VZCZCXRO1745
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #0559 0601400
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 011400Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3817
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 0163
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0159

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000559 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2017 
TAGS: PREL KWBG PINR EG IZ SU IR LE XF IS
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN PLANS FOR MARCH 3-4 ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN 
MINISTERS MEETING IN CAIRO 
 
REF: SECSTATE 24372 
 
Classified By: Classified by Acting DCM William R. Stewart 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  MFA Deputy Assistant Minister for Arab 
Affairs Hani Khallaf says that Egypt will take a cautious 
approach towards the Palestinian National Unity Government at 
the upcoming Arab League Foreign Ministers meeting and 
withhold final judgment until after the NUG is formed.  Egypt 
will attend the March 10 sub-ministerial Neighbors Conference 
in Baghdad only if Iraq accepts its invitation to a follow-on 
ministerial in Cairo.  Khallaf was non-committal on 
pressuring Iran on its nuclear program, blaming Israeli 
"unhelpfulness" for lack of progress on the nuclear issue. 
Regarding Sudan, Khallaf said that President Bashir was ready 
to accept a hybrid UN/AU peacekeeping force for Darfur, once 
outstanding issues of financing and troop commitments are 
resolved.  Khallaf said Egypt would encourage Syria to accept 
a compromise settlement in Lebanon that does not jeopardize 
the Hariri Tribunal.   End summary. 
 
¶2. (C) On March 1, 2007, Acting DCM William R. Stewart 
delivered ref demarche points to MFA Deputy Assistant 
Minister for Arab Affairs Hani Khallaf.  Khallaf said that 
the Arab League is attempting to keep the March 3-4 meeting 
as "routine as possible," leaving the specifics -- "and the 
confrontations" -- for the March 28-29 summit in Riyadh. 
Khallaf responded to specific points as follows: 
 
(a) Israeli-Palestinian situation 
 
Khallaf said he understood the U.S. position and that Egypt 
will advocate a cautious approach towards the Palestinian 
National Unity Government, and stress the need to reserve 
final judgment until after it is formed. 
 
(b) Iraq 
 
Khallaf said that Egypt is committed, in principle, to attend 
the March 10 sub-ministerial Neighbors Conference in Baghdad. 
 However, he said that Egypt's formal acceptance depends on 
Iraq's agreement that it will be a purely preparatory 
gathering in advance of a follow-on ministerial meeting -- 
that Iraq will attend -- in Cairo.  Khallaf also stressed 
that Egypt has great concerns about the security situation in 
Iraq.  "I hope we will not have to stay there more than three 
hours."  If Egypt does attend, he will likely lead a small 
GoE delegation. 
 
(c) Iran 
 
Khallaf said it would be difficult for Egypt to take action 
under Chapter VII of UNSCR 1737, noting that opposing Iran on 
the nuclear issue was not possible without "positive" 
statements from the Israelis.  Israel's "unhelpful" comments, 
he said, make it difficult for those in the region to take a 
tough stance against Iran, or to advocate for a Middle East 
Nuclear Free Zone.  He speculated that the GCC might see this 
issue differently, although "Egypt stands to lose more than 
anyone" by nuclear escalation in the region. 
 
(d) Sudan 
 
Khallaf said that Sudanese president Bashir is ready to 
support a hybrid UN/AU peace-keeping operation in Darfur, but 
only after funding and troop commitment details are ironed 
out. 
 
(e) Lebanon 
 
According to Khallaf, Egypt will press forQb League 
language that will encourage the Syrians and others to seek a 
compromise political solution that will not compromise the 
Hariri Tribunal. 
 
¶3. (C) On February 28, poloff delivered ref demarche to a 
senior Arab League advisor, who had no substantive response 
but promised to deliver the points to Arab League Secretary 
General Amre Moussa that evening. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Bio note: Khallaf's father was a university 
professor in Sulaymaniah, Iraq, during the 1940's, who 
apparently taught many of the current generation of Iraqi 
political leaders, including perhaps Adnan Pachachi.  End bio 
note. 
 
¶5. (U) Tripoli minimize considered. 
RICCIARDONE