NEWSPAPER EDITOR COMMENTS ON BENCHICHOU CASE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001958

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM MARR AG
SUBJECT: NEWSPAPER EDITOR COMMENTS ON BENCHICHOU CASE,
BOUTEFLIKA'S REASONS FOR PRESSURING THE INDEPENDENT PRESS

REF: ALGIERS

Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman, Reason 1.4 (d)


1. (C) During a September 19 visit to Oran, DCM and PD
staff visited the offices of the high-brow, French-language
daily Le Quotidien d'Oran. Le Quotidien's editor in chief,
Mohammed Abdou Benabou (strictly protect),offered his views
on President Bouteflika's efforts to rein-in the independent
press since his reelection in 2004, and in particular the
series of legal actions against Mohammed Benchicou, the
editor in chief of the defunct Le Matin newspaper (reftels).


2. (C) Benabou, while stressing that he obviously supported
freedom of the press and expression, argued that much of the
Algerian independent press, and especially Benchichou, had
been used by a group of retired generals and wealthy
businessmen opposed to Bouteflika's reelection. Benabou said
that Benchicou had told him personally in early 2004 that he
was helping to "bring down" Bouteflika. Benabou added that
he had warned Benchicou to stick to journalism and not allow
himself and his paper to become openly identified as
instruments of anti-Bouteflika propaganda, but Benchicou
would not listen and ended up in jail, initially on charges
of violating controls on foreign currency.


3. (C) The Le Quotidien editor said that rival presidential
candidate Ali Benflis had also been misled by the same group
of retired generals, who had encouraged him to run against
Bouteflika with promises of behind-the-scenes military
backing. The actual commanders of the Algerian military at
the time of the elections, however, made very clear the
military would remain neutral in the election, thus ensuring
that Benflis would fail and leaving Benchicou exposed.
Benabou said that he had correctly predicted well before the
elections that the military would not oppose Bouteflika's
reelection. "I understood that Bouteflika had amassed enough
power to make any of the generals retire without the
slightest reaction from the military, and that is what
happened," he commented.


4. (C) Benabou went on to complain that the Algerian
independent press was unprofessional, often intentionally
provocative, and inclined toward ad hominem attacks. The
noted cartoonist Dilem, for example, had published
caracatures in the daily Liberte suggesting that Bouteflika
was homosexual. Le Matin had published several scurrilous
attacks on former Algerian Ambassador to Washington Driss
Djazairi, including one asserting that the FBI had been
called to the ambassador's residence to investigate charges
that the ambassador was beating his wife. This was neither
journalism nor dissent, but rather vicious personal attacks.
Benabou stated that he could criticize Bouteflika any time he
wanted without fear of repercussion because he had never
stooped to personal invective and had an established record
as a fair and objective commentator.

COMMENT
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5. (C) Some of Benabou's comments may be self-serving, but
he and his paper do enjoy a reputation for seriousness and
editorial independence. In reporting his comments at length,
we do not intend to diminish in any way the seriousness of
the GOA's actions against the independent press over the past
year. That said, we believe Benabou's description of the
manipulation of some papers by powerful men opposed to
Bouteflika's reelection and the President's subsequent
decision to make an example of Benchicou is largely accurate.
Benabou is also spot on in his analysis of Bouteflika's
power relative to the military. Since his reelection,
Bouteflika has retired the CHOD, all the service chiefs, and
much of the senior staff of the Ministry of National Defense,
replacing them with officers who owe their positions to him.
This represents a dramatic shift in political power in
Algeria from the military to a civilian president.
ERDMAN