US embassy cable - 05CAIRO7155

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 007155 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC STAFF FOR POUNDS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, ASEC, EG 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON EGYPTIAN INTERIOR MINISTER 
ADLY 
 
Classified by DCM Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) In his September 12 introductory call on Egyptian 
Interior Minister General Habib el-Adly, the Ambassador 
expressed enthusiasm for the strong working-level cooperation 
between various USG agencies and the MOI.  The Ambassador 
congratulated the Minister on the success of GOE security 
forces in protecting the September 7 elections and averting 
any serious incidents.  Adly expressed concern that the 
upcoming parliamentary elections, which have historically 
been difficult to secure, will pose greater challenges.  The 
Ambassador underlined the extent of U.S. and international 
interest in the upcoming parliamentary elections and proposed 
that the GOE consider relocating those polling places 
currently in police stations to more neutral venues.  Adly 
agreed, and suggested that he would lobby for it.  Some are 
speculating that Adly, who has had several serious terrorist 
incidents occur on his watch in the past year, could lose his 
seat should Mubarak shuffle his cabinet after his 
inauguration on September 27.  End summary. 
 
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Building on Strong Cooperation 
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2. (C) The Ambassador paid his first call on Egyptian 
Interior Minister General Habib el-Adly on September 12.  The 
Ambassador introduced country team members who work closely 
with the Ministry on various security-related issues.  Acting 
Legal Attache and DEA Country Attache each thanked Adly for 
the strong cooperation they enjoy with their MOI counterparts 
handling criminal and terrorism investigations and narcotics 
enforcement matters.  The Ambassador also noted that the 
Embassy's Consular Section works very closely with MOI, 
particularly on sensitive and sometimes tragic issues such as 
international parental abduction. 
 
3. (C) Introducing the newly arrived RSO, the Ambassador 
thanked Interior Minister Adly in particular for the 
considerable resources the GOE devotes to protecting USG 
personnel and facilities in Egypt.  Adly said he was firmly 
committed to protecting U.S. interests in Egypt and was a 
strong supporter of MOI's close working-level cooperation 
with the USG.  The Minister agreed with the Ambassador that 
both sides should seize opportunities to build on this 
already strong cooperation.  (Note: Some are speculating that 
Adly, who has had several serious terrorist incidents occur 
on his watch in the past year, could lose his seat should 
Mubarak shuffle his cabinet after his inauguration on 
September 27.  End note.) 
 
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Elections Security Hurdle Passed... 
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4. (C) The Ambassador congratulated the Minister on the 
management of security for the September 7 presidential 
election.  Contrary to some dire predictions, there was no 
serious violence either during the campaign or on election 
day.  By and large, security forces acted with restraint and 
impartiality, reflecting credit on both the Ministry of 
Interior and on Egypt as a whole, the Ambassador noted. 
 
5. (C) Thanking the Ambassador for these comments, Adly 
lamented that the security forces are often scape-goated when 
incidents occur and opined that securing the presidential 
elections had posed a daunting challenge.  He asserted that 
police had acted with significant self-discipline and 
restraint on numerous occasions in recent weeks, when "bad 
elements" affiliated with the opposition had tried their best 
to provoke them. 
 
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...But Parliamentary Polls Present New Challenges 
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6. (C) Continuing, Adly admitted he was worried about the 
coming parliamentary elections, expected in three stages in 
November (dates TBA).  The parliamentary elections often 
involve fierce local rivalries and have historically been 
difficult to secure, with clashes and even exchanges of 
gunfire and acts of arson not unheard of in the past.  The 
Ambassador told the Minister that the international community 
would be closely focused on the coming parliamentary 
elections and wished Egypt every success in conducting a 
process that was not only secure, but fair and transparent. 
 
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One Way to Improve the Process 
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7. (C) The Ambassador flagged for Adly one of the 
observations made by the assessment teams deployed by the 
National Democratic Institute and the International 
Republican Institute to watch the September 7 presidential 
elections.  Members of both teams noted that a number of 
polling places across Egypt were located in police stations. 
The Ambassador explained that, in the view of international 
elections experts, police stations do not make good polling 
places because voters may associate them with the regime and 
be afraid to vote against the government. 
 
8. (C) Adly noted that the selection of venues for polling 
places was a perennial problem for the GOE, as many districts 
lacked suitable public facilities.  Nonetheless, Adly 
continued, he agreed that police stations were not an ideal 
choice and said he would recommend that other venues be 
found, though he implied that he did not have final say in 
the matter. 
 
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Comment 
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9. (C) Technically, it will fall to the still unconstituted 
parliamentary elections commission to identify venues for 
polling places, but MOI, which has administered all previous 
elections and which continues to supply manpower and 
administrative support, will clearly have a say.  While the 
GOE may find it difficult to relocate those polling places 
currently in police stations, enlisting the Minister's 
support on this issue is a step forward.  End comment. 
 
 
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