US embassy cable - 05ALGIERS2299

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ALGIERS 002299 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, AG, Terrorism 
SUBJECT: NEA/MAG ACTING DIRECTOR'S CALL ON PRESIDENTIAL 
COUNSELOR FOR COUNTER-TERRORISM 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman, 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
1.  (C) During her familiarization visit to Algeria, NEA/MAG 
Acting Director Ellen Germain called November 15 on 
Presidential Counselor for Counter-terrorism issues Rezag 
Bara.  After thanking each other's countries for their 
cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts, Rezag Bara singled 
out the Trans-Sahel Counter-terrorism Initiative for praise 
and called on countries to rise above bilateral political 
problems in the fight against terrorism.  He said it was a 
mistake for terrorist entities to justify their internal acts 
based on external issues such as Iraq and Israel.  He noted 
said the European Union had not added Algeria's main 
terrorist group, the GSPC, to its list of terrorist 
organizations, although it had placed it on a separate list 
making the group's assets subject to being frozen.  On Libya, 
where he recently served as Algeria's Ambassador, he thought 
the Libyan Government would balance its need to mobilize 
Libyan public opinion with its other needs on the 
international scene and that commuting the death sentences of 
the Bulgarian nurses was a distinct possibility.  (End 
Summary.) 
 
2.  (C) NEA/MAG Acting Director Ellen Germain, accompanied by 
Ambassador and PolEc Chief, called on Presidential Counselor 
for Counter-terrorism issues Rezag Bara November 15.  Germain 
expressed U.S. appreciation for Algeria's counter-terrorism 
support, and Rezag Bara thanked the U.S. for its support for 
its support of Algeria, especially counter-terrorism efforts 
in the Sahel such as the Trans-Sahel Counter-terrorism 
Initiative (TSCTI). 
 
TRANS-SAHEL COOPERATION 
----------------------- 
 
3.  (C) Rezag Bara hoped that military and intelligence 
cooperation among the Sahel countries could be expanded under 
the TSCTI.  He cited three examples of successes due to such 
cooperation.  One was the release of European hostages thanks 
to efforts by Nigeria, Mali, and Niger.  The capture and 
return of the terrorist El-Para would not have been possible 
absent cooperation from Chad, Niger, and Libya.  Finally, a 
large shipment of arms from Mali was recently intercepted. 
Rezag Bara stressed the importance of developing further the 
political and diplomatic channels for such cooperation, 
noting that military cooperation alone was insufficient. 
Citing UNSC Resolution 1373 as the basis of international 
cooperation, he said countries should set aside their 
bilateral problems when it comes to counter-terrorism 
cooperation. 
 
TERRORISM IS TERRORISM 
---------------------- 
 
4.  (C) Without naming names, Rezag Bara faulted some groups 
in the broader Middle East for facilitating a false 
understanding of the terrorist threat all countries, Muslim 
included, faced.  Mixing the fight against terrorism with 
issues of Palestine and religion was unhelpful. 
Palestine/Israel and Iraq needed to be addressed separately 
from problems internal to states.  Germain agreed on the need 
for drawing distinctions.  It was possible to make progress 
on one conflict without linking it to others. 
 
5.  (C) Asked by Ambassador whether the European Union had 
agreed to list the GSPC as a terrorist group, Rezag Bara said 
the group only appeared on the list that subjected its assets 
to being frozen.  There had not been a real explanation of 
why the GSPC did not appear on the terrorism list.  Rezag 
Bara speculated that it might be due to the lack of consensus 
among the 25 member states. 
 
6.  (C) Responding to Ambassador's question about trends in 
the recruitment, surrender, and attack patterns of terrorists 
following the passage of the National Reconciliation measure 
in September, Rezag Bara said it was too early to make an 
assessment.  The security services were, he said, currently 
preparing such assessments. 
 
ASSESSMENT OF LIBYAN INTENTIONS 
IN THE BULGARIAN NURSES' CASE 
------------------------------- 
 
7.  (C) Turning to Libya, where Rezag Bara recently served as 
Algeria's Ambassador, Germain asked him for any insights, 
especially on how the Libyan leadership would decide the fate 
of Bulgarian nurses facing death sentences.  Rezag Bara said 
Libya viewed the West as a monolith.  He thought Libya would 
play the nurses as a card for Libyan needs in other areas and 
that a commutation of the sentence was possible.  The Libyan 
Government, he continued, needed to continue to inspire fear 
and keep the Libyan people united against external forces. 
Germain commented in response that Libya perhaps needed to 
find a way to save face and change the sentence without 
appearing to have given in to the international community. 
Rezag Bara agreed that Libya considered the plight of the 
nurses an internal matter, but Libya would balance its need 
to mobilize Libyan public opinion with its other needs on the 
international scene:  WMD/terrorism, Pam Am 103 compensation, 
and oil exports. 
 
8.  (U) Germain did not have the opportunity to clear this 
message before departing Algiers. 
 
9.  (U) Tripoli minimize considered. 
ERDMAN