US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI683

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000683 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA AND AF 
LONDON/PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, PTER, SCUL, IZ, DJ 
SUBJECT: APPROACH TO DJIBOUTI'S FOREIGN MINISTER FOR 
STATEMENT ON IRAQ 
 
REF: STATE 121757 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARGUERITA D. RAGSDALE. 
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (U) Using points provided reftel (notal), Ambassador 
approached Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Ali Yousuf on 
July 19 to request that Djibouti make a strong public 
statement of condemnation and of support to the Iraqi people 
in the wake of insurgent targeting of civilians in Iraq.  She 
noted specifically the recent killing of 25 Iraqi children. 
 
2. (C) Yousuf told the Ambassador that Djibouti has "no 
problem at all" with the U.S. request and would do so.  It 
would also take advantage of the very public visit on July 26 
of Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the U.N. Millennium Project and 
Special Advisor to the UNSYG on Millennium Development Goals, 
to reinforce its condemnation of these terrorist acts. Sachs 
will be in country for launch of Djibouti's Millennium 
Development Program.  Djibouti will also use the July 19 
visit of FIFA President, Joseph Blatter, who will be hosted 
by the Minister of Youth and Sports, to condemn the acts in 
Iraq and more broadly.  Yousuf noted that Djibouti had 
publicly denounced the terrorist attacks that took place in 
London last week and that he, personally, had sent a message 
of condolence to UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in their 
aftermath. 
 
3. (U) Comment:  Post notes that President Guelleh sent to 
Queen Elizabeth II and to PM Tony Blair messages condemning 
the London terrorist attacks of July 7.  In that message he 
wrote: "This tragedy for Great Britain and the entire human 
race once more shows that the world must remain united to 
confront terrorism and extremism whatever their forms."  We 
will share with Department subsequent Djibouti declarations 
regarding the violence in Iraq or other terrorism-related 
acts. End comment. 
RAGSDALE