Cablegate: Egypt: Raising Awareness of Psi

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS CAIRO 002740

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/RA, SA/PD/LSCHWARTZ,
IIP/TCOONEY, IIP/FWARD, IIP/T/JSIEGEL, PA/FPC/RMACHAMER,
NP/AGORDON, T/PMCNERNEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PHSA OIIP KNNP KPAO EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT: RAISING AWARENESS OF PSI

REF: A. STATE 61730 (PSI OUTREACH)
B. CAIRO 1401 (NPT PUBLIC DIPLOMACY)
C. CAIRO 1341 (EGYPT "MODERATE" STANCE ON PSI)
D. 04 CAIRO 3181 (SHIP BOARDING AGREEMENT TAKES TIME)
E. 04 CAIRO 2906 (APPROACH TO SHIP BOARDING PACT)
F. 04 CAIRO 673 (INVIGORATING THE NP DIALOGUE)
G. 03 CAIRO 8583 (PARALLEL PSI DEMARCHES)
H. 03 CAIRO 4628 (O/I ON BROADER NP DIALOGUE)
I. 03 CAIRO 3048 (EINHORN VISIT)
J. 02 CAIRO 12296 (EXPORT CONTROL NEEDS PUSH)

Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.

1. (SBU) Post appreciates ref A opportunity to consider how
public diplomacy might raise awareness of the Proliferation
Security Initiative (PSI) in Egypt. Egypt is an influential
leader in the non-proliferation (NP) community and Egyptian
experts hold unequaled sway in international fora. While
Egypt and the U.S. share many strategic goals in the NP
arena, Egypt often takes positions sympathetic to the
nonaligned movement or other "non-Western" groupings which do
not necessarily endorse USG initiatives and tactics. The
U.S. and Egypt share many of the objectives of the PSI, for
example, yet Egypt has yet to express formal support or
become an active participant.

2. (SBU) Public awareness of non-proliferation issues is
very low in Egypt, with initiatives like the PSI gaining
little resonance with a population focused on other concerns.
The PSI is familiar to NP specialists, however, and an
effective communication effort really should center around
those at the MFA or strategic think tanks who focus
professionally on non-proliferation. This objective is best
accomplished in face-to-face meetings during the visits of
senior USG officials or U.S. experts in the field. The best
approach to reaching the broader public is to influence the
perceptions of recognized Egyptian experts who contribute to
domestic publications (both specialized and mass
distribution) and appear in the Arab media.

3. (SBU) Post recommends deepening our NP dialogue with
Egyptian experts, as articulated reftels (refs E and F in
particular), through visits by senior USG officials. A
helpful alternative would be a recognized U.S. expert (such
as Robert Einhorn, who visited Egypt on CSIS business in
2002, ref I). The IIP speaker program could be used to
support such a visit, if needed, but the expert would need to
have recognized international stature and credibility on NP
issues. Programming during any such visit should include
both GOE and academic audiences, with PSI being one of
multiple issues discussed. Many of the points made in
paragraph 18 of ref A could most effectively be conveyed to
Egyptian audiences during direct discussions in Cairo.

4. (SBU) Egypt is looking for enhanced USG recognition of
its influential role in the NP arena. A visit designed to
acknowledge that role, as well as boost appreciation for U.S.
approaches to our common NP goals, would go a long way toward
encouraging greater GOE support for PSI.

Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo

You can also access this site through the
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website.

GRAY

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