US envoy in Cairo calls for less confrontation: cables

LONDON: The U.S. ambassador in Cairo warned Washington to be less confrontational in its dealings with Egypt, toning down human rights pressure to avoid jeopardizing relations with the Middle East ally, dozens of U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks Friday showed.

The release of the cables came on a day of major anti-government protests in Egypt, with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse crowds after demonstrators threw stones at officers. The cables have the potential to aggravate the situation further because they offer specifics on police brutality and unease about the jailing of dissidents.

The cables show that Egypt's human rights record remained a constant sticking point in relations between Washington and Cairo, threatening ties that have improved since President Barack Obama came to power.

A diplomat reported that despite repeated pressure from the U.S., overall progress in democratic reform remained slow, and Egypt continued to be suspicious of American interventions on human rights.

Before Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's first visit to the Obama White House in 2009, U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey had recommended Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to take a more private and less confrontational approach in pressuring Mubarak. She said he is a "tried and true realist, innately cautious and conservative, and has little time for idealistic goals."

She pointed out how former President George W. Bush's public "name and shame" approach had alienated Egypt from U.S. views.

"Mubarak viewed President Bush as naive, controlled by subordinates, and totally unprepared for dealing with post-Saddam Iraq, especially the rise of Iran's regional influence," the ambassador said.