BOUTEFLIKA STILL INTERESTED IN POW RELEASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001381

SIPDIS

FOR NEA ASSISTANT SECRETARY DAVID WELCH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV AG WI MO
SUBJECT: BOUTEFLIKA STILL INTERESTED IN POW RELEASE

REF: ALGIERS 1365

Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman; reasons 1.4 (B)(D)


1. (C) Presidential Chief of Staff Belkheir telephoned
Ambassador July 9 at the instruction of President Bouteflika
to signal the latter's continuing interest in a Lugar mission
to secure the release of all Moroccan prisoners held by the
Polisario. Specifically, he asked if Washington had reacted
to the President's offer, conveyed to the Ambassador last
week (Reftel),to provide a "protocol escort" for Lugar
during the Tindouf portion of his visit. Belkheir explained
this was an effort to accommodate U.S. concern that all
phases of a Lugar mission be within a U.S.-Algeria framework.



2. (C) Ambassador said he had not yet received a response but
speculated there would probably not be much Washington
interest in simply a "protocol escort", as opposed to a much
more senior official in the GOA leadership. In response to a
question, Belkheir reconfirmed that the President had not
specified the level of the "protocol escort." Ambassador
stressed that with or without a Lugar mission, it was in
Algeria's interest to secure the release of all the Moroccan
prisoners. In addition to the humanitarian aspect, the POWs
were a political burden and their continuing incarceration
helped no one. Belkheir urged a response by Monday, July 11,
because the President wanted to move ahead on the POW release
issue "by other means" if the U.S. couldn't help.

COMMENT AND RECOMMENDATION:
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3. (C) The good news is that Bouteflika now seems to have
accepted our argument that perpetuation of the prisoner issue
is in fact a burden and, having reached this conclusion,
wants to take steps to resolve it. Whether he still has in
mind a full release, should the Lugar mission not/not take
place, or only a partial release, we do not know. If
Bouteflika would be willing to provide a senior official such
as former minister and current Presidential Protocol Chief
Rahal as the protocol escort, we urge Washington's urgent
consideration. Rahal is a close confidante of Bouteflika who
is highly visible in public, travels with Bouteflika on all
his visits abroad, and participates in most of the
President's meetings. Ambassador requests urgent guidance as
to whether we would be prepared to go ahead with a Lugar
mission under these circumstances.

ERDMAN