Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ALGIERS1878
2005-09-06 13:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Algiers
Cable title:  

COMPREHENSIVE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Tags:  PREL PTER 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001878 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER
SUBJECT: COMPREHENSIVE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

REF: A. SECSTATE 161624


B. STATE 105937

C. ALGIERS 1418

Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman,
for reasons 1.4 (b)

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001878

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER
SUBJECT: COMPREHENSIVE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

REF: A. SECSTATE 161624


B. STATE 105937

C. ALGIERS 1418

Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman,
for reasons 1.4 (b)


1. (C) Due to absence abroad of both Foreign Minister
Bedjaoui and Secretary General Lamamra, Ambassador delivered
Secretary's letter urging conclusion of the Comprehensive

SIPDIS
Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) without delay to
MFA Mulilateral Relations Director General Belhimeur on
September 5. Belhimeur expressed appreciation for the letter
(and Embassy's informal French translation)and said he would
bring it to the Minister's attention as soon as possible.


2. (C) Ambassador also deployed reftel talking points,
stressing our hope that Algeria would help find a bridge that
would resolve outstanding issues preventing conclusion of the
CCIT convention. Belhimeur said Algeria had suffered
firsthand from terrorism for a decade or more. No country
wanted more than Algeria to conclude the convention and
reinforce international efforts to combat the scourge of
terrorism, he claimed. He said Algeria would work in a
flexible spirit and agreed on the desirability of concluding
the convention without further delay.


3. (C) While there remained a definitional problem,
Belkhimeur felt "the lawyers" could work out the necessary
language to bridge differences. He also agreed with the
Secretary's point that a failure to conclude the convention

SIPDIS
during this General Assembly would send the wrong message to
terrorists and their supporters and make it more difficult to
revive the prospect of a CCIT in the near term. Ambassador
underscored that the international community needed to speak
with moral clarity on this issue, making clear that terrorist
acts could not be justified by any political cause.
ERDMAN