US embassy cable - 05ALGIERS1013

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001013 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2015 
TAGS: MARR, MOPS, PREL, AG, Status Of Force Agreement (SOFA), Pol-Mil 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES EXERCISE-SPECIFIC SOFA WITH 
FOREIGN MINISTER BEDJAOUI FOR FLINTLOCK '05 
 
REF: STATE 85939 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman, Reason 1.4 (b) (d) 
 
1.  (C) During Ambassador's May 21 call on newly appointed 
Foreign Minister Mohammed Bedjaoui (other issues reported 
septel), Ambassador noted the June 6-18 Flintlock '05 special 
forces exercise, adding that the exercise would provide an 
opportunity to advance counterterrorism capabilities in the 
Trans-Saharan region.  Ambassador reviewed reftel talking 
points and other background on the Flintlock exercise, 
underscoring the importance of SOFA protections and 
confirming that while we would welcome a general SOFA 
agreement, we were now proposing only a SOFA for the June 
Flintlock exercise.  Ambassador gave Bedjaoui a copy of our 
proposed draft exchange of notes based on the exercise SOFA. 
Ambassador observed that the U.S. routinely exchanges such 
notes with many countries, even Russia, and that the proposed 
texts contained standard language.  SOFAs are necessary for 
us because they set the terms for the deployment of U.S. 
troops on other countries' soil and the legal protections 
they provide for our troops. 
 
2.  (C) Bedjaoui, a former Minister of Justice and Supreme 
Court justice, said that MOD Secretary General Senhadji had 
briefed him on Senhadji's recent visit to Washington (for the 
inaugural meeting of the Joint Military Dialogue), including 
the U.S. desire to conclude an exercise SOFA.  After 
confirming that our proposed draft would only pertain to the 
Flintlock '05 exercise, Bedjaoui mused that one way to handle 
such a short-fuse issue might be to consider the U.S. troops 
participating in the exercise as attaches to the U.S. Embassy 
"if they are not too numerous."  (Note:  there are less than 
a dozen U.S. special forces expected for the Algerian portion 
of the exercise.)  Ambassador said that the proposed exchange 
of notes would essentially have the effect of extending 
Vienna-like protections for technical and administrative 
personnel to U.S. military personnel participating in the 
exercise.  Bedjaoui said he had heard that his predecessor, 
Abdelaziz Belkhadem, had discussed a similar proposal by 
former Ambassador Sanderson, but in the end the exercise did 
not take place.  Bedjaoui concluded that he would review the 
draft carefully and "positively" and get back to Ambassador. 
 
3.  (C) Comment:  Bedjaoui appeared favorably disposed toward 
the idea of an exercise-specific SOFA.  During the earlier 
portion of the conversation, he told Ambassador that he was 
"delighted" to see the excellent relations that now exist 
between Algeria and the U.S.  He also recalled positive 
memories from his childhood of U.S. servicemen landing in 
Algeria as part of the preparations for the Allied effort to 
invade Italy. 
ERDMAN