Egypt’s intelligence service hires DC lobbyists to boost image

CAIRO - 6 March 2017: The Egyptian General Intelligence Service (GIS) has directly hired two Washington lobbying firms to introduce Egypt’s regime to the Trump administration on retainers of $50,000-$100,000 per month ($ 1.8 million annually), the

Associated Press

reported Sunday.


GIS hired communications powerhouse Weber Shandwick and D.C. lobbying firm Cassidy and Associates to spruce up its image inside Washington and promote what it describes as its “strategic partnership” with the U.S., according to a

document

filed with the Treasury Department and dated Jan. 28.


According to the contract, the companies will highlight Egypt’s economic development, showcasing its civil society and propagandizing Egypt’s “leading role in managing regional risks.”


The relationship between Egypt and the U.S. has suffered since the deadly dispersal of a sit-in at Rabaa al-Adawiya Square by Egyptian army and security forces in August 2013 and the banning of even authorized public gatherings.