Ah to be a fly on the wall when Hillary called Egypt

This one seems to be written to Hillary to prepare her for a meeting with Egypt Foreign Minister. Egypt seemed to have some sort of "we matter, too, dammit" complex to begin with.

Also goes into great detail about underground tunnel control (or wanting to get control of) between Egypt and Gaza.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/191130




The Egyptians have long felt that, at best, we take them for granted; and at worst, we deliberately ignore their advice while trying to force our point of view on them. You may wish to thank Aboul Gheit for the vital role Egypt played in bringing about a ceasefire in Gaza, and its efforts at making it last. You should ask him what the current state of play is between Hamas and Fatah and have him describe Egypt's vision of the future for the Palestinians, both among their factions, and vis a vis Israel. Note: Although the Egyptians will react well to overtures of respect and appreciation, Egypt is very often a stubborn and recalcitrant ally. In addition, Egypt's self-perception as the "indispensable Arab state" is contingent on Egyptian effectiveness on regional issues, including Sudan, Lebanon, and Iraq.

Not something to ask her or prob anyone else in the administration tomorrow morning "so did you have a good Thanksgiving weekend?"