Cablegate: Blue Lantern: Verifying Bona Fides for Broker
VZCZCXYZ0004
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHEG #2250 3411048
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY-ADE7DA56-MSI4176-413)
O 071048Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4392
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCNFB/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS CAIRO 002250
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - SENSITIVE CAPTION ADDED
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ETTC MASS EG
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN: VERIFYING BONA FIDES FOR BROKER
HAMDY EL-SEROURY - CASE NO. K-2437
REF: STATE 99499
1. (SBU) In response to reftel request, Pol Off met with
registered broker Hamdy el-Seroury at the offices of Best
Engineering. El-Seroury confirmed that he was authorized by
the Egyptian Ministry of Defense to conduct brokering
activities in Egypt. The firm provides consulting services
only for sensitive items, so the firm does not physically
handle or store any items on the United States Munitions List
(USML) on behalf of its clients. The company was established
11 years ago. El-Seroury is the only principal officer, but
he employs four other retired military officers. The firm's
only customer is the Egyptian military. El-Seroury confirmed
that he was familiar with restrictions on USML items,
including the unauthorized re-transfer and re-export of
items.
2. (SBU) El-Seroury's firm focuses on providing constancy
services with the Egyptian military on a variety of
electronic equipment, command and control systems, radios,
navigation systems, and electronic warfare. Some of his
projects included consultant services for the Egyptian Army's
Beechraft aircraft upgrade program, radar systems for Air
Defense with Lockheed Martin, and F-16 simulator for the Air
Force, and communication suites and electronic warfare
systems for the Navy.
Tueller