[1]DARAAN
[2]\104-10326-10083 | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |
[4]‘SECRET
[5]MHFNO: 95-9691281 SENSIND: RYBAT PAGE: 1
[7]/ f , SECRET FRP: , pp pop tt
[8]STAFF
[10]ACTION: NE/NAOE (125) INFO: DC/NECI, LIMITO, MDSX, NEDORECORD, ODPD, FILE,
[11]CIC/NE, NE/SAONIBS (4/W)
[12]95 9691281 ASR - ; "PAGE 001 ‘IN 9691281
[14]: TOR: 091021Z MAR 95 KTMN 65560
[16]SECRET 0910132 MAR 95 STAFF
[18]CITE KATHMANDU 65560
[20]TO: CAIRO, DIRECTOR.
[22]FOR: LIMIT NE/NAOE INFO ‘NE/SAONIBS, CIC/NE
[23]SLUGS: WNINTEL RYBAT FCWAFER
[25]SUBJECT: CONTACT WITH EGYPTIAN FIRST SECRETARY MURTADA
[26]ALI MUHAMMAD LASHIN °
[28]REF: KATHMANDU 65446 95 9431042
[29]TEXT:
[30]1. ACTION, REQUESTED: ‘NONE, FYI.
[32]2. IN A CONVERSATION AFTER TENNIS ON 8 MARCH. 1995, C/O™
[33]BAECHLER SOUGHT TO DRAW OUT EGYPTIAN FIRST SECRETARY MURTADA
[34]ALI MUHAMMAD ((LASHIN)) ON HIS FAMILY SITUATION AND CAREER
[35]ASPIRATIONS. IN RECENT DAYS LASHIN’S WIFE HAS HAD ANOTHER
[36]ULCER/COLITIS. ATTACK, BUT SHE AND LASHIN HAVE NOT YET MADE A
[37]FINAL DECISION ON WHETHER TO GO TO TEXAS FOR A COMPLETE
[38]PHYSICAL. LASHIN’S WIFE HAS. PREVIOUSLY RUN THE MEDICAL
[39]‘GAMUT IN BANGKOK: ENDOSCOPY, BARIUM X-RAYS, EVEN A CAT-
[40]SCAN. LASHIN OBSERVED THAT HIS WIFE IS VERY CLOSE TO HER
[41]MOTHER AND TO HER BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND IN CAIRO HER’
[42]HEALTH .TENDS TO BE BETTER BECAUSE HER MENTAL STATE IS
[43]BETTER. LASHIN’S CONCERN WITH HER WELL-BEING IS FORCING HIM
[44]TO CONSIDER RETURNING TO CAIRO’ BEFORE THE END OF 1995. HIS
[45]THINKING IS ALSO COLORED BY A DISLIKE AND LACK OF RESPECT
[46]FOR HIS AMBASSADOR.
[48]3. LASHIN HAS NOT YET DISPLAYED ANY FINANCIAL
[49]SUSCEPTIBILITIES. HE NOTED THAT HE OWNS A FLAT IN THE
[50]GENERAL NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE U.S..AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE IN
[51]CAIRO AND THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO HE.BUILT A VILLA WITH
[52]SWIMMING POOL IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA NEAR THE PYRAMIDS. HE
[53]NOTED THAT UPON HIS RETURN HE WOULD LIKELY STAY IN THE ‘FLAT
[54]DURING THE WEEK, FOR IT IS NOT SUCH:A LONG COMMUTE TO HIS
[55]FOREIGN MINISTRY. HE WOULD SPEND THE WEEKENDS AND SUMMERS
[56]AT THE VILLA. LASHIN ALSO NOTED THAT BECAUSE CAIRO IS NOT A
[57]‘PLEASANT PLACE TO LIVE, HE AND HIS. FAMILY WOULD TAKE EVERY
[59]SECRET
[61]13-00000 -
[63]SECRET
[64]MHFNO: 95-9691281 . SENSIND: RYBAT PAGE : 2
[65]OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL TO ALEXANDRIA OR OTHER RESORT AREAS ON.
[66]THE: WEEKENDS. LASHIN’S FAVORITE PASTIME SEEMS TO BE LYING
[67]ON THE BEACH. HIS DESCRIPTION OF HIS LIFESTYLE IN EGYPT IS
[68]NOT THAT OF A CIVIL SERVANT WHO MUST DEPEND ON HIS SALARY AS
[69]- THE SOLE SOURCE OF INCOME.
[71]4. C/O RAISED THE TERRORIST KILLING OF U.S. DIPLOMATIC
[72]PERSONNEL IN KARACHI ON 8 MARCH TO GAUGE LASHIN’S RESPONSE.
[73]AFTER LAUNCHING INTO A HOMILY ABOUT HOW THE PROPHET HAD
[74]CALLED FOR MERCY AND DECENCY BY WARRIORS IN THE TREATMENT OF
[75]CIVILIANS, LASHIN WENT ON TO SPIN A SERIES OF TYPICALLY
[76]PARANOID ARAB CONSPIRACY THEORIES. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE
[78]*<ASSASSINATIONS>OF<JFK>AND ANWAR ((SADAT)) WERE SOMEHOW THE
[79]THE WORK OF THE ISRAELIS, WHO ALWAYS SOUGHT TO DISRUPT GOOD
[80]' RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND EGYPT. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE
[82]ISRAELIS LIKED TO "PLAY THE FUNDAMENTALIST CARD" WHENEVER
[83]PRESSURES MOUNTED ON THEM TO MAKE CONCESSIONS, AND HE ARGUED
[84]THAT THE ISRAELI MOSSAD HAD BEEN BEHIND TERRORIST ACTS IN
[85]EGYPT AS FAR BACK AS THE 1950’S.
[87]t
[89]; 5. BIOGRAPHIC MISCELLANY: LASHIN’S BROTHER IS THE
[91]. EGYPTIAN. AMBASSADOR IN ECUADOR. FOUR OF HIS BROTHERS-IN-LAW
[92]HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME IN THE U.S. TWO REMAINED. TWO
[93]RETURNED TO CAIRO, WHERE THEY ARE NOT HAPPY. HOWEVER, THEY’
[94]ARE RELUCTANT TO RETURN TO THE U.S., WHERE THE PACE WAS TOO
[95]STRESSFUL FOR THEM. LASHIN RECALLED THAT HIS BROTHER HAD -
[96]ADVISED HIM NOT TO JOIN THE FOREIGN SERVICE, FOR IT WAS NOT
[97]A PARTICULARLY REWARDING CAREER. LASHIN NOW SEEMS TO REGRET
[98]THAT HE FAILED TO TAKE HIS BROTHER’S ADVICE. HE SAID THAT
[99]HE HAD THE CHANCE TO PURSUE AN ACADEMIC CAREER AS A
[100]PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY, AFTER HAVING SERVED AS AN ARMY
[101]DOCTOR FOR TWO YEARS. HOWEVER, HE DECIDED AGAINST PURSUING
[102]MEDICINE, FOR HE FELT AT THE TIME THAT THE MEDICAL .
[103]FACILITIES AND ‘SYSTEM IN EGYPT WERE TOO BACKWARD. NOW HE
[104]BELIEVES THAT IT IS TOO LATE FOR HIM TO RETURN TO MEDICINE.
[105]LASHIN IS AN OBSERVANT AND APPARENTLY BELIEVING MUSLIM, AND
[106]THIS YEAR HE CONTINUED HIS. RAMADAN FAST FOR AN ADDITIONAL
[107]SIX DAYS.
[109]6. . LASHIN IS HARDLY A RISING STAR. HOWEVER, OTHER
[111]THAN A DISLIKE FOR HIS AMBASSADOR, HE HAS NOT DISPLAYED ANY
[113]. PERCEPTIBLE UNHAPPINESS WITH THE WAY IN WHICH HE HAS BEEN
[114]TREATED BY HIS MINISTRY. IN FUTURE SESSIONS. WITH LASHIN THE
[115]C/O WILL TRY TO DETERMINE WHETHER HE POSSESSES ANY
[116]MANIPULABLE DISGRUNTLEMENT OVER THE MODEST PROGRESS OF HIS
[117]CAREER, WHETHER HE HAS ANY WELL-PLACED PATRONS WITHIN HIS
[118]‘MINISTRY, AND WHETHER HE HAS ANY PROSPECTS FOR AN ASSIGNMENT
[120]' WITH GOOD FI ACCESS UPON HIS RETURN TO CAIRO. THE C/O WILL
[121]ALSO SEEK TO DRAW HIM OUT ON HIS CONTACTS WITHIN THE LOCAL
[122]DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AMONG CHINESE, RUSSIANS,
[123]INDIANS, AND PAKISTANIS. THE C/O WILL KEEP IN THE BACK OF
[124]HIS. MIND THE POSSIBILITY THAT LASHIN MAY AT SOME POINT HAVE
[125]CROSSED THE SCREEN OF RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS.
[127]7. FILE: 144-120-027. DECL OADR DRV HUM 4-82.
[128]; SECRET -
[130]13-00000
[132]ey, .
[133].?
[135]: “
[136]SECRET.
[137]MHFNO: 95-9691281 SENSIND: RYBAT PAGE: 3
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