US embassy cable - 05CAIRO6711

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 006711 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, PHUM, KPAO, EG, IZ, Iraqi 
SUBJECT: BUILDING SUPPORT FOR IRAQ'S CONSTITUTION:  EGYPT 
 
REF: A. STATE 158419 
 
     B. STATE 158420 
     C. STATE 160094 (NOTAL) 
     D. CAIRO 6673 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified by Charge Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) In conjunction with the Secretary's August 27 call to 
Egyptian President Mubarak, the Charge delivered ref A and B 
demarches on the Iraqi constitution to Presidential Spokesman 
and Advisor Soliman Awad.  Awad welcomed the USG points and 
promised to share them with Egyptian Intelligence Chief 
Soliman and Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit.  Following up with 
Awad August 31, the Charge shared ref C talking points, 
sought an update on GOE response to our earlier demarche, and 
again requested GOE public support for the Iraqi constitution 
process.  Awad shared that, after his August 27 conversation 
with the Secretary, President Mubarak had instructed Egyptian 
Intelligence Chief Soliman and Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit 
to make phone calls to key Iraqi Sunni figures.  Those calls 
were made, Awad said, and the feedback that came back was 
concern over the revised text in the draft constitution 
dealing with Iraq's Arab identity.  Awad said that Mubarak's 
private response had been that this issue needed to be 
resolved in a way that "showed respect for all Iraqis."  (But 
Awad added that Iraq was, of course, an Arab nation and that 
Sunni concerns should be addressed.)  Appropriate changes to 
that language would help the situation tremendously, Awad 
added.  Responding, the Charge shared post's understanding 
that changes to the language in question were already being 
discussed by key parties in Baghdad.  Awad was encouraged by 
the news, and appeared receptive to Charge's request for 
positive GOE public statements on the constitution. 
 
2.  (C) During an August 30 meeting with MFA Cabinet staffer 
Alaa Hadidi poloff shared ref A/B/C talking points on Iraq's 
constitution and requested that Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit 
make positive public remarks on the process and the document. 
 Hadidi confirmed that Minister Aboul Gheit had yet to take a 
public position on the constitution.  Hadidi repeated GOE 
complaints over current constitution language dealing with 
Iraq's Arab character and expressed familiar Egyptian 
neuralgia over supposed Kurdish and Shia separatist ambitions. 
 
3.  (C) Post also delivered ref A/B/C demarches to senior 
Arab League officials on several occasions this week, 
encouraging Secretary General Moussa to be more forthcoming 
in support of Iraq's constitution and the political process 
spelled out in UNSCR 1546.  The consistent response, echoed 
in Moussa's recent public statements, has focused on 
constitution language on Iraq's Arab identity. 
 
4.  (C) Comment:  Iraq's Ambassador to the Arab League, Raad 
al-Alusi (protect) has been helpful in keeping us informed 
about Egyptian, Arab League, and Iraqi Sunni views on the 
constitution.  Alusi, a Sunni close to former PM Allawi, has 
echoed to us the same complaints as Moussa and the GOE 
regarding constitution language on Iraq's Arab identity.  He 
told us August 31 that Kurdish objections would likely 
prevent the present language from being amended, but that a 
new sentence may be added noting that Iraq had been a founder 
of the Arab League.  Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari, Alusi 
said, had called him that morning to instruct him not to make 
any public comments about this issue, as sensitive 
discussions in Baghdad were underway.  End comment. 
 
 
Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo 
 
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State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. 
 
JONES