US embassy cable - 05RABAT2192

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 002192 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2009 
TAGS: LY, MO, PGOV, PREL, PTER 
SUBJECT: QADHAFI WOOS THE LIBYAN EX-PM 
 
 
RABAT 00002192  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Classified By: POL/C Timothy Lenderking for Reasons 1.4. (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Former Libyan PM Mohammed Otman Assed, in exile in 
Rabat since 1969, told Polcouns on October 7 that he 
continued to receive visits and phone calls from Libyan 
regime insiders encouraging him to drop his opposition to 
Qadhafi and move back to Libya.  Assed said that in July he 
received a visit from Dr. Abdullah Otman, whom Assed 
described as a "reform-minded advisor" to Qadhafi.  Assed 
believed Otman had been instructed by Qadhafi to treat Assed 
"with respect."  Otman brought with him a suitcase with USD 
250,000 in cash as an incentive to Assed to abandon exile and 
return to Libya. 
 
2.  (C) While not revealing whether he had accepted the cash 
or not, Assed said he could not be bought by the Libyan 
regime.  He told Polcouns that he had made clear to Dr. Otman 
that he had no intention of returning to Libya given his 
advanced age and failing health, and certainly not for any 
political position, but in any case he would need to see a 
serious reform process started promoting internal democracy, 
as well as receive compensation for the land and property the 
Qadhafi regime had seized upon coming to power.  Assed said 
those assets were "worth millions" now, far more than the 
amount Dr. Otman brought with him. 
 
3.  (C) Assed continued that despite American and 
international pressure, from what he could see the internal 
situation in Libya was really not improving.  There were 
still widespread human rights abuses, and there was no real 
effort to devolve power to elected bodies or the people, 
which Assed advocated.  There were still political prisoners, 
the population was suppressed, there was no opposition, and 
outspoken journalists had disappeared. 
 
4.  (C) Assed nevertheless insisted he was not calling for 
the overthrow of Qadhafi.  He thought Libya could live with 
Qadhafi provided there was a credible attempt at promoting 
reform.  In this light, Assed, offered, it would be unwise 
for the US to remove Libya from the terrorism list; that step 
should only come with an improved internal climate and more 
freedom in Libya. 
 
5.  (C) Assed then gave to Polcouns the following letter 
(para 7), which he claimed he had sent recently to Qadhafi. 
He hoped Polcouns would share the letter with the Department. 
 
6.  (SBU) Assed's son Osama, a construction engineer in 
Morocco, called Polcouns several days later to draw attention 
to a small article in the French-language weekly Tel Quel 
which claimed that the GOM, and FM Benaissa in particular, 
was promoting rapprochement between ex-PM Assed and Qadhafi. 
Osama Assed said the article was false, that neither he nor 
his family had been approached by FM Benaissa or other 
Moroccan government officials. 
 
7.  (SBU) Begin text of letter: 
 
In the  Name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful 
 
His Excellency, 
Colonel Muammar Qadhafi 
 
I cannot but begin my letter by expressing to Your Excellency 
my deepest gratitude for the good feelings you have shown 
towards me, as I also wish to express my sincere appreciation 
of your stated desire that I be treated with due respect and 
regard.  This, as well as Your Excellency's consideration, 
your sound appraisal, your equanimity, your far-sightedness 
and your patience have all been more than amply brought forth 
by the meeting held lately with Dr. Abdullah Otman. 
 
Excellency, all that has occurred recently has greatly 
motivated me to maintain my friendship towards you as it has 
encouraged me, despite my failing health, to present my 
thoughts concerning Libya especially now that it has entered 
upon very difficult negotiations with the Western States. 
 
Excellency, you are no doubt aware of the relations that bind 
me to various international parties, and it is this state of 
affairs which has enabled me to form a certain assessment of 
what developments the world greatly expects of Libya.  The 
acceptance of Libya into the political and economic fold is 
not a matter easily or quickly attained unless Libya is to 
embark in some way on political, economical and social 
reforms. 
 
 
RABAT 00002192  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
Excellency, because of your sound judgment, your experience 
and your political acumen you are no doubt alive to the fact 
that we must face this political flood as Noah faced the 
Flood by building the Ark to weather the storm and gain safe 
refuge.  As the Flood radically altered the habitat and the 
inhabitants of the Earth, so too will this political flood 
impose wide changes on the world, not least of which will be 
new political concepts and practices as well as new regional 
powers and new roles for many states. 
 
Excellency, your philosophical analysis of the historical 
process and of current affairs have been incentive enough for 
me to present to your attention an idea which I hope you may 
be able to spare time to personally consider. 
 
Today, a liberal, democratic and multi-party political system 
based on human rights, on freedom of expression and of the 
press, on the separation of powers, and on free enterprise is 
the most plausible political system.  No country which 
chooses to adopt a different system can hope to gain full 
acceptance among nations.  On the contrary, it will be met 
with nothing less than punitive measures and sanctions.  In 
this context, China has been the only nation able to impose 
itself internationally; but only by accepting free enterprise 
and so sharing a common factor with the United States.  In 
addition, China has to a certain extent modified its 
political system by allowing for a rotation of power among 
individuals and by bequeathing prerogatives to the 
legislature and to Party committees.  No doubt, China's huge 
population as well as greatly aiding it in imposing itself, 
has also brought home to the world the extreme necessity of 
internal stability in the country. 
 
Excellency, Libya, a sparsely populated state within short 
distance of Europe, can hardly compare in resources to Europe 
and America no matter what level petroleum prices may reach. 
Furthermore, Libya's development is linked to the extent of 
the West's social and economic dealings with her. 
 
In the past, Your Excellency, not only have you striven to 
give Libya a distinctive individuality, but have gone even 
further by creating a system of rule that has aroused 
national pride among Libyans who, by participating in popular 
congresses, have gained in political awareness and 
responsibility and have come to feel that their voice can be 
heard.  Undoubtedly, during the Cold War, such an order was 
able to prevent Libya from falling under the direct influence 
of either of the two World Powers and you have, Your 
Excellency, adroitly preserved Libya's political independence 
in spite of what that entailed in social and economical 
difficulties. 
 
Regardless of the wrongs and injustice I have personally been 
subjected to in those years, I fully appreciate that the 
Revolutionary Committees are the arm Your Excellency chose to 
safeguard the political order that preserved Libya's 
independence.  Unfortunately, the revolutionary Committees, 
not grasping the depth of your thinking, resorted to the use 
of repressive measures which have caused much affliction 
among the Libyan people. 
 
Excellency, the one remaining superpower, by virtue of its 
economic power, its military and scientific progress and the 
freedom it guarantees its people, has forced the world to 
adopt its ways,  As for China, it has long elected to refrain 
from entering into international disputes in order to be able 
to vie with the United States technologically and 
scientifically.  In like manner should Libya comply with what 
the world expects by embarking on a new political experience, 
yet preserving its integrity and its revolutionary principles. 
 
It is the preservation of the country's integrity and the 
upholding of its revolutionary principles that calls for Your 
Excellency's continued presence as Head of Libya able to 
advance social justice and to ensure Libya's freedom of all 
political and economic dependency.  Moreover, the 
aforementioned points should be stipulated in a constitution 
qualifying the continuity of the revolution in a leader from 
your offspring. 
 
The participation of the country in international politics 
can only take place after the setting up of organs of state 
according to a written constitution and the appointment of a 
cabinet of ministers bestowed with powers and responsible to 
the head of state and to a bicameral legislature.  In turn, 
the bicameral legislature should be composed of a lower house 
with legislative powers enabling it to hold the government to 
 
RABAT 00002192  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
account, and an upper house whose main role is to ensure that 
all institutions comply with the principles of the revolution 
and adhere to the concept of human rights.  Among the other 
priorities should also be a creation of a higher council for 
justice and a council for information and media. 
 
Excellency, what thoughts I have expressed above for your 
consideration are but a sincere expression of my willingness 
and that of my sons to put ourselves at the service of Libya, 
leadership and people, refusing as we do to compromise 
Libya's unity, her sovereignty and her dignity.  And you 
shall find us always, Excellency, as soldiers mobilized in 
the service of the country. 
 
Yours faithfully, Mohammed Otman Assed 
 
End Letter. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
8.  (C) We leave it to our Libya experts to advise on the 
utility of further contact with Assed on the issues raised in 
his letter.  He remains available to us if we desire any 
follow-up. 
RILEY