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ACTION: NE/NAOE (125) INFO: DC/NECI, LIMITO, MDSX, NEDORECORD, ODPD, FILE,

CIC/NE,

NE/ SAONIBS (4/W)

95 9691281

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TOR: 091021Z MAR 95

IN 9691281

KTMN 65560

SECRET 091013Z MAR 95 STAFF

CITE KATHMANDU 65560

TO: CAIRO, DIRECTOR.

FOR: LIMIT NE/NAOE INFO NE/SAONIBS, CIC/ NE

SLUGS:

WNINTEL RYBAI FCWAFER

SUBJECT: 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.

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.

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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