Kerry Arrives in Cairo on Trip to Help Form New Iraqi Government

CAIRO — Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Cairo on Sunday morning on the first leg of a trip that is intended to hasten the formation of a cross-sectarian government in Iraq.

In his swing through Middle East capitals, Mr. Kerry plans to send two messages on Iraq. One is that Arab states should use their influence with Iraqi politicians and prod them to quickly form an inclusive government.

Another is that they should crack down on funding to the Sunni militants in the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The group is largely self-sustaining because of success in extortion and its plundering of banks in Mosul, Iraq. But some funding “has flowed into Iraq from its neighbors,” said a senior official on Mr. Kerry’s plane.

“That does not mean that it’s the result of an official government policy in many, if not most, cases,” the official added. “But it does mean that some of these governments can do more to stop some of that facilitation.”

The United States still had work to do in Baghdad, too.

President Obama announced last week that he is planning to send [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to help Iraqi forces counter ISIS. But the legal protections they would have for this mission are still being worked out.

The advisers would not have the standard immunity that is granted to diplomats and military officers assigned to the American Embassy in Baghdad. But the Obama administration is also not planning to go through the time-consuming process of negotiating a status of forces agreement that would provide legal immunity.

“Exactly what form those legal protections will take, I think, is something that we are working out,” said the official on Mr. Kerry’s plane who cannot be identified in accordance with the State Department’s protocol for briefing reporters. “They are a range of ways in which to do this, but I don’t know that the exact modality in this case has been settled on yet.”

Mr. Kerry is the highest ranking official to visit Cairo since the election of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his arrival follows a June 10 phone call by Mr. Obama to the Egyptian leader.

A second official on the secretary’s plane said that during his short visit here Mr. Kerry would make the point that it is in Egyptian political and economic interest to build a more inclusive government.

“We do not share the view of the Egyptian government about links between the Muslim Brothers and terrorist groups,” said the official. “With regard to the challenge that the Muslim Brothers pose, I would characterize it more as a political challenge than a security challenge. “

There has been growing concern over the jailing of journalists in Egypt and the government’s crackdown on political opponents, including mass trials in which judges have handed out death sentences by the hundreds.

While the American official asserted that there had been a few “flickering” signs of improvement, he acknowledged that “key concerns remain.”

The United States provides about $1.3 billion in military assistance to Egypt each year, which is subject to congressional restrictions. To provide American financing for arms programs, Mr. Kerry must certify that Egypt has a “strategic relationship” with the United States and is upholding its peace treaty with Israel.

Mr. Kerry made such a certification in April, and the Obama administration has sought to provide the first tranche of that financing — some $650 million — to sustain the existing contract and support border security and counterterrorism programs. Congress temporarily put a hold on the financing, but eventually $572 million was released.

During his visit to Cairo, Mr. Kerry plans to meet with Mr. Sisi, the Egyptian foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, civil society leaders and the head of the Arab League.

During his nearly weeklong trip, Mr. Kerry is scheduled to visit other stops in the Middle East and Europe.

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