US embassy cable - 05CAIRO8275

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 008275 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO NEA FOR A/S WELCH, PDAS CHENEY, & DAS DIBBLE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2015 
TAGS: EG, PREL, SY 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S 10/29 MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER 
ABOUL GHEIT 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Subject:  Egypt:  Ambassador,s 10/29 Meeting with Foreign 
Minister Aboul Gheit 
 
1.  (C)Summary:  Ambassador met with FM Aboul Gheit on October 
29.  Sticking close to the brief he gave the Secretary on 
October 28, the FM reported on President Mubarak,s trip to 
Syria.  He repeated that the Asad regime had indicated a 
readiness to change its behavior, including on Iraq, but 
worried that the USG was putting too much pressure on Syria. 
The Ambassador replied that pressure was warranted, a point 
on which the Egyptian government has agreed in numerous 
consultations.  Aboul Gheit praised the Israeli MinDef Mowfaz 
visit and predicted swift progress on opening the border 
crossing at Rafah.  On MDA, the Foreign Minister insisted 
that Egypt was not blocking progress and that a process well 
under way.  He had met with Swiss Foreign Minister earlier in 
the day; she would meet with the parties in Ramalla on 
October 30.   Aboul Gheit also welcomed the visit of Iraqi 
NSA in November and reported that he will attend only the 
opening dinner of the Forum for the Future in Bahrain on 
November 11 but will miss the meeting on the 12th. 
 
Mubarak's Trip to Syria 
 
2.  (C) Ambassador met on October 29, Foreign Minister Ahmed 
Aboul Gheit, fresh from his brief trip to Syria with 
President Mubarak the previous day.  Noting the series of 
communications late on Thursday evening between the GOE and 
the Embassy and later the Department urging Mubarak not to 
go, Aboul Gheit insisted that the trip had been swift, 
low-key and had provided no succor for the Asad regime. 
Recapping Mubarak's demands -- cooperation on the Mehlis 
investigation, stopping the foreign fighters from entering 
Iraq, hands-off in Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority -- 
he claimed that Syria had indicated a "readiness" to move 
forward.  As in his conversation with the Secretary, Aboul 
Gheit was unable to point to any specific commitments by 
Assad to change Syrian behavior, but he maintained that 
Mubarak's message elicited a "readiness" by the Asad regime 
to change. 
 
3.  (C) On the draft UNSC resolution under discussion in New 
York, Aboul Gheit professed vague objections that it put too 
much pressure on the Syrians.  For example, he complained the 
language in Op Para 3, which would freeze the funds of 
individuals suspected by the Commission of involvement with 
the Hariri assassination or those held by entities owned or 
controlled, directly or indirectly.  Does this mean, the FM 
queried that if Farouk Shara comes under investigation, the 
international community would be obliged to freeze all assets 
held by the Syrian Foreign Ministry?   The Ambassador replied 
that the pressure was warranted and needed at this time.  The 
Egyptian government has agreed on this point in several 
conversations. We saw nothing inappropriate in the draft;  if 
the Syrian Chief of Intelligence has assets in Lebanon -- 
public or private -- why shouldn,t they be seized?  In any 
nation conducted under the rule of law, credible allegations 
of conspiracy to commit murder would precipitate a 
resignation from high office. 
 
Mowfaz Visit 
 
4.  (C) Aboul Gheit praised the recent visit of Israeli Minister 
of Defense Mowfaz on October 27, visit as excellent.  Noting 
that it fell prior to the Hadera bombing, he said that the 
Israelis had committed to moving forward quickly on Rafah. 
He boasted that the Egyptians are ready now to open the 
border crossing at Rafah at any time, but had promised not to 
move forward without Israeli concurrence.   Pressed for a 
date when Rafah might open, the FM referred the Ambassador to 
EGIS Director Omar Soliman, but added it would be soon. 
(Note:  Ambassador will meet with Soliman on October 30.)  He 
reported that the Israelis would, as expected, insist on a 
third party observer at Rafah.  He refused to say that the 
third party would be the EU.    Aboul Gheit also praised 
Quartet Representative James Wolfensohn,s recent remarks 
about delays on progress in Gaza as very useful. 
 
Mowafaq Al Rubaie 
 
5.  (C) Ambassador noted that Iraqi National Security Advisor 
Mowafaq Al Rubaie would visit Cairo November 9-10 as a guest 
of EGIS Director Omar Soliman.   We hoped that the Foreign 
Minister would see him as well.  Aboul Gheit readily agreed. 
 Pressed on the status of the appointment of an Iraqi 
ambassador to Cairo, the FM said that he was waiting for Iraq 
FM Zebari to send him a new name. 
 
MDA 
 
6.  (C) Aboul Gheit pushed back hard on the Ambassador's 
suggestion that Egypt was blocking progress on MDA.  He said 
he had issued clear instructions to Geneva: "We are not 
obstructing but we are working in the context of the Arab 
group and we have to follow the group."  He added that he had 
just met with the Swiss Foreign Ministry earlier in the same 
day.  He said the issue has now boiled down to process; she 
had told him that the Israeli government should provide the 
Palestinian Authority with a letter with clear language on 
exactly how the MDA emblem would be (not) be used in the 
occupied territories.  There will be an iftar in Ramallah 
tomorrow to discuss the issue.  The PA was insisting on a 
commitment from the Israeli government, not just from MDA. 
The Israelis, he reported, are also looking for an exception 
for allowing the emblem to be used in the territories in the 
case of an emergency or natural disaster but he predicted 
that this exception would not be granted. 
 
7.  (C) Returning to the issue of Egypt's role, the FM said that 
"too many games are being played on this issue.  Egypt is 
being blamed unfairly.  We do not want to see the 'star' used 
in the occupied territories, this would set a precedent that 
these territories are still contested.  But we will not 
block; we will not incite." 
 
Forum for the Future 
 
8.  (C) Aboul Gheit said that he plans to attend the official 
dinner on the eve of Forum for the Future in Bahrain, on 
November 11, but will not stay for the meeting on November 
12.  He said he was doing this "as a courtesy to the Bahraini 
hosts." 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RICCIARDONE