Cablegate: Mubarak Blames Demonstrations for Unemployment;

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

UNCLAS CAIRO 003767

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC PGOV KPAO EG
SUBJECT: MUBARAK BLAMES DEMONSTRATIONS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT;
GAMAL SPEAKS: EGYPTIAN MEDIA THEMES, MAY 10 TO 15

1. Constitutional reform: The People's Assembly debate
and approval of a constitutional amendment to article 76
dominated media coverage May 10 - 15. Viewers of Egyptian
TV and pan-Arab satellite channels Al-Jazeera and Al-
Arabiya on May 10 - 11 saw scenes of heated debate, with
Ayman Nour and Muslim Brotherhood (MB) parliamentarians
walking out. Predictably, the pro-government press liked
the proposed amendment; the opposition and independent
media did not. For example, a May 14 comment in opposition
daily Al Wafd (circulation: 200,000) called for a boycott
on the upcoming referendum because of "the political crime
the parliament, the Shura Council, and NDP officials have
committed by undermining Mubarak's constitutional reform
initiative."

2. President Mubarak blames demonstrations for
unemployment: Mubarak's interview with the Kuwaiti
newspaper Al Siyassa ("Politics") was reprinted in full by
pro-government newspapers Al Akhbar (circulation: 800,000)
and Al Ahram (circulation: 750,000) on May 14. In the Al
Ahram version of the interview, Mubarak alleged that the
"Kifaya" (Enough) movement "had been paid" for its recent
demonstrations, and he blamed "unjustified demonstrations
for chasing away foreign investment and increasing
unemployment." Mubarak further claimed that the MB wished
to seize power and "reign forever, causing unrest in the
country." On May 15, however, Al Ahram published a
correction stating that its version of Mubarak's interview
had been "twisted" and that the version published in Al
Akhbar was more accurate. (Note: It is rare for an
Egyptian publication to print a correction. End note.)
While Al Ahram did not specify what needed to be corrected,
only Al Ahram quoted Mubarak, in a sub-headline, saying
that he was "awake to" alleged USG - MB talks and that he
had "information" on them.

3. Gamal speaks: On May 12, Gamal Mubarak held a press
conference to discuss article 76 and Egypt's democratic
future. Embassy contacts working for western media outlets
told PA Officer that this press conference was most likely
organized principally for their benefit, noting that Gamal
began taking questions first in English and from western
media reps. One western media contact summarized the
content as follows: "The press conference boiled down to
Gamal saying, 'You guys in the western media just don't
understand us.'" Another suggested that Gamal was
"defiant" in his answers and reluctant to address questions
about the Kifaya movement, finally asking, "Who are these
Kifaya guys? Who cares?"

4. Al Jazeera reporters arrested: Egyptian website
Masrawy.com reported that eight reporters and technicians
with Al Jazeera satellite TV in Cairo were detained and
questioned for several hours on May 13 after filming a
conference at the Judges' Club. (Note: The Judges' Club
conference had been convened to decide whether or not
judges should agree to monitor this year's presidential
elections. End note.) Among those detained was Al
Jazeera's Cairo bureau chief. The reporters later filed
their report, noting that their detention was "added salt
and pepper" on the day's events.

5. "An (Israeli) Embassy in the Building": Superstar
comic actor Adel Imam held a May 11 press conference to
promote his latest film, "An Embassy in the Building," to
be released in July. His character in the film, an oil
engineer, spends 25 years in Dubai and then returns to
Egypt to discover that the Israeli Embassy is next door to
his apartment. Imam claimed in his press conference that
the film "is a message to Israel and any other country
Egypt has signed peace agreements with, to make them
understand the ordinary Egyptian citizen's point of view."
Imam also stressed that the film is a comedy and not
political. (Note: Adel was recently embroiled in a
controversy with pro-government weekly magazine Al Ahram Al
Arabi (circulation: 10,000), which had accused him of
attacking Egypt's July Revolution in an Israeli magazine.
The magazine later publicly apologized to Imam for the
article. End note.)

GRAY

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