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

S E C R E T CAIRO 002432

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL KPAL EG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR´S MEETING WITH MIN INFO AND EGIS CHIEF ON RADIO SAWA AND AL-MANAR
REF: A. CAIRO 2365
¶B. 05 CAIRO 08321
¶C. CAIRO 09834

Classified By: Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

¶1. (S) Summary: On April 20th, the Ambassador pressed MOI Al-Fiqqi on the GOE´s media portrayal of issues important to the US-Egyptian relationship, including Iran, Hamas, and Iraq. He also again raised the issues of Radio Sawa and Al-Manar. The Ambassador argued that if the GOE values its relationship with the US as a strategic asset it should not, in Al-Fiqqi´s own words, "compromise with anti-American public opinion,"but rather seek to lead and shape it with more factual information. Al-Fiqqi took the point and said he had, for example, conveyed to the editors-in-chief of the top state-owned dailies the true facts of increased US assistance to the Palestinians (Ref A). End Summary 

¶2. (S) Sawa: The Ambassador referred to Al-Fiqqi´s conversation last month with Joaquin Blaya, President of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and inquired if the MOI would favor a proposed arrangement between a private Egyptian license, under which Al-Sawa would provide broadcast content and pay the private broadcaster for the service. Al-Fiqqi said he believed there would be no political objection to such a deal, but the legal authority for new private broadcast licenses did not yet exist. He added that the legislation would not be ready for presentation in the Parliament until the August 2006 session, but he undertook to work with the drafters of the legislation to permit such an arrangement.

¶3. (S) Al-Manar: The Ambassador cited Congressman Wexler´s letter on Aril 6th to Al-Fiqqi and reminded him that Al-Manar is now a designated terrorist entity, further strengthening the already compelling case for taking it off of Nilesat. Al-Fiqqi reiterated his previous arguments that as long as Al-Manar is broadcast on Arabsat, concurrently broadcast with Nilesat, such a move would be ineffectual; also, he claimed contractual obstacles (Ref B and C). Al-Fiqqi questioned on what legal grounds he could take A-Manar off the air. The Ambassador told him that the national security case should be more compelling in Egypt and the region than ever, following President Mubarak´s recent public association of all Shiites with Iranian extremism. While we objected to such a claim, there is no doubt that Hizballah is Iran´s terrorist tool for regional destabilization. Al-Fiqqi took the point and said he would appeal to EGIS Chief Omar Suleiman.

¶4. (S) Ambassador followed up with EGIS Chief Suleiman,also on April 20, reiterating our shared national security interests vs. Iranian-backed Hezbollah in pulling the plug on al-Manar. He asked Soleiman also to urge the Saudis to pull Al-Manar from Arabsat. Soliman agreed to re-open the fileand discuss it further with Embassy officers on April 23.

RICCIARDONE