

Currently released so far... 6230 / 251,287
Articles
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Amsterdam
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Browse by tag
ASEC
AF
AE
AR
AORC
AJ
AU
AM
ABLD
AL
AMGT
ASUP
AFIN
APER
ABUD
AVERY
APCS
AEMR
ADCO
APECO
ASIG
AG
AA
AS
AFFAIRS
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AMED
AO
ACOA
AX
AROC
ATFN
ASEAN
AFGHANISTAN
AFU
AER
ALOW
AODE
ATRN
AID
AC
AGMT
CH
CO
CS
CE
CU
CLINTON
CG
CVIS
CMGT
CI
CJAN
CF
COM
CASC
CA
CBW
CM
CDG
CR
COUNTER
CD
CWC
CKGR
CN
CPAS
CJUS
CV
CONS
CT
CY
COUNTERTERRORISM
CIA
CACM
CDB
CAN
COE
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
CACS
CONDOLEEZZA
CARSON
CL
CIS
CODEL
CTM
CB
ECON
EFIN
EAIR
EUN
EINV
ENRG
EG
ETRD
EPET
ETTC
ELAB
EU
ER
ET
EAGR
ECPS
ECIN
ELTN
EAID
EMIN
EWWT
EFIS
EIND
EC
ES
EN
EI
ENVR
ENGR
ENIV
EUNCH
ENVI
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ELN
EZ
EXTERNAL
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EINT
EUR
ECINECONCS
ENNP
EFINECONCS
EK
ELECTIONS
ECUN
EINVEFIN
ECIP
EINDETRD
EUC
EREL
ECA
ENERG
ENGY
ETRO
EFTA
ECONCS
ECONOMICS
ECONEFIN
EINVETC
EINN
ESA
ETC
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ESENV
ETRDECONWTOCS
IN
IC
IR
IZ
IS
IAEA
IT
ICTY
IO
IA
IWC
ID
ICRC
ILC
INTELSAT
IMO
ISRAELI
IACI
ILO
ITRA
IBRD
IMF
ICJ
ICAO
ITALY
ITALIAN
IRAQI
INTERPOL
IV
IQ
IPR
INRB
ITPHUM
IIP
IL
INR
ITPGOV
IZPREL
IRC
INRA
INRO
IRAJ
IEFIN
IF
KDEM
KCRM
KJUS
KTIA
KWBG
KPAL
KIPR
KTIP
KE
KNNP
KGHG
KICC
KV
KTFN
KU
KCFE
KDRG
KWMN
KSCA
KGIC
KCOR
KFRD
KPKO
KSUM
KPRP
KPAO
KBCT
KIRF
KCFC
KISL
KREC
KSPR
KHIV
KBIO
KMCA
KMPI
KFLU
KSTH
KBTR
KS
KOMC
KOMS
KSEP
KPRV
KFLO
KHLS
KN
KWWMN
KUNR
KLIG
KSTC
KZ
KG
KRAD
KOLY
KTBT
KTDB
KOCI
KAWK
KCIP
KNPP
KWAC
KMDR
KAWC
KIDE
KSAF
KX
KWMNCS
KNEI
KCRS
KVPR
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KACT
KO
KFSC
KR
KPWR
KMIG
KSEC
KIFR
KDEMAF
KFIN
KGCC
KPIN
KPLS
KIRC
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KGIT
KBTS
KERG
KWMM
KRVC
KNSD
KVIR
KNUP
KTER
KDDG
KHSA
KMRS
KHDP
KTLA
KPAK
KNAR
KREL
KPAI
KTEX
KCOM
KNNPMNUC
KPOA
KRFD
KHUM
KDEV
KNUC
MOPS
MARR
MASS
MNUC
MO
MX
MCAP
ML
MTCRE
MR
MP
MY
MU
MIL
MAR
MC
MRCRE
MTRE
MA
MEPI
MV
MPOS
MD
MZ
MEPP
MOPPS
MAPP
MASC
MT
MERCOSUR
MK
MDC
MI
MAPS
MCC
MASSMNUC
MQADHAFI
MUCN
MTCR
MG
OREP
OVIP
OFDP
ODIP
OPDC
OAS
OTRA
OSCE
OECD
OIIP
OEXC
OPCW
OPIC
OPRC
OVP
OSCI
OTR
OSAC
OIC
OFFICIALS
OIE
PHUM
PREL
PGOV
PREF
PTER
PARM
PBTS
PINR
PINS
PHSA
PK
POL
PM
PINT
PE
PINF
PEL
PA
PARMS
PO
PLN
PROP
PALESTINIAN
PAO
PL
POV
PG
POLITICS
PEPR
PSI
PSOE
PU
POLITICAL
PARTIES
PBIO
PECON
PAK
POGOV
PINL
PKFK
PMIL
PY
PFOR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PRAM
PMAR
PGOVLO
PUNE
PORG
PHUMPREL
PF
POLINT
PHUS
PGOC
PNR
PGGV
PNAT
PGOVE
PRGOV
PRL
PROV
PTERE
PGOF
PHUMBA
SENV
SY
SZ
SOCI
SO
SR
SNAR
SA
SP
SW
SMIG
SU
SCUL
SC
SAN
SN
SL
SG
SYR
SEVN
SF
SI
STEINBERG
SIPRS
SH
SNARCS
SOFA
SANC
SHUM
SK
ST
TRGY
TU
TBIO
TH
TS
TSPL
TT
TPHY
TSPA
TI
TK
TIP
TERRORISM
TZ
TX
TW
TD
TP
TC
TO
TNGD
TINT
TRSY
TR
TFIN
TURKEY
UK
UNGA
UN
UNHRC
UNMIK
UNO
UZ
UNSC
UP
UG
UNHCR
UNDC
US
UNAUS
USTR
UV
UNEP
UY
UNESCO
USUN
UAE
USEU
UNDP
UNCHS
UNVIE
UNCHC
UE
UNDESCO
USAID
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 08GENEVA504, EGYPT'S AMBASSADOR SHOUKRY AND HIS AGGRESSIVE \
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08GENEVA504.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
08GENEVA504 | 2008-07-02 17:05 | 2011-03-13 00:12 | CONFIDENTIAL | US Mission Geneva |
Appears in these articles: http://www.letemps.ch/swiss_papers |
VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHGV #0504/01 1841712
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 021712Z JUL 08
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6675
INFO RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 1980
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2777
2008-07-02 17:12:00 08GENEVA504 US Mission Geneva CONFIDENTIAL 08USMISSIONGENEVA256|08USMISSIONGENEVA495 VZCZCXYZ0008\
RR RUEHWEB\
\
DE RUEHGV #0504/01 1841712\
ZNY CCCCC ZZH\
R 021712Z JUL 08\
FM USMISSION GENEVA\
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6675\
INFO RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE\
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 1980\
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2777\
C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 000504 \
\
SIPDIS \
\
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2018 \
TAGS: PHUM PREL PINR UNHRC EG
SUBJECT: EGYPT'S AMBASSADOR SHOUKRY AND HIS AGGRESSIVE \
DELEGATION IN GENEVA \
\
REF: A. GENEVA 256 \
¶B. GENEVA 495 \
\
Classified By: Ambassador Warren W. Tichenor. Reasons: 1.4 (b/d). \
\
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Led by Ambassador Sameh Shoukry, Egypt's \
delegation in Geneva has stood out for its activist and at \
times aggressive approach to Geneva multilateral diplomacy, \
in pursuit of goals the U.S. does not support. This has been \
most noticeable in the Human Rights Council, where Egypt has \
been arguably the most difficult delegation from our \
perspective, pushing hard -- and often effectively -- for \
many troubling Organization of the Islamic Conference's (OIC) \
resolutions and amendments, such as one that subverted the \
mandate on freedom of expression. Egypt's heavy-handed \
approach toward the Council's African Group, of which it is \
regional coordinator, has become sufficiently resented that, \
despite its efforts, that Group selected Nigeria rather than \
Djibouti to assume that body's presidency. In the World \
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Egypt also pursued \
an unhelpful stance in seeking the extension of the term of \
the corrupt incumbent Director General. Such behavior \
contrasts with Shoukry's polished Western veneer. With \
Shoukry reportedly slated to become ambassador to the U.S. in \
the fall, we offer this snapshot of him and his delegation's \
conduct in Geneva fora. END SUMMARY. \
\
¶2. (C) When word spread in Geneva that the Egyptian \
government planned to make Sameh Shoukry its ambassador in \
Washington, it raised eyebrows in many quarters here. As \
Egypt's ambassador in Geneva since September 2005, Shoukry \
had established himself as an active, well-spoken, and \
effective figure in informal diplomatic settings, but as a \
tough negotiator known for pursuing goals often at variance \
with U.S. policies. On two occasions in recent years when \
working level officials of the U.S. Mission brought visitors \
to the Egyptian Mission to meet Shoukry, he was curt and \
rude, in both cases rising to his feet after a short time to \
signal that the meeting was over. \
\
AGGRESSIVE PRO-OIC STANCE IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL \
--------------------------------------------- -------- \
\
¶3. (C) The Egyptian delegation has thrown its weight around \
most aggressively, perhaps, in the Human Rights Council, of \
which Egypt is a member. Its stance has often tracked with \
that of other more hard-line OIC states, but Egypt has \
usually taken the lead and assumed a sharp tone that has \
occasionally earned its officers the "attack-dog" moniker. A \
few key examples: \
\
-- Egypt has been in the forefront in pressing aggressively \
for many of the most troubling OIC initiatives in the \
Council. In the March Council session, Shoukry joined with \
his counterparts from Pakistan and Cuba to engineer \
amendments to the Freedom of Expression mandate that lay the \
groundwork to subvert that mandate (ref a). As on numerous \
other occasions, Egypt's diplomats worked the plenary hall \
with impressive effectiveness to get the required votes in \
the end-game to that resolution's amendment, out-hustling and \
outmaneuvering those, most notably Canada and Slovenia, that \
sought to resist the OIC's initiative. \
\
-- Shoukry and his delegation have been sharply critical of \
Israel during the Council's discussions of that subject, and \
their tone has sometimes diverged from that of the Egyptian \
government as it engaged in Middle East peace process \
discussions. Just days after his foreign minister was quoted \
as urging Palestinian restraint to avoid harming the peace \
process, for instance, Shoukry's March 6 Council intervention \
centered on Palestinians resisting foreign occupation and \
exercising their right to self-defense, without mention of \
the efforts toward peace. \
\
-- With the Council still defining the informal modalities \
for much of its functioning, Egypt has taken the lead in \
seeking to limit the voice given to NGOs during both the \
plenary sessions and the newly-formed Universal Periodic \
Review process. Although Shoukry himself has often abstained \
from direct involvement in the effort, his officers have \
repeatedly called points of order and otherwise challenged \
the statements of NGOs, asserting, for instance, that those \
statements do not directly address the topic at hand. The \
Egyptian interventions have sometimes been disrespectful in \
tone, not only to the NGOs but on occasion to the Council \
President as well. \
\
-- Most recently, Egypt led the charge against a pro-Israel \
NGO's statement linking Islam with human rights abuses such \
as female genital mutilation and honor killings of women. \
\
Beyond aggressively attacking the NGO, announcing that "Islam \
will not be crucified," Egypt pressed to establish a general \
principle that Islam and other religions should not be \
criticized in the Council on the grounds that their tenets \
might encourage human rights problems (ref b). \
\
¶4. (C) Egypt also has shown its aggressiveness in its \
handling of the Council's Africa Group, of which it has been \
and continues to serve as coordinator. In Council sessions, \
it has on occasion staked out positions on behalf of the \
Group that other African states have privately told us they \
had not signed on to or even been informed of in advance, and \
we understand that it has at times sought to run roughshod \
over opposing views during the Group's internal meetings. \
\
SOME SETBACKS FOR EGYPT \
----------------------- \
\
¶5. (C) On a number of occasions, this has succeeded. Partly, \
this is because many African delegations lack the manpower in \
the Council to be fully engaged and because some of those \
delegations prefer not to rock the boat in their Group, \
several African diplomats have told us. Partly, it is \
because some African delegations see Egypt as ensuring that \
the West does not push Africa around. Egypt's \
heavy-handedness fell short, however, when it sought to send \
a list of candidates, allegedly supported by the Africa \
Group, to become the new High Commissioner for Human Rights. \
That list would have included at least one former Egyptian \
diplomat, Ibrahim Salama, who is an important figure in the \
Office of the High Commissioner but also maintains close ties \
with Egypt's delegation in Geneva. Ethiopia and Algeria were \
among several African delegations that successfully objected, \
arguing that UN SyG Ban Ki-Moon had solicited nominations \
from individual countries rather than from regional groupings. \
\
¶6. (C) Such efforts by Egypt, as well as its often \
heavy-handed approach to its Africa Group colleagues, have \
elicited resentment from some in that group. That resentment \
apparently contributed to Egypt's failure to get the Group to \
select Djibouti, which the Egyptian delegation strongly \
supported, to assume the Council presidency last month, when \
the Group exercised its right, by virtue of regional \
rotation, to select the president for the coming year. \
Djibouti was defeated by Nigeria by an 18-15 vote in an \
Africa Group vote on the issue, and Nigeria's Ambassador \
Martin Uhomoibhi became the president. Although other \
factors, such as rivalry between predominantly Muslim and \
non-Muslim states, also came into play, Djibouti was widely \
seen as a proxy for Egypt. (Egypt itself had initially \
expressed interest in the presidency, but reportedly backed \
away because of Shoukry's planned departure from Geneva.) \
\
AN UNHELPFUL POSTURE IN WIPO \
---------------------------- \
\
¶7. (C) In WIPO, Egypt has been at the forefront of efforts to \
obstruct the U.S.-led campaign to remove the corrupt Sudanese \
Director General, Kamil Idris. Shoukry worked closely with \
the Algerian PermRep to coordinate the Africa Group's \
opposition to taking any action on an internal WIPO audit \
report that documented misconduct by Idris. Many in Geneva \
believe that Shoukry was in part motivated by the fact that \
Idris had hired his son to work at WIPO through a \
non-competitive appointment. (Idris had similarly given \
lucrative appointments to the children of other key member \
state representatives, including the Algerian PermRep.) \
\
¶8. (C) During the year-long campaign that eventually resulted \
in Idris' agreeing to leave a year early and elections to \
choose a successor, Shoukry apparently locked horns with \
Nigeria's Uhomoibhi, who was serving as the president of \
WIPO's General Assembly. At one point, Shoukry even went so \
far as to state that Uhomoibhi's conduct as president did not \
comport with being "a good African." By some accounts, \
Shoukry decided to seek revenge in the Human Rights Council \
by encouraging Djibouti's ambassador to run against Uhomoibhi \
for the Council presidency. \
\
SHOUKRY'S WESTERN VENEER \
------------------------ \
\
¶9. (C) Shoukry's behavior in multilateral fora contrasts \
sharply with his behavior in social settings, at least when \
dealing with Western diplomats. In such situations, he can \
be charming and is comfortable socially, as is his wife. At \
his home, which is furnished in Western style, he is a \
gracious host. He has an excellent command of social \
protocol. He knows the U.S. well, can speak about American \
sports and culture, and reminisces fondly about his years in \
\
grade school in the Washington, D.C. area. Yet even in his \
personal comportment, he reveals moments of heavy-handedness, \
as in the derisive way in which he treats his driver. \
\
BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION \
---------------------- \
\
¶10. (SBU) Born in 1952, Shoukry and his wife Suzy have two \
sons, and became grandparents for the first time recently. A \
career diplomat, he has served in Vienna (where he was \
ambassador), New York, London and Buenos Aires in addition to \
stints in Cairo. He speaks fluent English -- probably the \
best command of English among all the OIC ambassadors in \
Geneva -- and we understand he also speaks Spanish. \
\
COMMENT \
------- \
\
¶11. (C) Shoukry's confrontational approach in Geneva has at \
times undermined U.S. interests in a number of Geneva-based \
organizations. Apparently the Egyptians calculate that they \
can pursue goals at odds with U.S. policies without much fear \
of bilateral retribution. Indeed, as one Ethiopian diplomat \
commented to us, Shoukry has behaved in the Council in ways \
that do not reflect the huge support the U.S. provides Egypt \
or the good bilateral U.S.-Egyptian relationship. The \
Geneva-based multilaterals, and most particularly the Human \
Rights Council, provide opportunities for the Egyptians to \
burnish pro-OIC and G-77 policies to please domestic and \
regional audiences. Egyptian diplomats themselves have \
occasionally acknowledged that point to us, saying that \
Shoukry is simply implementing orders from Cairo and that he \
will change his ways when he moves to Washington. That said, \
it is clear that despite a charming veneer in social \
settings, Shoukry can be harsh and aggressive, and he allows \
his delegation to act that way, sometimes with a vengeance. \
TICHENOR \