US embassy cable - 05CAIRO8402

UNCLAS CAIRO 008402 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
EB/CIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECPS, ETRD, ECON, EINT, ETTC, EG 
SUBJECT: GOE ON WSIS AND INTERNET FREEDOM 
 
REF: SECSTATE 196384 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
1. (SBU) During a meeting with GOE Minister of Communication 
and Information Technology Dr. Tarek Kamel October 31, the 
Ambassador asked Kamel for the GOE's position on the recent 
European Commission proposal on Internet management (reftel) 
in the lead up to the Tunis World Summit on the Information 
Society (WSIS).  The Ambassador emphasized that the proposal 
to put Internet management under multilateral governmental 
control would "strangle" the Internet, stifling the free flow 
of ideas and introducing burdensome bureaucracy.  The United 
States would not allow this to happen. 
 
2.  (SBU) Dr. Kamel expressed support for the protection of 
the free flow of ideas over the Internet.  The issue of 
Internet supervision had become too politicized, he said, and 
suggested that the creation of an international forum or 
Internet advisory board, consisting of technical experts, 
Nobel prize winners, etc., might maintain this protection. 
The U.S. could be more "flexible," he continued, without 
endangering the grassroots, bottom-up, free spirit of the 
Internet.  Kamel said he doubted the issue would be resolved 
in the WSIS in Tunis. (Note:  According to one of his aides, 
Dr. Kamel will personally lead a "large" Egyptian delegation 
to the WSIS.  End note.) 
 
 
RICCIARDONE