Cablegate: Update On Deportation Request: Case of Iyad Ahmad

VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #2453 3371638
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021638Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0984

UNCLAS CAIRO 002453

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ELA, CA/VO, AND CA/FPP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAL CVIS PTER EG IS
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DEPORTATION REQUEST: CASE OF IYAD AHMAD
ANWAR BADAWI, A97-374-624

1. (SBU) Econ-Political MinCouns has raised the case of Mr.
Badawi with Egyptian Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister Amin
Meleika on three occasions: November 13, November 23, and
November 30. On November 13, MinCouns orally explained the
background of the case and asked if Egypt would allow Mr.
Badawi to pass through Egypt into Gaza. Meleika offered to
look into the case, but requested more details in writing.

2. (SBU) On November 23, MinCouns provided Meleika the
information supplied on November 18 by NEA/ELA which dealt
primarily with the immigration and fraud aspects of Mr.
Badawi's deportation case. Meleika then requested more
details on USG concerns about Mr. Badawi's security issues,
including possible ties to Hamas. NEA/ELA sent this
information on November 21, and MinCouns passed it to Meleika
on November 23, stressing the time sensitivity of the
request. On November 30, MinCouns again asked Meleika what
the status of the Badawi case was; Meleika reported that no
decision had been made.

3. (SBU) On each occasion that MinCouns raised the Badawi
deportation case, Deputy Assistant Minister Meleika stressed
the sensitive nature of any case involving a Palestinian and
security concerns, and the fact that it would need careful,
intra-GoE coordination before he could give a final response.
He did not think that the initial rejection of the case by
the Egyptian Consul General in San Francisco in December 2007
should be taken as final. He promised to raise the case with
the appropriate GoE entities, but said he could not promise
when a definitive decision would be made.

4. (SBU) The Embassy's Homeland Security Working Group is
fully engaged with this case, and we will continue to press
for an early decision. However, we note that with several
major holidays approaching, it may be difficult for the GoE
to coordinate a response before the end of December, as
requested by the Department.
SCOBEY

© Scoop Media