US embassy cable - 86MOGADISHU2418

S E C R E T MOGADISHU 02418 
 
TERREP 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL: OADR 
TAGS:  PREL, PTER, LY, SO 
SUBJECT:  LIBYAN PRESENCE IN SOMALIA 
 
1.  SECRET - ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  THIS MORNING AT THE CEREMONY INITIATING THE AID 
PROJECT FOR PVOS, I TOOK THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR, 
AHMED SULEIMAN ABDALLAH, ASIDE.  I RECALLED THAT 
WHEN FOREIGN MINISTER JAMA BARRE HAD MET WITH THE 
SECRETARY AT THE UNGA LAST FALL, JAMA BARRE HAD TOLD 
MR. SHULTZ THAT THE LIBYANS HAD WANTED TO BRING A 
STAFF OF 75 PEOPLE TO SOMALIA BUT THEY HAD BEEN TOLD 
THEY COULD BRING ONLY FIVE.  I WAS INFORMED THAT THE 
FIVE HAD NOW BECOME 12, PLUS A COUPLE OF LIBYANS 
AT THE LIBSOMA AGRICULTURAL PROJECT.  AS TO WHAT 
THEY WERE DOING, IT WAS CLEAR. 
WHEN I HAD LEFT MY EMBASSY TO COME TO THE CEREMONY, 
A CAR WITH LIBYAN DIPLOMATIC TAGS HAD BEEN PARKED 
100 YARDS AWAY.  THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY WATCHING US. 
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE PRESENT DOZEN BECAME 50, OR 
60? 
 
 
3.  AHMED SULEIMAN ACTED AS IF HE HAD NOT BEEN AWARE 
OF WHAT JAMA BARRE HAD TOLD THE SECRETARY.  (INCI- 
DENTALLY, AHMED SULEIMAN DISLIKES JAMA BARRE, AND 
THIS WAS ALSO IN MY MIND.)  THE MINISTER SAID THAT 
HE WOULD TAKE A NEW LOOK AT THE SITUATION, AND HE 
THANKS ME FOR MENTIONING THIS TO HIM.  HE  DID  THINK 
THAT THE SOMALI SECURITY FORCES WERE COOPERATING 
CLOSELY WITH US.  I SAID THAT INDEED THEY WERE, BUT 
THE MORE LIBYANS THERE WERE, THE HARDER IT WOULD BE 
TO WATCH THEM.  I COULD REMEMBER FROM YEARS BACK 
THE DIFFICULTIES THAT OUR OWN PEOPLE HAD IN THE 
UNITED STATES, WHEN SOVIET STAFFS IN WASHINGTON AND 
NEW YORK BAGAN TO RISE. 
 
 
BRIDGES