US embassy cable - 04ROME1938

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001938 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR A/S DESUTTER, T, AC, AC/CB, NP, NP/CBM, NP/MNA, 
NP/NE, NP/NDF, NP/PTR, NP/RA, VC, VC/CCB, VC/NA, VC/SM, 
VC/TA, NEA, NEA/ENA, EUR/WE, EUR/UBI, L-SCHWARTZ, L/ACV, 
    L/NP, IO/S, HAGUE FOR CWC DEL, NSC FOR 
JOSEPH/TOBY/ABRAMS/KESHUP/CHUPA, SECDEF FOR OSD/ISP, JCS 
FOR DD, PMA-1 FOR WTC, CIA FOR PEASE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2014 
TAGS: IT, LY, PARM, PREL, MTCR 
SUBJECT: LIBYA: U/S BOLTON MEETING WITH AMB. AL-OBEIDI 
 
REF: ROME 1217 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL M/C THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.4(B) 
AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: ON MAY 17, UNDERSECRETARY JOHN BOLTON CALLED 
ON LIBYAN AMBASSADOR TO ROME ABDUL ATI AL-OBEIDI TO DISCUSS 
CONTINUING PROGRESS ON LIBYA'S WMD COMMITMENTS.  AL-OBEIDI 
SPOKE SOFTLY AND REGRETTED THAT THE US HAD PUBLICLY SINGLED 
OUT SYRIA AS ONE OF THE STATES WITH WHICH LIBYA WAS CEASING 
TRADE IN MILITARY ITEMS.  HE HOPED THAT OUR STATEMENTS COULD 
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE.  HE SAID TRIPOLI WAS STILL STUDYING US 
PROPOSALS ON THE DISPOSITION OF ITS SCUD-B FLEET AND THE 
CHECKLIST FOR THE LONG-TERM VERIFICATION PLAN.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (C) REGARDING THE US ANNOUNCEMENT MAY 14 OF LIBYA'S 
CESSATION OF MILITARY TIES WITH PROLIFERATORS, BOLTON NOTED 
THE MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT OUR SPECIFIC MENTION OF SYRIA, 
IRAN AND N. KOREA LAST WEEK, STATING WE HAD UNDERSTOOD THAT 
TRIPOLI HAD HAD NO OBJECTION TO OUR DOING SO.  AL-OBEIDI 
LISTED THE MANY PROBLEMS LIBYA HAD INTERNALLY AND WITH OTHER 
ARAB STATES, NOTING THAT THE SYRIANS WERE CALLING THE LIBYANS 
"TRAITORS" WITHIN THE ARAB LEAGUE MEETINGS.  HE ASKED THAT WE 
    NOT GO THROUGH ANOTHER ROUND OF INCONSISTENT STATEMENTS ABOUT 
WHETHER OR NOT SYRIA WAS INCLUDED, BUT INSTEAD WORK ON A 
JOINT STATEMENT THAT EMPHASIZES THE POSITIVE, AS THE 
SECRETARY HAD DONE OVER THE WEEKEND. BOLTON SAID WE WERE 
 
SIPDIS 
CONTENT NOT TO EXTEND THE PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF WHETHER OR NOT 
SYRIA WAS INCLUDED.  HE NOTED THAT THE LIBYANS NEEDED, 
SOMEHOW, TO ISSUE A CORRECTED STATEMENT, SINCE THE AGREED 
REFERENCE TO THE MTCR HAD BEEN DROPPED FROM FRIDAY'S 
STATEMENT.  AL-OBEIDI READ THE STATEMENT, WITH THE INCLUSION 
OF MTCR, AND SAID HE WOULD MAKE SURE, WHEN HE MEETS THE FM 
AND OTHER LEADERS IN TRIPOLI MAY 18, THAT IT WAS ISSUED 
CORRECTLY. 
 
2.  (C) AL-OBEIDI SAID LIBYA WAS STILL STUDYING THE ISSUE OF 
WHETHER TO RETROFIT ITS SCUD-B FLEET TO MAKE IT MTCR 
COMPLIANT, OR TO PHASE OUT THE FLEET OVER THE FEW REMAINING 
YEARS OF ITS LIFE, AS GEN. NOUR AHMED MAHMOUD HAD SUGGESTED 
AT THE LAST LONDON MEETING.  HE NOTED THAT TRIPOLI MAY NEED 
THE USG TO WEIGH IN WITH MOSCOW SO THE RUSSIANS UNDERSTOOD 
THEY COULD DO BUSINESS ON MISSILES WITH LIBYA.  BOLTON SAID 
WE LOOKED FORWARD TO THEIR DECISION ON PHASE-OUT VS. 
RETROFIT, AND WERE PREPARED TO SEND AN EXPERT TEAM TO LIBYA 
SOONEST. 
 
3.  (C) AL-OBEIDI SAID THAT LIBYA WAS ALSO STUDYING THE 
CHECKLIST OF THE LONG-TERM VERIFICATION PLAN, AND WOULD 
RESPOND SOON. 
 
4.  (C) BOLTON NOTED THAT HE HAD GIVEN MUSA KUSA A PAPER 
CONCERNING ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENTS UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL 
CRIMINAL COURT TREATY, WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN SIGNED BY 
    LIBYA'S NEIGHBORS IN N. AFRICA.  AL-OBEIDI SAID HE WOULD ALSO 
DISCUSS THIS WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER. 
 
VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M 
 
SKODON 
 
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 2004ROME01938 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL