US embassy cable - 05CAIRO5814

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 005814 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NEA/PD FOR FRANK FINVER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, KPAO, KMDR, OPRC, EG, Bombing 
SUBJECT:  SENIOR EDITOR PRAISES PRESIDENT BUSH'S SIGNING 
CONDOLENCE BOOK FOR SHARM VICTIMS 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (U) The new editor-in-chief of the very influential 
pro-government news weekly Al Ahram Al Arabi (circulation: 
80,000) had high praise for President Bush's signing the 
condolence book for victims of the Sharm bombings, at the 
Egyptian Embassy.  (A color photograph of the same 
appeared on the front page of Al Ahram on July 26.)  He 
said that this was reassuring to the Egyptian people and 
the government of Egypt, and indicated he felt that this, 
and the recent condolence remarks by Secretary Rice and 
clarifications by Deputy Secretary Zoellick on the U.S. 
position on the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in 
elections, were perceived as a "welcome move away from the 
confrontational style" that had developed in the bilateral 
relationship ever since the arrest of opposition political 
party leader Ayman Nour.  He said he hoped that the 
momentum of President Bush's gesture would be sustained, 
perhaps through the visit of a high-level U.S. official to 
Sharm El Sheikh in the near future to express solidarity 
with the people of Egypt, and perhaps even to attend a 
conference on terrorism.  End summary. 
 
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Dr. Abdul Atti Muhammad -- some background information. 
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2.  (U) The Public Affairs Counselor and Information 
Officer paid a courtesy call on Dr. Abdul Atti Muhammad, 
the new editor-in-chief of Al Ahram Al Arabi (circulation: 
80,000), the influential weekly news "magazine" of the 
mainstay, pro-government daily of record, Al Ahram 
newspaper (circulation 800,000).  Dr. Abdul Atti is one of 
several new directors of Egyptian media organizations 
announced by the Shoura Council two weeks ago in a shake- 
up of the top level of the official Egyptian media 
establishment, and is well known to us as a respected Al 
Ahram columnist whose views are regarded as "independent" 
but not particularly critical of the ruling National 
Democratic Party or of the United States.  Dr. Abdul Atti 
wrote his doctoral dissertation on Islamic fundamentalism. 
 
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President Bush's signing of condolence book was a welcome 
gesture of support for Mubarak; seen as antidote to recent 
tensions over political liberalization. 
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3.  (SBU) The Embassy officers began by expressing their 
condolences for the Sharm El Sheikh bombings of July 23, 
which prompted Dr. Abdul Atti to refer to that day's (July 
26) edition of Al Ahram newspaper, the front page of which 
bore an above-the-fold color photograph of President and 
Mrs. Bush signing the condolence book for victims of the 
Sharm bombings, at the Egyptian Embassy in Washington. 
Abdul Atti said this gesture was deeply appreciated by the 
Egyptian people and government.  Elaborating further, he 
mentioned that, in his view, Egyptian-American relations 
had been strained for many months, especially since the 
arrest of Ayman Nour, because the U.S. administration 
seemed to be giving Egypt "mixed signals" (i.e., had been 
critical) about the direction it should take towards 
political liberalization.  He indicated that President 
Bush's public gesture of sympathy for the victims of the 
Sharm bombings was an excellent sign that the bilateral 
relationship might have weathered the rough spell, and 
that relations were on the mend.  He added that he hoped 
that a high-level USG official might be able to build on 
this momentum by visiting Egypt, particularly Sharm El 
Sheikh, in the near future, perhaps as part of symposium 
to discuss terrorism, or in some other way demonstrating 
solidarity with Egypt in the fight against terrorism. 
Emboffs mentioned that the nomination of the new 
Ambassador to Egypt had been announced only yesterday. 
 
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Abdul Atti claims Secretary Rice's address at AUC had left 
room for misunderstanding about U.S. stance on Islamist 
parties' participation; Deputy Secretary Zoellick's recent 
news conference in Cairo clarified the point. 
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4.  (SBU) Abdul Atti went on to say that he thought all of 
the U.S. emphasis on "democracy" had made the top 
leadership of Egypt feel "let down" by the administration, 
and stressed that President Mubarak needed America to 
demonstrate its support for his government in a way that 
would make it clear to "the street" that America was 
solidly behind him.  "The Egyptian regime is fragile," 
Abdul Atti said, "and this fragility has been exacerbated 
by a series of U.S. statements that 'openly' criticize 
it."  He averred that Secretary Rice, in her address at 
the American University in Cairo, had left room for 
Egyptians to believe that the U.S. would not be opposed to 
a government that included the religious parties, such as 
the Muslim Brotherhood, and that this had given Islamists 
a green light to agitate against the regime.  Secretary 
Rice's mentioning to Foreign Minister Aboul-Gheit, during 
his Washington visit, that Ghad party leader Ayman Nour 
should be released from detention had also undermined the 
image of the regime on the street, and was therefore an 
encouragement to Islamists, he said.  He did agree, 
however, that Deputy Secretary Zoellick's statements at a 
recent Embassy-organized press conference in Cairo 
emphasizing that participation of the Muslim Brotherhood 
in the upcoming elections was an issue that Egyptians had 
to resolve themselves, and was not an American "demand," 
had been encouraging. 
 
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A bit of hyperbole: "linking" American pressure on 
democracy to Sharm bombings. 
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5.  (SBU) Abdul Atti linked American "pressure about 
political reform" to the Sharm bombings by saying it had 
weakened the prestige of the regime to the point that 
terrorists had been emboldened to attack it openly. 
Spreading the blame more widely (and realistically), he 
added that the actions of the Ministry of Interior after 
the Taba bombings last March were also to blame for the 
Sharm bombings.  The security forces had rounded up 
bedouin indiscriminately, he said, and had treated them 
miserably.  He surmised that in retribution, some Sinai 
bedouin had given the perpetrators of the bombings 
assistance by providing a safe haven in the mountains 
surrounding the summer resort of Sharm El Sheikh. 
 
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Appeal for more signs of support from high-level U.S. 
officials. 
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6.  (SBU) The conversation concluded with the new editor 
appealing for more "indications of support" for the NDP 
government from the United States, even if that support 
was symbolic, and that it be sustained, and not just be a 
"one-off" event such as the President's condolence book 
signing.  Referring to Secretary Rice's recent statement 
of condolence to victims of the Sharm bombings, which had 
been distributed as press release by the Embassy and 
carried in all papers, he mentioned that Egyptians greatly 
appreciated her referring to Egypt as a "friend and ally". 
"This and the U.S. President's signing the condolence book 
are wonderful gestures of support," Abdul Atti repeated, 
"but a timely visit to Sharm by the Secretary of State or 
another high-level USG official would be even better."  It 
would give needed encouragement to President Mubarak, who, 
the editor said, is "working alone and would welcome a 
convincing demonstration of American support." 
 
JONES