VZCZCXRO9261
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #2315 3511507
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171507Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4474
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS CAIRO 002315 
 
SIPDIS 
 
S/CT FOR SHORE; NCTC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER ASEC EFIN KCRM KHLS PINS PREL AEMR EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT: 2009 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM 
 
REF: SECSTATE 109980 
 
¶1.  Egypt is an ally on counter-terrorism issues.  The 
Egyptian and U.S. governments maintained a robust dialogue on 
a broad range of counter-terrorism and law enforcement issues 
in 2009 and exchanged information on a variety of terrorism, 
security, and law enforcement matters during the course of 
the year. 
 
¶2.  There were successful terrorist attacks in Egypt in 2009. 
 In February 2009, a bomb exploded in the popular Khan El 
Khalil market place, killing a young French tourist and 
wounding a number of other foreign tourists.  In May, 
Egyptian authorities announced the arrest of seven suspects. 
On May 10, a bomb exploded in a car parked near the Cathedral 
of the Virgin Mary in Cairo's Zeitoun neighborhood.  There 
were no injuries, minimal property damage and no claims of 
responsibility. 
 
¶3.  The Egyptian government's active opposition to Islamist 
terrorism, and effective intelligence and security services, 
makes Egypt an unattractive locale for terror groups.  In 
April, however, Egypt announced it had arrested 49 members of 
a Hezbollah cell in Egypt, and in July, government 
prosecutors said that 26 members of the cell had been 
transferred to a State Security Court for trial.  Egypt's 
northern Sinai region is a base for the smuggling of arms and 
explosives into Gaza, and a transit point for Gazan 
Palestinians.  Palestinian officials from Hamas have also 
carried large amounts of cash across the border.  The 
smuggling of humans, weapons, and other contraband through 
the Sinai into Israel and the Gaza Strip has created criminal 
networks that may be associated with terror groups in the 
region.  The apparent radicalization of some Sinai Bedouin 
may possibly be linked in part to these smuggling networks 
and Egyptian efforts to dismantle them. 
 
¶4.  In the past six years, Egypt has tightened its terror 
finance regulations in keeping with relevant UN Security 
Council Resolutions.  Egypt passed strong anti-money 
laundering legislation in 2002, established a financial 
intelligence unit in 2003, and ratified the latest UN 
Convention to Combat Terror Finance in 2005.  In 2008, Egypt 
strengthened its anti-money laundering legislation by 
specifically adding terrorism financing to the list of 
punishable crimes.  The Government of Egypt also maintains 
open lines of communication with U.S. Embassy officials 
concerning terrorist finance information.  Egypt regularly 
informs its own financial institutions of any individuals or 
entities which are designated by any of the UN sanctions 
committees. 
 
¶5.  Egypt maintained its strengthened airport security 
measures and security for the Suez Canal, and continued to 
institute more stringent port security measures. 
 
¶6. The Egyptian judicial system does not allow plea 
bargaining, and terrorists have historically been prosecuted 
to the full extent of the law.  Terrorism defendants may be 
tried in military tribunals or emergency courts.  In terms of 
evidence for counter-terrorism cases in the U.S., Egypt's 
judicial system is cooperative within the framework of the 
Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT).  (Note: The MLAT is a 
formal mechanism for the United States to request from Egypt 
evidence for use in U.S. courts. End note.) 
 
¶7. Many of the Egyptian president's far-reaching powers in 
the realm of counter-terrorism come from Egypt's Emergency 
Law, which has been in force since 1981, and was renewed by 
Parliament for two years in June 2008.  President Mubarak has 
pledged to lift the Emergency Law and has called for new 
anti-terrorism legislation to replace the Emergency Law, 
noting that Egypt should follow the example of other 
countries that have recently passed comprehensive laws to 
combat terrorism.  Such legislation reportedly has been 
drafted but not submitted to or approved by Egypt's 
Parliament. 
 
¶8. Embassy Point of Contact:  Ed White atwhiteea@state.gov. 
Scobey