US embassy cable - 05ALGIERS2138

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 002138 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR ABRAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2015 
TAGS: PBTS, PREL, PTER, AG, MO, WI, Polisario 
SUBJECT: POLISARIO ASSERTS THREATENING STATEMENT WAS "NOT 
OFFICIAL", REJECTS TERRORISM, BUT APPEALS TO KERR-MCGEE TO 
SUSPEND OPERATIONS IN WESTERN SAHARA UNTIL SETTLEMENT 
REACHED 
 
REF: A. STATE 192163 
 
     B. RABAT 2144 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman, Reason 1.4 (b) (d) 
 
1.  (C) DCM delivered reftel demarche to Polisario 
"Ambassador" Mohammed Beissat October 19, stressing the total 
inacceptability of threats to American citizens and interests 
such as those contained in a Polisario press release October 
12, and called for the Polisario to issue a statement 
retracting these threats.  After checking with more senior 
Polisario officials, Beissat thanked DCM for his demarche "in 
the spirit of our bilateral dialogue," and gave DCM a copy of 
the Polisario's October 14 statement, which states the 
Polisario "has never resorted to terrorism and will never do 
so in order to make the legitimate rights of our people 
prevail." 
 
2.  (C) Beissat claimed the Polisario's press service SPS had 
not officially released the threatening statement of October 
12, which was written by "one of our officials" but not 
released officially.  Beissat said the "unauthorized" 
statement had been issued in frustration at an announcement 
by Kerr-McGee that it intended to begin offshore drilling 
operations, a move that he insisted would violate 
international law. 
 
3.  (C) He underscored the Polisario's strong objection to 
Kerr-McGee's operations in the Western Sahara, and the 
Polisario's insistence that they be suspended "until a 
settlement is reached," as French Total Elf and a Norwegian 
company had recently done.  Beissat said, however, that 
despite Polisario's opposition to Kerr-McGee's operations, it 
did not mean to threaten Americans and was ready to provide 
further assurances if needed. 
 
4.  (C) Comment:  Beissat's assurances notwithstanding, the 
October 12 statement including the implicit threat is still 
posted on the SPS website, but dated October 13.  We will 
follow up with Beissat to insist that SPS remove the 
statement from its website, as well as press again for an 
additional official statement denying any threat to American 
citizens or interests.  Ambassador will also raise with 
Foreign Minister Bedjaoui in a meeting scheduled for early 
next week. 
ERDMAN