This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 008137 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/PD FOR FRANK FINVER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KPAO KMDR OPRC IZ SY EG
SUBJECT:  SADDAM IN A CAGE; SECTARIAN STRIFE IN ALEXANDRIA: 
EGYPTIAN MEDIA THEMES, OCTOBER 17 TO 23 
 
REF: CAIRO 7987 
 
¶1.  Summary:  While the Egyptian media covered the opening 
of Saddam Husseins trial extensively, there was little 
commentary.  One opposition commentator decried the trial 
as "illegitimate, partial, and subordinate to the American 
occupiers."  Violence between Muslims and Christians in 
Alexandria on October 21 received front page coverage on 
October 23, with reports claiming three dead and over a 
hundred injured.  In the aftermath, the media reported on 
October 23 a plea for tolerance and friendship by Pope 
Shenouda and Sheikh Tantawi.  Several commentators and one 
popular Egyptian cartoonist pointed the finger of blame for 
the violence at a "foreign conspiracy."  Most commentators 
condemned the UNs Mehlis report, with daily newspaper Al- 
Ahram writing that its findings were "circumstantial 
evidence."  Al-Gomhouriya, a pro-government daily critical 
of the U.S., claimed the Mehlis report was a result of 
"Americas hostile schemes in the Middle East."  November 
parliamentary elections were also covered throughout the 
week.  However, few commentators expressed much hope in the 
elections.  "In Egypt there are no elections, only 
celebrations and fanfare," wrote one opposition editor. 
End summary. 
 
¶2.  Saddams trial:  Egyptian TV (ETV) news coverage on 
October 18 and 19 centered on Saddams "not guilty" plea on 
the opening day of his trial.  ETV's News Channel played 
the trial live on October 18.  The Egyptian print press led 
with images of Saddam at the trial on October 19 
accompanied by headlines such as "Saddam Challenges 
President of Court, Refuses to Recognize Courts Legality; 
ity; 
and Insists He Is President of Iraq" (Al-Ahram) and "Saddam 
and His Men in the Cage (i.e., the docket)" (Al-Akhbar). 
Noteworthy was the paucity of commentary on the trial, 
given the amount of media coverage it generated.  An 
opposition Al-Wafd (circulation: 50,000) commentator 
consistently critical of the U.S. described Saddam's trial 
on October 22 as "illegitimate, partial, and subordinate to 
the American occupiers" and concluded that "President Bush 
and his wicked advisors should stand trial instead." 
 
¶3.  Sectarian strife in Alexandria:  On October 23, 
independent newspapers Al-Masry Al-Youm (circulation: 
25,000) and Nahdet Masr (circulation: 25,000) both 
published front-page images and reports of violence between 
Coptic Christians and Muslims in Alexandria, with the 
former reporting 3 deaths and 143 injuries after clashes on 
October 21 over a controversial DVD of a Coptic play that 
Muslim demonstrators accused of defaming Islam (reftel). 
All newspapers reported on a joint statement by Coptic Pope 
Shenouda and Al-Azhar Sheikh Tantawi that called for 
tolerance and friendship between Muslims and Copts. 
Channel Ones program Milaff Khass ("Special File") hosted 
several guests on October 22 who discussed the clashes. 
The chairman of Al-Azhars "Religious Dialog Committee" 
called for dialog to solve tensions and criticized the 
media and Copts who live in the U.S. for overreacting. 
Channel Ones popular program Al-Bayt Baytak ("Make 
Yourself at Home") also hosted several guests on October 22 
to discuss the violence in Alexandria.  Guest Adel Hamouda, 
editor of independent weekly Al-Fagr (circulation: 50,000), 
blamed pan-Arab satellite channels for inflaming sectarian 
divisions in the region.  Another guest, a religious 
sheikh, blamed a "foreign conspiracy" for the increase of 
tensions between Muslims and Copts in Egypt.  A popular 
back page cartoon in pro-government Al-Akhbar (circulation: 
n: 
800,000) on October 23 showed a uniformed security official 
on the beach standing before a snake, whose body spells out 
the words "sectarian strife," and saying into his cell 
phone, "Its clear, sir, that its coming from abroad." 
 
¶4.  Why is everybody picking on Syria?:  On October 22, the 
day after the Mehlis report's release, all major newspapers 
and TV news coverage reported that the report had 
implicated Syrian and Lebanese government officials in 
Rafik Hariri's murder.  A commentary in Al-Wafd on October 
21, written before the report's release, claimed that the 
U.S. and its allies were "trying to force Syria to accept a 
deal in which Syria would control its borders to prevent 
insurgents going into Iraq."  On October 22, an unsigned 
editorial in pro-government daily Al-Ahram (circulation: 
750,000) claimed that the Mehlis report was "the start of a 
new and serious chapter against Syria by the U.S. and 
France."  The Al-Ahram editorial also claimed that the 
e 
report "includes only circumstantial evidence."  However, a 
commentator writing in the same issue opined that the 
report "is so detailed to be beyond the shadow of a doubt." 
Pro-government daily Al-Gomhouriya (circulation: 500,000) - 
and a harsh critic of the U.S.  published an unsigned 
editorial on October 22 that claimed the Mehlis report was 
"not surprising, because the results were known beforehand 
to anyone who is aware of Americas hostile schemes in the 
Middle East."  Former Al-Gomhouriya Editor-in-chief Samir 
Ragab wrote in the same issue that the Mehlis report was 
"part of a U.S. scheme to drive a wedge between Syria and 
Lebanon, then assassinate Hariri, then force Syria to 
withdraw from Lebanon, then issue this report  all in 
order to pave the way for future events." 
 
¶5.  November parliamentary elections:  The media continued 
to highlight developments on November's parliamentary 
elections.  Al-Masry Al-Youm and Al-Wafd reported on 
on 
October 21 that more than 1,000 members of Al-Wafd Party, 
the Kifaya Movement, and the Muslim Brotherhood took part 
in an October 19 demonstration in Cairo in support of an 
opposition list of parliamentary candidates.  Commentators 
in the opposition and independent press were critical of 
the elections.  "Do not pin your hopes on the parliamentary 
elections," warned Abdel Halim Qandil, Editor-in-chief of 
opposition, Nasserite Al-Arabi (circulation: 20,000), on 
October 20.  "In Egypt there are no elections, only 
celebrations and fanfare," Qandil continued.  The Editor of 
independent weekly Sawt Al-Umma (circulation: 50,000) wrote 
on October 17 that "there is nothing new in the upcoming 
elections  the same corruption, oppression, and forgery 
from the NDP."  Sounding a note of optimism, however, was 
Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, quoted on October 20 in 
English-language Al-Ahram Weekly as saying, "November's 
parliamentary elections have the potential to become a 
watershed in the nation's political life... I believe a new 
era is dawning, one in which normalcy will be restored and 
the state of emergency ended." 
 
RICCIARDONE