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ACTION: NE/NAOE (125) INFO: DC/NECI, LIMITO, MDSX, NEDORECORD, ODPD, FILE,
CIC/NE, NE/SAONIBS (4/W)
95 9691281
ASR
PAGE 001
IN 9691281
TOR: 091021Z MAR 95
KTMN 65560
SECRET 091013Z MAR 95 STAFF
CITE KATHMANDU 65560
TO: CAIRO, DIRECTOR.
FOR: LIMIT NE/NAOE INFO NE/SAONIBS, CIC/NE
SLUGS:
SUBJECT:
WNINTEL RYBAT FCWAFER
க
CONTACT WITH EGYPTIAN FIRST SECRETARY MURTADA
ALI MUHAMMAD LASHIN
REF: KATHMANDU 65446 95 9431042
TEXT:
1. ACTION REQUESTED: NONE, FYI.
2. IN A CONVERSATION AFTER TENNIS ON 8 MARCH 1995, C/O
BAECHLER SOUGHT TO DRAW OUT EGYPTIAN FIRST SECRETARY MURTADA
ALI MUHAMMAD ((LASHIN)) ON HIS FAMILY SITUATION AND CAREER
ASPIRATIONS. IN RECENT DAYS LASHIN'S WIFE HAS HAD ANOTHER
ULCER/COLITIS ATTACK, BUT SHE AND LASHIN HAVE NOT YET MADE A
FINAL DECISION ON WHETHER TO GO TO TEXAS FOR A COMPLETE
PHYSICAL. LASHIN'S WIFE HAS PREVIOUSLY RUN THE MEDICAL
GAMUT IN BANGKOK: ENDOSCOPY, BARIUM X-RAYS, EVEN A CAT-
SCAN. LASHIN OBSERVED THAT HIS WIFE IS VERY CLOSE TO HER
MOTHER AND TO HER BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND IN CAIRO HER
HEALTH TENDS TO BE BETTER BECAUSE HER MENTAL STATE IS
BETTER. LASHIN'S CONCERN WITH HER WELL-BEING IS FORCING HIM
TO CONSIDER RETURNING TO CAIRO BEFORE THE END OF 1995. HIS
THINKING IS ALSO COLORED BY A DISLIKE AND LACK OF RESPECT
FOR HIS AMBASSADOR.
3. LASHIN HAS NOT YET DISPLAYED ANY FINANCIAL
SUSCEPTIBILITIES. HE NOTED THAT HE OWNS A FLAT IN THE
GENERAL NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE U.S. AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE IN
CAIRO AND THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO HE BUILT A VILLA WITH
SWIMMING POOL IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA NEAR THE PYRAMIDS. HE
NOTED THAT UPON HIS RETURN HE WOULD LIKELY STAY IN THE FLAT
DURING THE WEEK, FOR IT IS NOT SUCH.A LONG COMMUTE TO HIS
FOREIGN MINISTRY. HE WOULD SPEND THE WEEKENDS AND SUMMERS
AT THE VILLA. LASHIN ALSO NOTED THAT BECAUSE CAIRO IS NOT A
PLEASANT PLACE TO LIVE, HE AND HIS FAMILY WOULD TAKE EVERY
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OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL TO ALEXANDRIA OR OTHER RESORT AREAS ON.
THE WEEKENDS. LASHIN'S FAVORITE PASTIME SEEMS TO BE LYING
ON THE BEACH. HIS DESCRIPTION OF HIS LIFESTYLE IN EGYPT IS
NOT THAT OF A CIVIL SERVANT WHO MUST DEPEND ON HIS SALARY AS
THE SOLE SOURCE OF INCOME.
4. C/O RAISED THE TERRORIST KILLING OF U.S. DIPLOMATIC
PERSONNEL IN KARACHI ON 8 MARCH TO GAUGE LASHIN'S RESPONSE.
AFTER LAUNCHING INTO A HOMILY ABOUT HOW THE PROPHET HAD
CALLED FOR MERCY AND DECENCY BY WARRIORS IN THE TREATMENT OF
CIVILIANS, LASHIN WENT ON TO SPIN A SERIES OF TYPICALLY
PARANOID ARAB CONSPIRACY THEORIES. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE
*<ASSASSINATIONS>OF<JFK>AND ANWAR ( (SADAT)) WERE SOMEHOW THE
THE WORK OF THE ISRAELIS, WHO ALWAYS SOUGHT TO DISRUPT GOOD
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND EGYPT. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE
ISRAELIS LIKED TO "PLAY THE FUNDAMENTALIST CARD" WHENEVER
PRESSURES MOUNTED ON THEM TO MAKE CONCESSIONS, AND HE ARGUED
THAT THE ISRAELI MOSSAD HAD BEEN BEHIND TERRORIST ACTS IN
EGYPT AS FAR BACK AS THE 1950'S.
5. BIOGRAPHIC MISCELLANY: LASHIN'S BROTHER IS THE
EGYPTIAN AMBASSADOR IN ECUADOR. FOUR OF HIS BROTHERS-IN-LAW
HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME IN THE U.S. TWO REMAINED. TWO
RETURNED TO CAIRO, WHERE THEY ARE NOT HAPPY. HOWEVER, THEY
ARE RELUCTANT TO RETURN TO THE U.S., WHERE THE PACE WAS TOO
STRESSFUL FOR THEM. LASHIN RECALLED THAT HIS BROTHER HAD
ADVISED HIM NOT TO JOIN THE FOREIGN SERVICE, FOR IT WAS NOT
A PARTICULARLY REWARDING CAREER. LASHIN NOW SEEMS TO REGRET
THAT HE FAILED TO TAKE HIS BROTHER'S ADVICE. HE SAID THAT
HE HAD THE CHANCE TO PURSUE AN ACADEMIC CAREER AS A
PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY, AFTER HAVING SERVED AS AN ARMY
DOCTOR FOR TWO YEARS. HOWEVER, HE DECIDED AGAINST PURSUING
MEDICINE, FOR HE FELT AT THE TIME THAT THE MEDICAL
FACILITIES AND SYSTEM IN EGYPT WERE TOO BACKWARD. NOW HE
BELIEVES THAT IT IS TOO LATE FOR HIM TO RETURN TO MEDICINE.
LASHIN IS AN OBSERVANT AND APPARENTLY BELIEVING MUSLIM, AND
THIS YEAR HE CONTINUED HIS RAMADAN FAST FOR AN ADDITIONAL
SIX DAYS.
6. LASHIN IS HARDLY A RISING STAR. HOWEVER, OTHER
THAN A DISLIKE FOR HIS AMBASSADOR, HE HAS NOT DISPLAYED ANY
PERCEPTIBLE UNHAPPINESS WITH THE WAY IN WHICH HE HAS BEEN
TREATED BY HIS MINISTRY. IN FUTURE SESSIONS WITH LASHIN THE
C/O WILL TRY TO DETERMINE WHETHER HE POSSESSES ANY
MANIPULABLE DISGRUNTLEMENT OVER THE MODEST PROGRESS OF HIS
CAREER, WHETHER HE HAS ANY WELL-PLACED PATRONS WITHIN HIS
MINISTRY, AND WHETHER HE HAS ANY PROSPECTS FOR AN ASSIGNMENT
WITH GOOD FI ACCESS UPON HIS RETURN TO CAIRO. THE C/O WILL
ALSO SEEK TO DRAW HIM OUT ON HIS CONTACTS WITHIN THE LOCAL
DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AMONG CHINESE, RUSSIANS,
INDIANS, AND PAKISTANIS. THE C/O WILL KEEP IN THE BACK OF
HIS MIND THE POSSIBILITY THAT LASHIN MAY AT SOME POINT HAVE
CROSSED THE SCREEN OF RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS.
7. FILE: 144-120-027. DECL OADR DRV HUM 4-82.
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