VZCZCXYZ0077
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #0323 0501220
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191220Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8213

UNCLAS CAIRO 000323 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
NSC STAFF FOR PASCUAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM EG
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN POLITICAL PARTY MEMBERS' SUCCESSFUL 
NDI-ORGANIZED U.S. STUDY TRIP 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
1.(SBU)  A seven member delegation of senior members of 
Egyptian political parties returned to Egypt on February 8 
after spending 10 days in the United States on a National 
Democratic Institute (NDI) organized study mission.  USAID 
funded the study mission through a grant to NDI.  The 
delegation, which included members of the ruling National 
Democratic Party (NDP) and the opposition Democratic Front 
Party (DFP), attended presidential primary campaign rallies 
in Orlando, met in Washington with political activists and 
congressional and executive branch officials, and visited 
campaign headquarters and local election organizers in New 
York.  Two members of the opposition Al Wafd party were also 
scheduled to participate, but had to cancel due to legal 
battles in Cairo over the party's leadership. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  According to Lila Jafer, NDI's program director for 
Egypt, who accompanied the delegation, the group's response 
to the trip was positive.  NDI has struggled against 
government resistance to gain a foothold in Egypt, and she 
told us that the trip demonstrated to the delegation the 
extent to which NDI could serve as a resource for Egypt's 
political institutions.  Participants, including Mohamed 
Kamal, the NDP's Secretary for Training and a key Gamel 
Mubarak advisor, reportedly expressed interest in a continued 
relationship with NDI, while stressing that it should be a 
consultative relationship, rather than one based on 
"training."  Participants also reported that the trip served 
as a vehicle for strengthening ties between the NDP and DFP, 
ties that are, for the moment, being maintained now that the 
group is back in Egypt. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  We met on February 19 with Mohamed Kamal, who was 
extremely enthusiastic and positive about the NDI study 
mission and his experience in the U.S.  He praised NDI's 
understanding of Egypt and, referring to the trip and to 
NDI's activities generally said "this is the way to do such 
things", comparing the International Republican Institute's 
activities in Egypt unfavorably with NDI's.  He told us that 
NDI plans to invite NDP and other party representatives to 
the upcoming Democratic National Convention, and he "will 
enthusiastically accept the invitation." 
Jones