US embassy cable - 05RABAT1767

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 001767 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA PDAS CHENEY, NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2009 
TAGS: ECON, ETRD, MO, PBTS, PGOV, PHUM, PREL, MAS 
SUBJECT: SENATOR LUGAR'S MEETING WITH KING MOHAMMED 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for Reasons 1.4. (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Senator Lugar met for 40 minutes with King 
Mohammed the afternoon of August 19 in Tetouan, northern 
Morocco.  The King thanked Senator Lugar for US intervention 
in freeing the remaining POWs from Tindouf.  Lugar encouraged 
the King to use the release as an opportunity to make 
progress on Moroccan-Algerian relations.  He suggested in 
particular that the King make a gesture to Bouteflika, either 
in public remarks, privately, or by re-scheduling the visit 
to Morocco of the Algerian PM.  The King promised to keep 
working on better relations with Algeria and suggested that 
reviving a quiet channel to the GOA through Algerian Chief of 
Staff Belkheir might be helpful, though he said he was not 
optimistic that Algeria was ready to engage seriously.  Lugar 
encouraged the King to present a revised autonomy plan to new 
SRSG Van Walsum.  The King praised the FTA and said the US 
should have no illusions about Morocco's Islamists; behind 
their benign facade, they were all anti-American.  General 
Jones noted NATO efforts in the region and expressed hope to 
strengthen Med Dialogue.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) Participants 
 
US 
-- 
 
Ambassador Riley 
Senator Lugar 
EUCOM Supreme Allied Commander General Jones 
 
GOM 
--- 
 
King Mohammed VI 
FM Benaissa 
Deputy FM Fassi Fihri 
 
3.  (C) King Mohammed greeted Senator Lugar solo, as FM 
Benaissa, and Deputy FM Fassi Fihri entered the room 
separately.  The King welcomed Lugar and thanked him and the 
US for their efforts in freeing the POWs.  The King said that 
in spite of everything (likely referring to earlier GOM 
concerns about the timing and staging of the POW release as a 
"fait accompli"), he was pleased the prisoners were home. 
 
4.  (C) Lugar handed the King the original copy of President 
Bush's August 15 letter to the King.  The King said he was 
pleased to have Lugar in Morocco.  He knew the US was 
disappointed that there had not been more progress over the 
last year or more in relations between Morocco and Algeria, 
or more positive steps between the two countries.  The King 
wanted to reassure the US that Morocco had been doing 
everything it could to improve relations with Algeria.  The 
King related that he had traveled to Algiers in April, had 
extended his stay, and done everything he could to move the 
relationship between the two countries forward.  Morocco had 
received nothing in return.  In English, the King said,  "I 
felt like a beggar" returning from Algiers. 
 
5.  (C) Lugar encouraged the King not to give up and wondered 
whether there was not some "small thing" Morocco could do to 
give the relationship a boost.  Lugar said he knew at one 
point the GOM had invited the Algerian PM to Morocco; he 
didn't know the full background, but he encouraged the King 
to restart this initiative, or do something comparable such 
as exchange visits at the foreign minister level.  Noting why 
he had refused in the end to attend the aborted Arab Maghreb 
Union summit in May, the King said he had to be attentive to 
the opinions and views of the Moroccan people.  The Western 
Sahara means a lot to the Moroccan people, the King said, but 
it does not mean anything to the people of Algeria.  The 
Algerian government can say whatever it wants about the 
issue, "but I have to be careful."  The Algerian leadership 
had made very provocative comments before the AMU summit, 
leaving the King no choice but to decline to participate. 
 
6.  (C) The King continued that he had taken a number of 
steps to work with the Algerians.   We asked for a secret 
envoy, the King said -- perhaps Presidential COS Belkheir, 
who has served this role in the past -- but it was refused. 
I made the request again, the King said, and it was refused 
again.  Nevertheless, we are willing to try a third time. 
Lugar told the King that in his meeting with President 
Bouteflika the previous day, the Algerian President had 
stressed that the Western Sahara was not a causus belli with 
Morocco, that he was willing to work toward a resolution to 
the dispute, and that he was open to a broad interpretation 
of "referendum," including incorporating many "Moroccans" who 
would be eligible to vote in a referendum, based on Wilsonian 
principles of self-determination.  Testily, the King replied 
he had a suggestion for Bouteflika:  Let's try a pilot 
referendum, he said, with the separatists in the Kabylie 
region in Algeria and see how that works. 
 
7.  (C) In spite of these problems, the King said he was 
looking forward to receiving the new SRSG (turning to Fassi 
Fihri for Van Walsum's name).  The King quipped that he 
better remember Van Walsum's name if they were going to meet 
in September.  Lugar said the Moroccans could present Van 
Walsum with a new autonomy plan for the Western Sahara.  The 
King said there had not been much success with this in the 
past, noting that he had met with UNSYG Annan, but he hoped a 
dialogue could start with the UN. 
 
8.  (C) Sitting back, the King observed that the key to the 
Western Sahara conflict lies between Morocco and Algeria, and 
there must be efforts to improve dialogue between the two 
countries.  Morocco expected a gesture from Algeria, after 
the many gestures Morocco had made with nothing in return. 
Nevertheless, Morocco would keep trying.  Lugar thanked the 
King for being patient.  The King reiterated that public 
opinion on the Western Sahara issue really does matter in 
Morocco, whereas it does not in Algeria.  He could not carry 
through on the AMU summit given the negative atmosphere the 
Algerians created. 
 
9.  (C) Not responding to the idea of getting an Algerian PM 
visit on track, the King reiterated that Belkheir could be a 
possible channel to the GOA (comment:  the King made no 
reference to the fact that Belkheir is apparently in line to 
be Algeria's next ambassador to Morocco).  He said he would 
call Bouteflika and make an effort to get things started 
again.  Lugar appreciated the King's commitment and 
understood that tensions between the two countries sometimes 
crescendoed at awkward times.  Lugar said he understood that 
USD 3 billion in revenue was lost every year because of 
illegal trade across the closed Morocco-Algeria border, and 
no one but a handful of illicit traders were being helped by 
that kind of commerce.  The King said that Bouteflika's fear 
is that if we opened the border, millions of Algerians will 
come to Morocco, but no Moroccans will go to Algeria.  The 
King concluded that the Algerians are just not ready to make 
serious progress in their relations with Morocco, but Morocco 
would keep trying, even though he was not optimistic.  He 
appreciated US engagement in this area, hoping it would 
continue to be strong, and the mutual friendship between 
Morocco and the US. 
 
FTA and MCC 
----------- 
 
10.  (C) Lugar told the King he had met with PM Jettou that 
morning (septel) and learned more about Morocco's proposal to 
the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).  While he had not 
yet seen the details of the proposal, Lugar said he followed 
the work of the MCC closely and understood Morocco had a good 
proposal.  Lugar said going after poverty was very important. 
 Lugar hoped the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement would remain 
on track for January 1 implementation.  The King said 
everyone in Morocco was in the end very impressed with the 
FTA and happy about it.  Referring to a roundtable discussion 
earlier that day in Rabat (septel), Lugar said he had a very 
interesting, thoughtful, and energetic discussion with 
opinion leaders and influential Moroccans.  "Some members of 
parliament" (referring to the PJD's Lahcen Daoudi), Lugar 
said, were very skeptical of the FTA.  The King rolled his 
eyes at the mention of the Islamist PJD.  He said I must tell 
you something important.  When you are talking about 
Islamists, whether moderates or extremists, they are all 
anti-American.  Don't be fooled, the King warned, just 
because they sound reasonable and seem very nice.  They sound 
rational.  The US should have no illusions about them, 
however;  they are anti-American. 
 
11.  (C) The King said Morocco was already seeing results 
from the FTA.  Spain was already making investments.  The 
French were not so happy about the FTA, the King 
acknowledged; they are not as entrepreneurial.  The Spanish 
are interested in taking advantage of the FTA. 
 
Med Dialogue 
------------ 
 
12. (C) Senator Lugar told the King he was pleased General 
Jones could join him on this important mission to Morocco and 
turned the floor over to the General.  General Jones thanked 
the King for the meeting.  He noted the importance of NATO 
activities in the region and welcomed the strong military 
cooperation between the US and Morocco.  He hoped to see Med 
Dialogue strengthened in the future and encouraged Morocco's 
increased participation. 
 
13.  (C) The King closed by saying he hoped he would see 
President Bush before long, as they had not seen each other 
since last summer.  The 50th anniversary of Moroccan 
independence was coming up in 2006, and the country was 
already planning commemorative events.  As a result, the King 
would probably not be able to see President Bush this year, 
but he hoped it would not be too long.  Lugar thanked the 
King again for his hospitality and the many arrangements made 
to make his mission to Morocco a success. 
 
14.  (C) Senator Lugar did not have a chance to clear this 
cable before departing post. 
 
RILEY