US embassy cable - 05CAIRO8164

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 008164 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KDEM, KPAL, EG, IS 
SUBJECT: STAFFDEL ZWEIG DISCUSSES REFORM, GAZA, AND FMF 
DURING OCTOBER 13-14 VISIT TO EGYPT 
 
 
Classified by ECPO Minister Counselor Michael Corbin for 
reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  Staffdel Zweig held meetings on political 
reform, Gaza disengagement, and Foreign Military Funding 
(FMF) during its October 13-14 visit to Cairo.  The 
delegation, consisting of Matthew Zweig and David Adams of 
the House International Relations Committee, also received a 
briefing at the Rafah border on plans for a new border 
crossing at Karem Shalom.  End summary. 
 
---------------------------- 
Gaza Disengagement and Syria 
---------------------------- 
 
2.  (C)  During the staffdel's October 13 meeting at MFA, 
Director of Palestinian Affairs Randa Labib Hassan provided 
an assessment of the political situation in Gaza and 
described potential obstacles to further progress in the 
peace negotiations.  She said: 
 
-- Fatah will win in January if they can show that they are 
responsible for opening the border with Egypt; 
 
-- Hamas mayors are making quick progress with civil projects 
and therefore getting credit for improving living conditions; 
 
-- progress has been too slow on Special Envoy Wolfensohn's 
six point plan (especially safe passage, sea/airport); 
 
-- although the GOI accepted the convoy proposal for Gaza-WB 
traffic, it has failed to implement the plan; 
 
-- GOI contacts told her they object to an airport in Gaza 
because they fear it would lead to a 9/11-type incident; 
 
-- GOI insistence on an Israeli presence at the seaport will 
bar progress on this issue; 
 
-- the failure to address the internal closure matter may 
lead to a third intifada; 
 
-- the best way to challenge Hamas is to let them join the 
campaign so that they will be forced to show how they will 
relate to Israel and improve the lives of Palestinians; 
 
-- factions in the West Bank should be exempt from any pledge 
to disarm because Israel occupies the territory and continues 
attacks there. 
 
3.  (C)  On Syria, Hassan said that Syrian contacts have 
complained that they have tried to open a dialogue with the 
U.S. on Iraq, but the U.S. refuses to engage. 
 
---------------- 
Political Reform 
---------------- 
 
4.  (C)  National Democratic Party reformer Dr. Hossam 
Badrawi told the Staffdel that although views on reform 
within the party vary, he does not believe that the party is 
at risk of fracturing.  Badrawi said that enthusiastic 
reformers within the NDP: 
 
-- realize that if the opposition is not a player, the 
democratic process will not move forward; 
 
-- want to amend Article 76 of the Constitution if no 
opposition parties win the five percent of the parliamentary 
seats needed to run a candidate for President; 
 
-- want to amend Article 77 of the Constitution to limit 
Presidential terms; 
 
-- want to move to a list system for the parliamentary 
elections (vice individual candidates); 
 
-- have pledged to prohibit NDP members who leave the party 
to run for election from returning; 
 
5.  (C)  Badrawi speculated that the GOE has scheduled the 
parliamentary elections so that voting will occur last in the 
areas in which the Islamists are more popular.  He said that 
this will lessen the impact of any Islamist victories on 
voting in the densely populated areas like Cairo.  On health 
and education, Badrawi said the GOE must limit the number of 
public servants who are providing these services and develop 
the private sector. The bigger challenge, he admitted, will 
be to develop an assistance system that will enable people to 
pay for health and education. 
 
----------- 
Rafah Visit 
----------- 
 
6.  (C)  During the Staffdel's visit to Rafah, officers from 
the Liaison Agency with International Organizations (LAWIO) 
briefed them on the status of the border post-disengagement. 
The LAWIO officers reported that the GOE had stopped a number 
of smuggling attempts and discovered eight tunnels in 2005. 
The officers also said that construction of the new terminal 
at Karem Shalom was proceeding around the clock and would be 
completed on or about October 29. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
FMF Discussion with Ministry of Defense 
--------------------------------------- 
 
7.  (C)  A Ministry of Defense team consisting of MG Al 
Assar, MG Fouad Abdel Halim, BG Ahmed Mo'taz, and MG Nagy 
briefed the staffdel on the symbolic importance of getting an 
earmark on Egypt's FMF.  The group explained that: 
 
-- nearly all the Congresspeople they talk to said they 
support an earmark for Egypt's FMF because of GOE cooperation 
on issues such as Gaza disengagement; 
 
-- recent examples of cooperation include exploring a GOE 
role in training Afghan police and sending Egyptian engineers 
to support Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan; 
 
-- Egypt will perceive the absence of an earmark for the FMF 
as a sign that the U.S. is downgrading the relationship; 
 
-- the absence of an earmark could require Egypt to reassess 
its modernization plan and consider buying less expensive 
non-U.S. military equipment. 
 
8.  (U) Staffdel did not have an opportunity to clear this 
message. 
 
 
RICCIARDONE