Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 5422 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
QA
YM YI YE

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 09CAIRO145, SENIOR EGYPTIAN OFFICIAL WELCOMES RECENT POTUS

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09CAIRO145.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09CAIRO145 2009-01-27 14:02 2011-02-16 21:09 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Cairo
VZCZCXRO6042
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #0145 0271456
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271456Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1481
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS CAIRO 000145 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR PASCUAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EG
SUBJECT: SENIOR EGYPTIAN OFFICIAL WELCOMES RECENT POTUS 
COMMENTS 
 
Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Internet distribution. 
 
1.(SBU) The Egyptian leadership is taking notice of, and welcoming, President Obama's recent outreach to Egypt, and focus on the Middle East peace process. Safwat El Sherif, the powerful secretary-general of the ruling National Democratic Party and speaker of the Shura Council (Egypt's upper house of parliament), has long been chilly to the U.S., disdaining contact with USG officials and often making negative public remarks about the USG. In an uncharacteristic move, Sherif, arguably the most influential politician in Egypt after Hosni Mubarak, made comments to journalists on January 24 that were relatively warm towards President Obama. In a statement that was highlighted in the premier government newspaper "Al Ahram" and subsequently on the ruling party's website, Sherif said that the President's January 21 call to Hosni Mubarak "is an initiative that reflects a change (in U.S. policy). demonstrating that the new U.S. administration is keen to listen to the views of the most important country in the Middle East (Egypt)." Sherif also flagged President Obama's January 22 comments at the State Department on U.S. policy in the Middle East, noting that they were "positive."

2.(SBU) Sherif underscored "the importance of the U.S. approach in the coming phase, as it works to regain its credibility as a neutral partner in the peace process," and stressed his hope that the USG would stop using "double standards" when dealing with Israel and Arab countries. While Sherif's comments may seem unremarkable, the relatively positive tone towards the U.S. is quite unusual in the current Egyptian context, and significant coming from someone normally so critical of the USG. Sherif's commentary, and the subsequent orchestrated highlighting of his remarks in GOE mouthpieces, is a clear signal of the Egyptian leadership's appreciation of administration moves to date. SCOBEY