GOF CONTINUES TO DECLINE COMMENT ON BOUTEFLIKA'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 008483

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2015
TAGS: PREL AG FR
SUBJECT: GOF CONTINUES TO DECLINE COMMENT ON BOUTEFLIKA'S
HEALTH

REF: A. ALGIERS 2438


B. ALGIERS 2364

C. ALGIERS 2348

D. EMAIL ZEYA-MCNICHOLAS 11/30/05

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) The GoF continues to stonewall on the health situation
of Algerian President Bouteflika, who has been hospitalized
in Paris since November 27 (reftels). During a December 13
discussion with poloff, MFA DAS-equivalent for the Maghreb
Christian Testot reiterated he could provide no information
on Bouteflika's health, beyond confirming that the Algerian
president's condition is serious and that he underwent an
operation. Testot stressed that he could not speculate on
how much longer Bouteflika would require hospitalization in
France or the cause of his illness, and repeated the
established GoF policy of deferring all questions on
Bouteflika's health to the Algerian government.


2. (C) Testot conceded that Bouteflika's hospitalization had
complicated GoF efforts to conclude a friendship treaty with
Algiers, and that the GoF would not meet its goal of
concluding this accord by year-end. He insisted, though,
that the friendship treaty is not blocked, despite continued
controversy over the February 23, 2005 French law which
called on French textbooks to recognize the "positive role"
of French colonialism, especially in North Africa. (Note: A
prominent French-Algerian political activist told us he had
heard directly from the Algerian government that the
friendship treaty is indeed blocked, over GoF refusal to
include an apology for colonization of Algeria in the text.
End note.)


3. (C) Testot commented that whoever succeeded Bouteflika
would not have the same "political capital" and would
therefore be less able to make concessions on GoA demands for
a French apology for colonialism, which the GoF thus far
refused to offer; Testot quickly clarified that he wasn't
suggesting that Bouteflika's demise was imminent. He added
that the February 2005 law had now become a domestic
controversy in France, with a small minority of French
repatriates from Algeria using their influence within the
ruling UMP party to ensure retention of the February 2005
law, notwithstanding calls for the law's abrogation by the
opposition Socialist party and protests against it in French
overseas territories. Testot concluded that the February
2005 law was "absurd," but would not be withdrawn. PM de
Villepin recently announced that he had no apologies to make
for French history.


3. (C) Comment: Testot did not make any effort to put a
positive spin on Bouteflika's health or suggest that the
Algerian leader's release from the hospital is imminent. The
GoF's relative silence on Bouteflika's illness contrasts with
its approach to the November 2004 hospitalization of Arafat,
during which we received detailed updates on Arafat's
condition and the GoF was the main spokesperson to the
international media. It is clear that the GoF wants to avoid
further problems in its relations with Algiers, already
complicated by the controversy over the February 2005 law and
delayed conclusion of the friendship treaty. An offhand
press remark by FM Douste-Blazy December 11, in which he said
"he could not say" what was wrong with the Algerian
president, touched off a fresh wave of speculation in the
French media that Bouteflika's condition is much more serious
than GoF and GoA officials have suggested. End comment.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

Stapleton