Cablegate: Egypt to Extradite "Pirates"
VZCZCXRO7661
PP RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHEG #1806 2600631
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 170631Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3650
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0438
S E C R E T CAIRO 001806
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, AF/E, PM/PPA FOR HOPKINS, PM/PPA
FOR FORAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2019
TAGS: PREL KCRM EWWT MARR MOPS SO EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT TO EXTRADITE "PIRATES"
REF: A. CAIRO 1618 B. CAIRO 1790 C. RIYADH 1197 Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs Donald A. Blome for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(S) Mohamed El Mullah, Egyptian MFA Cabinet Advisor for African Affairs told us on September 15 that the Government of Egypt (GoE) decided to extradite the eight suspected pirates, captured during the re-taking of two Egyptian fishing vessels, to Puntland for prosecution (reftel A-B). He said that the Egyptian investigation revealed that the eight individuals had not participated in the hijacking of the ships, but had been hired by the pirates to &watch over the ships.8 El Mullah said the Puntland region of Somalia was "stable" and had a "functioning government" that could address the issue. He stated that Egypt will provide the Puntland Government with investigation reports and &stands ready to respond to any requests for assistance.8
2.(C) El Mullah attended the September 9-10 Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) plenary and WG1 meetings in New York. He said that the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) presentation on the "piracy threat in the Red Sea" failed to show evidence that there have been piracy threats in the Red Sea, north of the Bab Al Mandab. However, El Mullah said that the GoE felt that the appropriate response to any acts of piracy in the Red Sea would be handled by the Arab Naval Task force mentioned in the June 2009 Riyadh Declaration (reftel C). Scobey