US embassy cable - 05ALGIERS1508

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001508 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR TIM POUNDS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, WI, AG, MO, Polisario 
SUBJECT: BELKHEIR RAISES MOROCCAN REQUEST TO DESIGNATE 
POLISARIO AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION 
 
REF: NEA/MAG-EMBASSY ALGIERS E-MAIL JULY 15 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Marc Sievers, Reason 1.4 (b) (d) 
 
1.  (C) During a July 18 meeting with Charge on other issues, 
Presidential Chief of Staff Belkheir raised reports that 
Morocco has requested the U.S. to designate the Polisario 
Front as a terrorist organization.  Belkheir asserted that an 
American organization called The Institute for the Prevention 
of Terrorism in Oklahoma had listed the Polisario among a 
list of Algerian terrorist organizations.  Since the 
Institute reportedly receives U.S. Government funding, 
Belkheir asked whether its listing of the Polisario signified 
an official U.S. decision to designate the Polisario.  Such a 
categorization of the Polisario was false, Belkheir said, 
commenting that Polisario had never used terrorist tactics 
throughout its thirty-year struggle to achieve Sahrawi 
independence. 
 
2.  (C) Belkheir noted that Algeria and the U.S. were allies 
against terrorism, adding that both countries had benefited 
from this cooperation, which continued to develop.  Should 
the U.S. decide to designate the Polisario, however, that 
would "raise questions about the bases of our cooperation." 
Charge responded that he was not aware of any U.S. decision 
to designate the Polisario as a terrorist organization, 
adding that he was unfamiliar with the Institute for the 
Prevention of Terrorism, but it appeared to be a private 
organization.  Belkheir said his principal concern was how 
did the U.S. plan to respond to the Moroccan request.  Charge 
reiterated that Embassy Algiers had not been informed of any 
decision to designate Polisario as a terrorist organization, 
but said he would request Washington confirmation. 
 
3.  (C) Action request:  According to NEA/MAG's daily e-mail 
update of July 15, Algerian Embassy Polcouns Derdouri made a 
similar demarche to S/CT's Mike Miller on July 14, although 
Derdouri referred to TKB.org website vice The Institute for 
the Prevention of Terrorism -- we are unfamiliar with both. 
Although S/CT reportedly denied any change in U.S. policy 
toward the Polisario, we would appreciate the Department's 
guidance on how to respond to Belkheir. 
SIEVERS