LIBYA: U/S BOLTON MEETING WITH AMB. AL-OBEIDI

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001938

SIPDIS


STATE FOR A/S DESUTTER, T, AC, AC/CB, NP, NP/CBM, NP/MNA,
NP/NE, NP/NDF, NP/PTR, NP/RA, VC, VC/CCB, VC/NA, VC/SM,
VC/TA, NEA, NEA/ENA, EUR/WE, EUR/UBI, L-SCHWARTZ, L/ACV,
L/NP, IO/S, HAGUE FOR CWC DEL, NSC FOR
JOSEPH/TOBY/ABRAMS/KESHUP/CHUPA, SECDEF FOR OSD/ISP, JCS
FOR DD, PMA-1 FOR WTC, CIA FOR PEASE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2014
TAGS: IT LY PARM PREL MTCR
SUBJECT: LIBYA: U/S BOLTON MEETING WITH AMB. AL-OBEIDI

REF: ROME 1217

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL M/C THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.4(B)
AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: ON MAY 17, UNDERSECRETARY JOHN BOLTON CALLED
ON LIBYAN AMBASSADOR TO ROME ABDUL ATI AL-OBEIDI TO DISCUSS
CONTINUING PROGRESS ON LIBYA'S WMD COMMITMENTS. AL-OBEIDI
SPOKE SOFTLY AND REGRETTED THAT THE US HAD PUBLICLY SINGLED
OUT SYRIA AS ONE OF THE STATES WITH WHICH LIBYA WAS CEASING
TRADE IN MILITARY ITEMS. HE HOPED THAT OUR STATEMENTS COULD
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE. HE SAID TRIPOLI WAS STILL STUDYING US
PROPOSALS ON THE DISPOSITION OF ITS SCUD-B FLEET AND THE
CHECKLIST FOR THE LONG-TERM VERIFICATION PLAN. END SUMMARY


2. (C) REGARDING THE US ANNOUNCEMENT MAY 14 OF LIBYA'S
CESSATION OF MILITARY TIES WITH PROLIFERATORS, BOLTON NOTED
THE MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT OUR SPECIFIC MENTION OF SYRIA,
IRAN AND N. KOREA LAST WEEK, STATING WE HAD UNDERSTOOD THAT
TRIPOLI HAD HAD NO OBJECTION TO OUR DOING SO. AL-OBEIDI
LISTED THE MANY PROBLEMS LIBYA HAD INTERNALLY AND WITH OTHER
ARAB STATES, NOTING THAT THE SYRIANS WERE CALLING THE LIBYANS
"TRAITORS" WITHIN THE ARAB LEAGUE MEETINGS. HE ASKED THAT WE
NOT GO THROUGH ANOTHER ROUND OF INCONSISTENT STATEMENTS ABOUT
WHETHER OR NOT SYRIA WAS INCLUDED, BUT INSTEAD WORK ON A
JOINT STATEMENT THAT EMPHASIZES THE POSITIVE, AS THE
SECRETARY HAD DONE OVER THE WEEKEND. BOLTON SAID WE WERE

SIPDIS
CONTENT NOT TO EXTEND THE PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF WHETHER OR NOT
SYRIA WAS INCLUDED. HE NOTED THAT THE LIBYANS NEEDED,
SOMEHOW, TO ISSUE A CORRECTED STATEMENT, SINCE THE AGREED
REFERENCE TO THE MTCR HAD BEEN DROPPED FROM FRIDAY'S
STATEMENT. AL-OBEIDI READ THE STATEMENT, WITH THE INCLUSION
OF MTCR, AND SAID HE WOULD MAKE SURE, WHEN HE MEETS THE FM
AND OTHER LEADERS IN TRIPOLI MAY 18, THAT IT WAS ISSUED
CORRECTLY.


2. (C) AL-OBEIDI SAID LIBYA WAS STILL STUDYING THE ISSUE OF
WHETHER TO RETROFIT ITS SCUD-B FLEET TO MAKE IT MTCR
COMPLIANT, OR TO PHASE OUT THE FLEET OVER THE FEW REMAINING
YEARS OF ITS LIFE, AS GEN. NOUR AHMED MAHMOUD HAD SUGGESTED
AT THE LAST LONDON MEETING. HE NOTED THAT TRIPOLI MAY NEED
THE USG TO WEIGH IN WITH MOSCOW SO THE RUSSIANS UNDERSTOOD
THEY COULD DO BUSINESS ON MISSILES WITH LIBYA. BOLTON SAID
WE LOOKED FORWARD TO THEIR DECISION ON PHASE-OUT VS.
RETROFIT, AND WERE PREPARED TO SEND AN EXPERT TEAM TO LIBYA
SOONEST.


3. (C) AL-OBEIDI SAID THAT LIBYA WAS ALSO STUDYING THE
CHECKLIST OF THE LONG-TERM VERIFICATION PLAN, AND WOULD
RESPOND SOON.


4. (C) BOLTON NOTED THAT HE HAD GIVEN MUSA KUSA A PAPER
CONCERNING ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENTS UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL
CRIMINAL COURT TREATY, WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN SIGNED BY
LIBYA'S NEIGHBORS IN N. AFRICA. AL-OBEIDI SAID HE WOULD ALSO
DISCUSS THIS WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER.

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2004ROME01938 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL