that the motives for the kidnapping were not 
clear, but noted that in dangerous countries, such as Iraq, 
tighter security measures should be implemented for Egyptian 
diplomats.  On Nile TV, political analyst Mohamed Wahbi 
accused Sunnis unhappy with the Iraqi government of the 
kidnapping, while political science professor Moustafa Kamel 
El-Sayyed accused the GOE of unwisely sending an ambassador 
to an unstable Iraq. 
 
4.  (U)  In the pro-government Al Ahram (circulation: 
750,000), columnist Dr. Abdel Atti Mohammed speculated that 
the kidnapping was an attempt to derail any initiative to 
integrate Sunnis into the political process in Iraq. 
However, he said, this attempt was misguided, as Egypt's 
decision to send an ambassador was in Iraq's interest.  He 
also called on the Americans and Europeans to help win the 
release of Sherif if they want more Arab ambassadors to go to 
Iraq.  Refiqi Fakry, a columnist in the pro-government Al 
Akhbar (circulation: 800,000) agreed that the kidnapping was 
not in Iraq's interest.  He wrote that those responsible for 
the kidnapping should not be so ungrateful for the Egyptian 
role in rebuilding Iraq, and should immediately release 
Sherif. 
 
 
 
Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo 
 
You can also access this site through the 
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. 
 
CORBIN