VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #2580 3651356
ZNR UUUUU ZZH(CCY ADX001455D4 MSI4733)
P 301356Z DEC 08 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1244
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS CAIRO 002580 
 
// C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y  - ADDRESSEE DHS CORRECTED // 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/ELA FOR SCHALL 
EEB FOR HAYWOOD 
ENERGY FOR NNSA MUSTIN AND BEDKE 
DHS FOR HORTON AND BAIG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EWWT PTER EG
SUBJECT: STATUS OF CONTAINER SECURITY PROGRAMS IN EGYPT 
 
REF: SIDEREAS-HUIZENGA EMAIL 12/17/08 
 
Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 3. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Implementation of the Container Security Initiative 
(CSI) program at the Port of Alexandria has been stalled 
since June 2008.  The U.S. and GOE agreed to pursue a CSI 
program in Alexandria in a memorandum of understanding known 
as a Declaration of Principles (DoP) between the Egyptian 
 
Customs Authority (ECA) and the U.S. Departments of Homeland 
Security/Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Department 
of Energy (DOE) in June 2006.  In June 2008, ECA notified the 
embassy that the Egyptian interagency wanted to renegotiate 
the 2006 DoP as a cooperative agreement strictly between the 
ECA and CBP.  In August 2008, ECA Senior Advisor Galal Abou 
el Fotouh told CBP, DOE and econoff that the GOE interagency 
will not allow ECA to engage directly with DOE on container 
security programs and wants to conclude a Customs agency to 
customs agency agreement and limit scanning to U.S.-bound 
containers only. 
 
¶3. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST:  Relevant stakeholders at CBP, DOE 
and Embassy Cairo agreed to this approach in a conference 
call on December 17.  We ask that CBP and DOE, in 
consultation with NEA/ELA, prepare a new DoP in line with the 
GOE's request.  We also request a memorandum articulating how 
implementation of CSI in Alexandria will proceed to help the 
GOE understand next steps. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) COMMENT:  While the Egyptian position falls short 
of our full request, we believe that getting the program 
established and operational will increase GOE comfort level 
with the program and set the stage for future expansion.  END 
SCOBEY