US embassy cable - 86MOGADISHU3643

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOGADISHU 03643 
 
TERREP 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL: OADR 
TAGS:  PTER, LY, SO 
SUBJECT:  SOMALI ATTITUDE ON LIBYA 
 
1.  CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
2.  ON APRIL 1 MFA PERMANENT SECRETARY ADAN MET WITH 
AMBASSADOR BRIDGES AT THE REQUEST OF PRESIDENT SIAD 
TO PRESENT SOMALI VIEWS ON THE RECENT U.S.-LIBYAN 
HOSTILITIES IN THE GULF OF SIDRA.  AMBASSADOR NUR, 
STILL VISITING FROM WASHINGTON, AMERICAS DIRECTOR ELMI 
AND DCM WERE ALSO PRESENT.  ADAN SAID THAT SOMALIA 
HAD JOINED THE COLLECTIVE ARAB LEAGUE POSITION ADOPTED 
AT TUNIS WHICH VIEWED U.S. MILITARY ACTION AGAINST LIBYA 
AS EXCESSIVE.  THE SOMALI GOVERNMENT, HOWEVER, HAD 
REJECTED LIBYA'S REQUEST FOR A SEPARATE SOMALI STATE- 
MENT CRITICAL OF THE U.S. TO BE ISSUED IN MOGADISHU. 
MOREOVER, THE MFA HAD INFORMED THE LIBYAN PEOPLE'S 
BUREAU THAT THE SOMALI GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT COUNTENANCE 
ANY RETALIATION AGAINST U.S. PERSONNEL OR FACILITIES IN 
SOMALIA.  THE LIBYANS WERE ASKED TO GIVE THEIR 
ASSURANCE THAT NO HOSTILE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST 
THE U.S. AND TO CONVEY THIS REQUEST TO TRIPOLI.  ADAN 
SAID THAT THE LIBYAN PEOPLE'S BUREAU HAD NOW PROVIDED 
THESE ASSURANCES TO THE MFA. 
 
3.  BRIDGES ASKED ADAN TO CONVEY TO PRESIDENT SIAD OUR 
DISAPPOINTMENT OVER THE ARAB LEAGUE RESOLUTION, BUT 
ALSO HIS APPRECIATION FOR THE SOMALI DECISION NOT TO 
ISSUE A SEPARATE STATEMENT AND FOR THE MFA DEMARCHE 
TO THE LIBYANS REGARDING RETALIATION.  WE APPRECIATED 
THE EXCELLENT COOPERATION OF THE SOMALI SECURITY 
AUTHORITIES IN KEEPING CLOSE WATCH ON LIBYAN PERSONNEL 
IN SOMALIA.  BRIDGES SAID HE BELIEVED THAT WE AND 
THE SOMALI AUTHORITIES FULLY AGREED THAT QADHAFI COULD 
NOT BE TRUSTED.  WE WOULD THEREFORE LOOK TO CONTINUED 
CLOSE COOPERATION WITH SOMALI OFFICIALS ON THIS 
PROBLEM. 
 
4.  ADAN SUGGESTED THAT SOME COUNTRIES WERE TENDING 
TO LOOK AT WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE GULF OF SIDRA AS A 
CASE OF A POWERFUL COUNTRY TAKING A FORCEFUL STANCE 
AGAINST A SMALLER AND WEAKER ONE.  BRIDGES SAID THAT 
WHILE UNDOUBTEDLY THE UNITED STATES WAS LARGER 
AND MORE POWERFUL THAN LIBYA, OUR ACTION WAS MOTIVATED 
BY OUR STRONG INTEREST IN MAINTAINING THE FREEDOM 
OF THE SEAS IN THE FACE OF ANY COUNTRY'S ILLEGAL 
CLAIMS, LARGE OR SMALL.  BRIDGES REMINDED ADAN THAT WE 
HAD REACTED ONLY AFTER THE LIBYANS HAD FIRED SIX 
MISSILES AT OUR FORCES IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS OVER 
A PERIOD OF SEVERAL HOURS.  WHILE THE GULF OF SIDRA 
EXERCISES HAD ENDED, WE WERE DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT 
LIBYA MIGHT SEEK TO ATTACK OUR PEOPLE OR FACILITIES 
ELSEWHERE.  THE PROBLEM WAS COMPLICATED BY THE 
POSSIBILITY THAT THE LIBYANS WOULD EMPLOY OTHERS, 
INCLUDING CONCEIVABLY SOMALIS, TO DO THEIR DIRTY WORK. 
AGAIN, WE WERE ANXIOUS TO STAY IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH 
THE SOMALI AUTHORITIES ON THIS. 
 
5.  AT THE END OF THE MEETING ADAN NOTED THAT HE 
WOULD BE GOING TO DJIBOUTI FROM APRIL 2 THROUGH 6 TO 
ATTEND THE NEXT IGAAD (EAST AFRICA DROUGHT) MEETING, 
WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS ROUTINE. 
 
 
BRIDGES