Cablegate: Egyptian Support for Afghanistan

VZCZCXRO1643
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHEG #1742 2521538
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 091538Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3561
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

S E C R E T CAIRO 001742

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2019
TAGS: PREL PTER AF EG
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN SUPPORT FOR AFGHANISTAN

Classified By: Ambassador Margaret Scobey per 1.4 (b) and (d).

1. (U) This is an action message. Please see paragraph

3.
2. (S) On September 6, Deputy Foreign Minister Wafaa Bassim briefed Ambassador on initial results of a set of Egyptian interagency consultations undertaken in response to S/RAP Holbrooke's July visit to Cairo seeking additional regional support for international efforts in Afghanistan. She said that Egypt would expand its radio broadcasts inside Afghanistan and would provide additional training to the Afghan military. On radio broadcasts, Egypt will increase its Pashto service from 1.5 hours to 2 hours a day and will begin a one-hour daily Dari broadcast for northern Afghanistan. She also said Egypt was considering launching an Islamic issues-focused service, but noted that they would need financial assistance to cover the substantial costs. On military training, MOD has agreed to design additional training programs, to be implemented in Egypt, for the Afghan army. On this point, Bassim requested from the U.S. a list of priority training needs for these programs in order to craft a targeted training plan.

3. (S) As an aside, Bassim said the pace of meeting invitations she recieves in her role as envoy to the Support Group for Afghanistan and Pakistan had become difficult to maintain. Citing recent closely scheduled meetings in Istanbul and Paris, followed by New York, she suggested meetings of the group be scheduled no more than bi-monthly.

4. (S) Action request: Post requests guidance on potential sources of funding for additional Egyptian radio broadcasts inside Afghanistan and priorities for Afghan military training. Scobey

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