1. (U) Using points provided reftel (notal), Ambassador
approached Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Ali Yousuf on
July 19 to request that Djibouti make a strong public
statement of condemnation and of support to the Iraqi people
in the wake of insurgent targeting of civilians in Iraq. She
noted specifically the recent killing of 25 Iraqi children.



2. (C) Yousuf told the Ambassador that Djibouti has "no
problem at all" with the U.S. request and would do so. It
would also take advantage of the very public visit on July 26
of Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the U.N. Millennium Project and
Special Advisor to the UNSYG on Millennium Development Goals,
to reinforce its condemnation of these terrorist acts. Sachs
will be in country for launch of Djibouti's Millennium
Development Program. Djibouti will also use the July 19
visit of FIFA President, Joseph Blatter, who will be hosted
by the Minister of Youth and Sports, to condemn the acts in
Iraq and more broadly. Yousuf noted that Djibouti had
publicly denounced the terrorist attacks that took place in
London last week and that he, personally, had sent a message
of condolence to UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in their
aftermath.



3. (U) Comment: Post notes that President Guelleh sent to
Queen Elizabeth II and to PM Tony Blair messages condemning
the London terrorist attacks of July 7. In that message he
wrote: "This tragedy for Great Britain and the entire human
race once more shows that the world must remain united to
confront terrorism and extremism whatever their forms." We
will share with Department subsequent Djibouti declarations
regarding the violence in Iraq or other terrorism-related
acts. End comment.
RAGSDALE