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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #6974 3301355
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261355Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2708
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS CAIRO 006974 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC STAFF FOR WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EG
SUBJECT: HALA MUSTAFA REAPPOINTED TO NDP POLICIES COMMITTEE 
 
REF: A. CAIRO 6857 
     ¶B. CAIRO 6676 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Hala Mustafa, the NDP Policies Committee member 
who had expressed concerns that her criticism of the GOE and 
the ruling NDP had led to threats against her safety and 
reputation (retels), has renewed her membership in the 
Policies Committee.  In an article in Al-Masry Al-Youm (AMAY) 
on November 15, Mustafa said that she had held "positive 
dialogues" with Gamal Mubarak and NDP Secretary General 
Safwat Sherif who had promised to address Mustafa's concerns, 
including her complaints of unfounded press attacks and an 
alleged embargo on publication of her writings in Al-Ahram, 
as well as her concerns about politically-motivated funding 
cuts for her monthly "Democracy" at Al-Ahram Center. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  In a wide-ranging interview published by AMAY on 
November 19, Mustafa said that her dispute was not with Gamal 
Mubarak, the NDP Policies Committee chairman, but rather with 
unnamed security officials and unnamed colleagues on the 
policy committee "who portrayed me as an agent for America." 
Mustafa also noted that she does not see "any alternative" to 
Gamal Mubarak and that she would "accept his presidency." 
Mustafa opined that advisors close to Gamal "are the main 
problem."  Finally she suggested that denials by the Mubaraks 
that Gamal is seeking to be the next president of Egypt may 
be rooted in "uneasiness about expressing political ambition 
freely." 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Poloff sought a meeting with Mustafa on November 
20 to discuss her AMAY comments; due to the serious illness 
of her sister, she said she was unable to meet until the last 
week of November.  Poloff will follow up with Mustafa. 
RICCIARDONE