Because The Elections Are Not Enough Scandalous , We Have Got The Wikileaks Too “The First Batch”

Nobody thought for one second that Egypt will have its share  from the scandal in the new latest Wikileaks releases : The Cables gate , nobody though for one second we will be mentioned but what you know !!??

The man of the hour : Assange

Logically from the 1/4 million confidential American diplomatic cables in the past we had our share whether directly or indirectly. I expected to be indirectly as nobody said anything about Egypt In the last few days as we all thought the Wikileaks cables will include the GCC, Israel, Turkey and Iran. At least this is what we understood from the news reports about how the States are scared on its relations with these countries excluding Iran. Egypt’s name was not mentioned at all till we found a whole section in the Guardian dedicated to EGYPT.  The first batch released to the media included Egypt , 4 cables with Egypt’s mention directly and indirectly !! Moments later we knew that there was more in NY Times and more in the Wikileaks cablegate website itself.
First you must know that actually despite being confidential there is nothing explosive about them , these are not CIA reports , these normal correspondences between the embassies and their countries. Our embassies have the same kind of correspondences. You will not be surprised by the American side or its views that much compared to the scandals of our rulers. FYI diplomats are official spies, from their job description collecting and analyzing data to help the decision maker back home.
Up till now I do not know how Julian Assange got these 1/4 million cables or why he publishes them considering the fact he has created a huge diplomatic crisis not between the U.S and other countries but also between countries themselves like for instance Egypt and Qatar as you will see.
Since knowing about the release of the cables and more importantly since knowing that my Egypt is involved , I forget altogether about the Greek tragedy we calling parliamentary elections.  I have read the cables in the Guardian and the NY Times about Egypt and decided to summarize them by date.
By the way GOE stands for the government of Egypt

• The first one is about General Omar Soliman , our Spy chief and minster of national security. It goes back to 2/01/2008 It was sent from the American Embassy in Cairo to Washington. “Guardian”

Soliman had a meeting with the U.S Ambassador and a congressional delegation led by senator George Voinovich on 31/12/2007 and he spoke about the Israeli- Palestinian negotiations , Iran , Lebanon and Iraq .  Strangely he said that the Iraqis needed to amend their constitution and Al Malaki should stop treating his people in a sectarian way !!  
Here are some interesting excerpts from the cable :

The bottom line for Hamas, according to Soliman, is that they must be forced to choose between remaining a resistance movement or joining the political process. They cannot have it both ways, he said .

Soliman reiterated GOE willingness to train and support Palestinian security forces. He claimed that the GOE had training facilities ready, but that he was waiting for an answer from U.S. Security Coordinator General Keith Dayton. (Note: We have advised Soliman that initial training of Palestinian security forces will take place in Jordan, and that we will revisit the option of training in Egypt this spring

So the Americans themselves would revisit the option of training the Palestinian forces in Egypt !!

Congressman Turner asked if Iran and/or Syria might be play a spoiler role. Soliman answered that Syria wants desperately to halt the United Nations special tribunal on the Hariri assassination. At the same time, the SARG is ready to negotiate with the Israelis, and Soliman believed that the GOI also is ready. Syria, Soliman said, can be induced to play a constructive role but added that there are no guarantees, however, on Syrian performance.

Soliman said that Iran remains a significant threat to Egypt. It continues to influence Shiaa in Iraq and the Gulf. Iran is supporting Jihad and spoiling peace, and has supported extremists in Egypt previously. If they were to support the Muslim Brotherhood this would make them "our enemy," he said. The GOE continues to press the Iranian regime to turn over extremists given "safe harbor" in Iran. This issue, he said, will remain an obstacle to improving Egyptian-Iranian relations. (Soliman met with Iranian former nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani earlier in the week. Larijani was in Egypt on a week-long "private visit.

I remember that visit of Larijani.
By the way this was the summary of the meeting between Soliman and a congressional delegation from the States , it is amazing that despite being a minister of national security , Soliman has never attended a session in the parliament nor our own MPs dare to question him or dare to question or national security policies.I do not think that Soliman or any other Spy chief in the history of Egypt at least after the coup d’ etat in 1952 has been questioned in the parliament in front of the national security committee for once about the policies of secret service agencies even secretly. May be because the MPs in the country of general Soliman are not democratically chosen by the people to represent the people , the taxpayers , the MPs in the country of general Soliman are chosen in that way !! I am sorry if I was deviated from the main topic here but today was the elections day in Egypt and the parliament issue was in my mind. 

• The second was sent on February 9th , 2009 when FM Abu Gait requested a meeting with Hilary Clinton. It was from the American Embassy in Cairo to Washington. “Guardian”

Aboul Gheit likely will explain Egypt's "soft power"--its ability to influence regional events without benefit of deep pockets.

He may ask for your support for Egypt to be part of an expanded G8 or G20 and press the candidacy of Egyptian Culture Minister Farouq Hosny for Director General of UNESCO. He may not raise human rights (specifically Ayman Nour), political reform, or democratization; but you should.

Aboul Gheit is smart, urbane, with a tendency to lecture and to avoid discussing Egyptian failings with all-purpose recourse to Egyptian sovereign pride.

President Mubarak told Senator Mitchell during his recent visit here that he did not oppose our talking with the Iranians, as long as "you don't believe a word they say."

So the hell he is to oppose the American Iranian talks !!??

The Egyptians have long felt that, at best, we take them for granted; and at worst, we deliberately ignore their advice while trying to force our point of view on them

Although the Egyptians will react well to overtures of respect and appreciation, Egypt is very often a stubborn and recalcitrant ally.

Egypt will not take any action that could be perceived as collaboration in Israel's siege of Gaza, and they have been hyper-sensitive to any suggestion that foreigners are assisting them or overseeing their efforts to counter smuggling.

Aboul Gheit publicly distanced Egypt from our January MOU with Israel to combat arms smuggling into Gaza, although he knew about it in advance and consulted with Secretary Rice and me about its contents. The Egyptians do not want to be stuck holding the Gaza bag, and must be able to point the finger of blame at Israel for the plight of the Palestinians.

Even during the height of the December fighting, the Egyptians only sent medicine and medical supplies through the Rafah border; all other humanitarian goods went through the Israeli crossing at Kerem Shalom.

President Mubarak enjoys recounting for visiting members of Congress how he warned former President Bush against invading Iraq, ending with, "I told you so!" and a wag of his finger.

And so Mubarak warned Bush from invading Iraq unlike what that big fat liar claimed in his book. I love that “A wag of his finger”

As for Iran, Mubarak has a visceral hatred for the Islamic Republic, referring repeatedly to Iranians as "liars," and denouncing them for seeking to destabilize Egypt and the region. He sees the Syrians and Qataris as sycophants to Tehran and liars themselves.

Aside from our bad relations with Syria currently , I think Mubarak’s visit to Qatar was an introduction to what was going to be revealed in that big cable-gate !! There is no doubt that the U.S embassy has warned Egypt from the content of these leaked documents in advance among other countries.

Egypt's political leadership considers our public chastisement of their treatment of jailed former opposition Al Ghad party leader Ayman Nour as interfering with internal affairs and infringement on national sovereignty. Mubarak takes this issue personally, and it makes him seethe when we raise it, particularly in public

And Ayman Nour will speak about this for a whole month !!

The U.S. informed him last year that we could not support the candidacy and urged Egypt to put forward another name. Aboul Gheit will argue Hosny's merits for facing down the Islamic extremists who want to narrow the space in Egypt for artistic expression. U.S. objections have been to statements Hosny has made that "Israel had no culture. . .it stole cultural ideas from others and claimed them as its own" and other objectionable remarks.

This is about Farouk Hosni , honestly I really wish that the U.S objections were based on the fact that he is corrupted lousy minister !!

• The third one is  sent on the 2nd of June 2009 from the American Embassy in Tel Aviv to Washington and it was a summary of congressional delegations’  meetings with the Israelis. The Israelis were warning the Americans from the Iran’s nuke Program and capabilities. It was before President Obama’s speech in Cairo which the GOI “government of Israel” was concerned. “NY Times”

Bibi with the Senate Foreign affairs committee May 2009

Ehud Barak explained that the GOI had consulted with Egypt and Fatah
prior to Operation Cast Lead, asking if they were willing to
assume control of Gaza once Israel defeated Hamas. Not
surprisingly, Barak said, the GOI received negative answers
from both. He stressed the importance of continued
consultations with both Egypt and Fatah -- as well as the NGO
community -- regarding Gaza reconstruction, and to avoid
publicly linking any resolution in Gaza to the release of
kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit

Of course those Egyptian newspapers who dared to publish reports about the Wikileaks like Al Masry Al Youm only highlighted the part concerning Egypt’s refusal to assume control of Gaza after the victory of Israel that did not take place as a sign of Mubarak’s patriotism but let’s remember something that the officials in Egypt denied any prior knowledge to the “Operation Cast lead” in the early days of that operation turning in to war. It is amazing how Israel was too confident from its victory on Hamas !!

Barak argued that failure to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran
would result in a nuclear arms race in the region as Turkey,
Egypt, and Saudi Arabia look to acquire nuclear weapons.

It is not a secret that Israel does not want Egypt or any other country in region to have a nuclear program not even a nuclear arms race. It is is not a secret that Israel has been sabotaging our nuclear program since the 1950s by assassinating our nuke scientists across the globe.

• The fourth one is a cable sent on the 18th of November 2009 from the American Embassy in Tel Aviv to Washington. GOI or the government of Israel warns the U.S from Iran and nuke program again in a security meeting. Egypt is mentioned in this cable.

GOI officials noted improved counter-smuggling efforts fromEgypt regarding arms transfers to Gaza via the Sinai. However, they argued that Egypt can and should do more to prevent the flow of arms.

and more explosive ..

Israel currently enjoys peace with regimes in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates -- but the future is uncertain, and each of these regimes faces the potential for change

Israel enjoys peaceful relations with regimes in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates at least before the assassination of the Hamas’ Mababoh there.

Barak argued that failure to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran
would result in a nuclear arms race in the region as Turkey,
Egypt, and Saudi Arabia look to acquire nuclear weapons.

In the rest of the security meeting you will find that Israel was frustrated from the Egyptian efforts to stop the smuggling problem through the borders  still there was very interesting in that cable that may cheer some Egyptian Arab nationalists by the end of the day.

Israeli concerns that Egypt continues to prepare for a potential future military confrontation with Israel, while no Egyptian military officers visit Israel.

Are not the visits of General Soliman enough !!??
The Americans in the meeting calmed down the Israel and spoke about the U.S relations with its allies in the region like Egypt , Turkey “despite the bad relations with Israel” and GCC. The American party also spoke about Iraq and Yemen , yes Yemen. Now in this part there is a very interesting thing concerning Egypt , in fact it is first alarming :

Brigadier General Smith from the Joint Staff noted that al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) continues to fester in North and sub-Saharan Africa. He said Egypt is actively involved in countering AQIM with 3,800 soldiers in Sudan -- this should be encouraged and expanded

I know that we have African peace keeper forces in Sudan but I did not know that we have 3800 soldiers in Sudan fighting or countering the AQIM !!?? When , What and how !!?? I did not know before that our army is participating in the war of terrorism in Sudan !!?

• The fifth one is from the US Embassy in Doha and it is the most new one as it goes back to February 23, 2010 when John Kerry met with Prince Hamid of Qatar. This cable is a summary for the meeting between the two.

Kerry during his visit to Qatar last February 2010 

Unlike Egypt Qatar thinks the Syrians can be reached if the U.S wants peace and that’s through supporting the Syrian’s right to restore back the Golan heights and the Turkish mediation efforts between Syria and Israel. Of course Prince Hamid spoke about Egypt in the same way Mubarak and his men spoke about Qatar in the past as demonstrated above yet you will be surprised to know that Senator Kerry disapproved our policies in Gaza too.

Returning to the pressure Hamas is facing, Senator Kerry observed that economic development in the West Bank is taking place, but not in Gaza. The Palestinian reconciliation that would make possible developmental assistance in Gaza has not happened. The Egyptians have not delivered, said Senator Kerry

Excuse me , is not this what Israel wanted along the States to besiege Hamas !!??
Of course to market himself as the new regional power , he attacked Egypt accusing our regime of sabotaging the reconciliation efforts between Hamas and Fatah and Claiming that Gaza was under pressure !!!!!!!!!!! This was news because I think anyone who watches Al Jazeera will know that Gaza is under pressure !!??

The Amir said the Egyptians' goal is to stay in the game and maintain their relationship with the U.S., which is built around brokering Middle East peace, for as long as possible. According to the Amir, Fatah and Hamas agreed on a memorandum of understanding, but the Egyptians wanted it changed. The Amir remarked that he has a feeling he knows which capital (Cairo) is the source of reports that Gaza is under pressure.

I can’t blame prince Hamid for trying to be a regional power using diplomacy to win the United States , I can’t blame him as I will blame my own regime for not playing the game right !!
May be this was when we had that war of the words between us and Qatar because certainly Mubarak and Hamid have put that grudge behind their back in their last meeting last Wednesday !!  
There are more cables to come from Cairo , this is just the start. I know there is more explosive cable published in Wikileaks that Junior himself speaks to the Americans and sharing his regional views. This cable deserves a separated post.
I think there is more will be released when the Wikileaks launches their own release , this is just a peak preview , like the first patch for what we are going actually to see.
For sure this new release will not fully make it to the mainstream media in Egypt nor the coming releases , in fact I bet Mubarak is happy with the elections circus in town which will make the media busy till next week. Hopefully our social media will present this new scandal to the public because we have too many questions about these cables and about what is happening in the behind our backs.

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