104-10326-10083 ‘SECRET MHFNO: 95-9691281 SENSIND: RYBAT PAGE: 1 / | SECRET FRP: , pp pp es STAFF 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: 0910212 MAR 95 [ _]esse0 SECRE T 0910132 MAR 95 STAFF CITE |65560 ne TO: | DIRECTOR. 7 . . FOR: LIMIT NE/NAOE INFO ‘NE/SAONIBS, CIC/NE SLUGS: WNINTEL RYBAT FCWAFER— SUBJECT: CONTACT WITH EGYPTIAN FIRST SECRETARY MURTADA ALT MUHAMMAD LASHIN . REF: 65446 95 9431042 TEXT: 1. ACTION. REQUESTED: ‘NONE, FYI. 2. IN A CONVERSATION AFTER TENNIS ON 8 MARCH.1995, C/0O- 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 SECRET
13-00000 a SECRET MHFNO: 95-9691281 SENSIND: RYBAT PAGE: 2 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. , SECRET .
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