US embassy cable - 05ALGIERS1381

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001381 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA ASSISTANT SECRETARY DAVID WELCH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, AG, WI, MO 
SUBJECT: BOUTEFLIKA STILL INTERESTED IN POW RELEASE 
 
REF: ALGIERS 1365 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman; reasons 1.4 (B)(D) 
 
1. (C) Presidential Chief of Staff Belkheir telephoned 
Ambassador July 9 at the instruction of President Bouteflika 
to signal the latter's continuing interest in a Lugar mission 
to secure the release of all Moroccan prisoners held by the 
Polisario.  Specifically, he asked if Washington had reacted 
to the President's offer, conveyed to the Ambassador last 
week (Reftel), to provide a "protocol escort" for Lugar 
during the Tindouf portion of his visit.  Belkheir explained 
this was an effort to accommodate U.S. concern that all 
phases of a Lugar mission be within a U.S.-Algeria framework. 
 
 
2. (C) Ambassador said he had not yet received a response but 
speculated there would probably not be much Washington 
interest in simply a "protocol escort", as opposed to a much 
more senior official in the GOA leadership.  In response to a 
question, Belkheir reconfirmed that the President had not 
specified the level of the "protocol escort."  Ambassador 
stressed that with or without a Lugar mission, it was in 
Algeria's interest to secure the release of all the Moroccan 
prisoners.  In addition to the humanitarian aspect, the POWs 
were a political burden and their continuing incarceration 
helped no one.  Belkheir urged a response by Monday, July 11, 
because the President wanted to move ahead on the POW release 
issue "by other means" if the U.S. couldn't help. 
 
COMMENT AND RECOMMENDATION: 
-------------------------- 
 
3. (C)  The good news is that Bouteflika now seems to have 
accepted our argument that perpetuation of the prisoner issue 
is in fact a burden and, having reached this conclusion, 
wants to take steps to resolve it.  Whether he still has in 
mind a full release, should the Lugar mission not/not take 
place, or only a partial release, we do not know.  If 
Bouteflika would be willing to provide a senior official such 
as former minister and current Presidential Protocol Chief 
Rahal as the protocol escort, we urge Washington's urgent 
consideration.  Rahal is a close confidante of Bouteflika who 
is highly visible in public, travels with Bouteflika on all 
his visits abroad, and participates in most of the 
President's meetings.  Ambassador requests urgent guidance as 
to whether we would be prepared to go ahead with a Lugar 
mission under these circumstances. 
 
ERDMAN