CAIRO: The release of more than 250,000 classified US State Department documents revealed a number of statements allegedly made in confidence to US diplomats, some that could prove embarrassing to many governments including Egypt.
The documents, acquired by Wikileaks and published by major newspapers on Sunday night, included statements by US diplomats quoting President Hosni Mubarak, Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and intelligence chief Omar Sulieman. The diplomats also offered their own insight about officials and events in reports presented to the US government.
In one of the documents, an American diplomat wrote that President Mubarak allegedly described Iran as a terrorist threat and called Syrians and Qataris liars.
The leaks also revealed Egypt’s opinions about the US invasion of Iraq and the Gaza war.
One of the telegrams leaked reveal that Ehud Barack told a US congressional delegation last year that the Israeli government had consulted with Egypt and Fatah prior to the War on Gaza in 2008/09 — both had refused Israel’s request to assume control of Gaza once Israel defeated Hamas.
US Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey allegedly wrote about strong dislike by President Mubarak towards Hamas in another cable.
“Mubarak hates Hamas, and considers them the same as Egypt’s own Muslim Brotherhood, which he sees as his own most dangerous political threat,” the documents quote Scobey as writing in correspondence with the State Department in February 2009.
Regarding the peace process, Scobey wrote: “Although Aboul Gheit was never enthusiastic about the Annapolis Peace process, resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains the primary strategic political goal for the Egyptians. They are proud of their role as intermediary, well aware that they are perhaps the only player that can talk with us, the Israelis, and all Palestinian factions.”
She also wrote that Egypt is sharing intelligence with Israel to prevent Hamas militants from crossing the Gaza border.
She added that Aboul Gheit knew about the terms agreed upon between the US and Israel regarding combating arms smuggling in Gaza, even though he publicly distanced Egypt from it.
“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,” the document reads.
Scobey writes in the same document: “Ultimately, Egypt believes that the only realistic and viable solution to erode Hamas’ power and stop arms smuggling is the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza and the opening of Gaza’s border to legitimate trade.”
Emad Gad, international relations specialist at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said that most of the information revealed by the leaked correspondents were already known and confirms some of the accusations that Egypt has faced before.
Gad says that revealing Egypt’s prior knowledge of the Gaza war confirms Hamas’ allegations against it.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said no officials were available to comment on the leaks on Monday. By press time, the ministry had not released an official statement.
The US embassy in Cairo said they will not comment on the issue until after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes a statement scheduled for late Monday.
The leaked documents also shed light on how Arab leaders, including Mubarak, view Iran.
Scobey said in the 2009 cable that “Mubarak has a viscerated hatred for the Islamic republic and is accusing it of seeking to destabilize Egypt and the region.
Another cable, dated July 2008, quoted Mubarak as saying in a meeting with Senator John Kerry and the US ambassador to Egypt that “Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism is well known but I cannot say it publicly. It would create a dangerous situation.”
President Mubarak was also quoted calling the Iranian leaders “big fat liars” and the cable mentions that this opinion is shared by other leaders in the region.
Scobey wrote that the president “sees Syrians and Qataris as sycophants to Tehran and liars themselves.”
Gad said that Mubarak’s criticism of Iran and Yemen will not have a big effect since relations with those countries are already strained.
He added that criticism of Qatar, however, could prove harmful to the improving relations between the two countries and could lead to a media war through Al Jazeera channels.
The 2009 cable also quoted President Mubarak telling Kerry and Scobey that the US has to stay in Iraq until it has trained the Iraqi armed forces and police. “Until then, you have to stay.”
Gad said that Mubarak’s statements about the war in Iraq confirms allegations made by former US President George W. Bush’s in his autobiography that Egypt told the US that Iraq has biological weapons.
Presidential spokesperson Soliman Awad has denied Egypt ever made such statement. In an earlier statement, Awad maintained that Egypt had advised the US against invading Iraq.
The 2009 cable sent by Scobey to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ahead of her visit to Egypt accused Aboul Gheit of using sovereignty as a pretext to avoid discussing Egypt’s problems.
Scobey described Aboul Gheit as “smart, urban with a tendency to lecture and to avoid discussing Egyptian failings with all purpose recourse to Egyptian Sovereign pride.”
Scobey described Egypt as a “stubborn and recalcitrant ally” that depends on its role in regional issues to strengthen its “self perception as the indispensable Arab state.”
Scobey’s report also mentioned that Egypt is unhappy about the level of financial and military aid that it receives from the US and considers it a sign of the US’s diminishing view of its relationship with Egypt. Scobey also mentions that Egypt is unhappy about the use of those funds to support democracy in Egypt.
Scobey said that Egypt’s political leadership considers the US discussion of treatment of political activist in Egypt as interference with internal affairs, especially the cases of Saad Eddin Ibrahim, democracy activist in self-imposed excile, and then-jailed Al-Ghad leader Ayman Nour.
“Mubarak takes the issue personally. It makes him seethe when we raise it, particularly in public,” Scobey advised Clinton ahead of a visit to Egypt.
“Aboul Gheit’s view is that we have made Ayman Nour a freedom martyr and a damaging lens through which we view our relationship with Egypt,” Scobey added in the same document.
Another cable, dated January 2008, quoted Omar Suleiman, head of the Egyptian Intelligence, reassuring the US that Egypt will continue to provide it with information about regional issues.
“Sometimes we have our differences. But Egypt will continue to provide the US government with its knowledge and expertise in the critical regional issues such as Lebanon and Iraq. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains the core issue.”
Soliman was also quoted saying that Egypt will keep the pressure on Hamas while keeping contact with the organization to a minimum.
“Egypt wants Hamas isolated. The Qassam rocket attacks must stop. When they do stop, the GOE will ask Israel to "meet quiet with quiet.”
