SENATOR LUGAR'S MEETING WITH KING MOHAMMED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 001767

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA PDAS CHENEY, NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2009
TAGS: ECON ETRD MO PBTS PGOV PHUM PREL MAS
SUBJECT: SENATOR LUGAR'S MEETING WITH KING MOHAMMED


Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for Reasons 1.4. (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Senator Lugar met for 40 minutes with King
Mohammed the afternoon of August 19 in Tetouan, northern
Morocco. The King thanked Senator Lugar for US intervention
in freeing the remaining POWs from Tindouf. Lugar encouraged
the King to use the release as an opportunity to make
progress on Moroccan-Algerian relations. He suggested in
particular that the King make a gesture to Bouteflika, either
in public remarks, privately, or by re-scheduling the visit
to Morocco of the Algerian PM. The King promised to keep
working on better relations with Algeria and suggested that
reviving a quiet channel to the GOA through Algerian Chief of
Staff Belkheir might be helpful, though he said he was not
optimistic that Algeria was ready to engage seriously. Lugar
encouraged the King to present a revised autonomy plan to new
SRSG Van Walsum. The King praised the FTA and said the US
should have no illusions about Morocco's Islamists; behind
their benign facade, they were all anti-American. General
Jones noted NATO efforts in the region and expressed hope to
strengthen Med Dialogue. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Participants

US
--

Ambassador Riley
Senator Lugar
EUCOM Supreme Allied Commander General Jones

GOM
---

King Mohammed VI
FM Benaissa
Deputy FM Fassi Fihri


3. (C) King Mohammed greeted Senator Lugar solo, as FM
Benaissa, and Deputy FM Fassi Fihri entered the room
separately. The King welcomed Lugar and thanked him and the
US for their efforts in freeing the POWs. The King said that
in spite of everything (likely referring to earlier GOM
concerns about the timing and staging of the POW release as a
"fait accompli"),he was pleased the prisoners were home.


4. (C) Lugar handed the King the original copy of President
Bush's August 15 letter to the King. The King said he was
pleased to have Lugar in Morocco. He knew the US was
disappointed that there had not been more progress over the
last year or more in relations between Morocco and Algeria,
or more positive steps between the two countries. The King
wanted to reassure the US that Morocco had been doing
everything it could to improve relations with Algeria. The
King related that he had traveled to Algiers in April, had
extended his stay, and done everything he could to move the
relationship between the two countries forward. Morocco had
received nothing in return. In English, the King said, "I
felt like a beggar" returning from Algiers.


5. (C) Lugar encouraged the King not to give up and wondered
whether there was not some "small thing" Morocco could do to
give the relationship a boost. Lugar said he knew at one
point the GOM had invited the Algerian PM to Morocco; he
didn't know the full background, but he encouraged the King
to restart this initiative, or do something comparable such
as exchange visits at the foreign minister level. Noting why
he had refused in the end to attend the aborted Arab Maghreb
Union summit in May, the King said he had to be attentive to
the opinions and views of the Moroccan people. The Western
Sahara means a lot to the Moroccan people, the King said, but
it does not mean anything to the people of Algeria. The
Algerian government can say whatever it wants about the
issue, "but I have to be careful." The Algerian leadership
had made very provocative comments before the AMU summit,
leaving the King no choice but to decline to participate.


6. (C) The King continued that he had taken a number of
steps to work with the Algerians. We asked for a secret
envoy, the King said -- perhaps Presidential COS Belkheir,
who has served this role in the past -- but it was refused.
I made the request again, the King said, and it was refused
again. Nevertheless, we are willing to try a third time.
Lugar told the King that in his meeting with President
Bouteflika the previous day, the Algerian President had
stressed that the Western Sahara was not a causus belli with
Morocco, that he was willing to work toward a resolution to
the dispute, and that he was open to a broad interpretation
of "referendum," including incorporating many "Moroccans" who
would be eligible to vote in a referendum, based on Wilsonian
principles of self-determination. Testily, the King replied
he had a suggestion for Bouteflika: Let's try a pilot
referendum, he said, with the separatists in the Kabylie
region in Algeria and see how that works.


7. (C) In spite of these problems, the King said he was
looking forward to receiving the new SRSG (turning to Fassi
Fihri for Van Walsum's name). The King quipped that he
better remember Van Walsum's name if they were going to meet
in September. Lugar said the Moroccans could present Van
Walsum with a new autonomy plan for the Western Sahara. The
King said there had not been much success with this in the
past, noting that he had met with UNSYG Annan, but he hoped a
dialogue could start with the UN.


8. (C) Sitting back, the King observed that the key to the
Western Sahara conflict lies between Morocco and Algeria, and
there must be efforts to improve dialogue between the two
countries. Morocco expected a gesture from Algeria, after
the many gestures Morocco had made with nothing in return.
Nevertheless, Morocco would keep trying. Lugar thanked the
King for being patient. The King reiterated that public
opinion on the Western Sahara issue really does matter in
Morocco, whereas it does not in Algeria. He could not carry
through on the AMU summit given the negative atmosphere the
Algerians created.


9. (C) Not responding to the idea of getting an Algerian PM
visit on track, the King reiterated that Belkheir could be a
possible channel to the GOA (comment: the King made no
reference to the fact that Belkheir is apparently in line to
be Algeria's next ambassador to Morocco). He said he would
call Bouteflika and make an effort to get things started
again. Lugar appreciated the King's commitment and
understood that tensions between the two countries sometimes
crescendoed at awkward times. Lugar said he understood that
USD 3 billion in revenue was lost every year because of
illegal trade across the closed Morocco-Algeria border, and
no one but a handful of illicit traders were being helped by
that kind of commerce. The King said that Bouteflika's fear
is that if we opened the border, millions of Algerians will
come to Morocco, but no Moroccans will go to Algeria. The
King concluded that the Algerians are just not ready to make
serious progress in their relations with Morocco, but Morocco
would keep trying, even though he was not optimistic. He
appreciated US engagement in this area, hoping it would
continue to be strong, and the mutual friendship between
Morocco and the US.

FTA and MCC
--------------


10. (C) Lugar told the King he had met with PM Jettou that
morning (septel) and learned more about Morocco's proposal to
the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). While he had not
yet seen the details of the proposal, Lugar said he followed
the work of the MCC closely and understood Morocco had a good
proposal. Lugar said going after poverty was very important.
Lugar hoped the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement would remain
on track for January 1 implementation. The King said
everyone in Morocco was in the end very impressed with the
FTA and happy about it. Referring to a roundtable discussion
earlier that day in Rabat (septel),Lugar said he had a very
interesting, thoughtful, and energetic discussion with
opinion leaders and influential Moroccans. "Some members of
parliament" (referring to the PJD's Lahcen Daoudi),Lugar
said, were very skeptical of the FTA. The King rolled his
eyes at the mention of the Islamist PJD. He said I must tell
you something important. When you are talking about
Islamists, whether moderates or extremists, they are all
anti-American. Don't be fooled, the King warned, just
because they sound reasonable and seem very nice. They sound
rational. The US should have no illusions about them,
however; they are anti-American.


11. (C) The King said Morocco was already seeing results
from the FTA. Spain was already making investments. The
French were not so happy about the FTA, the King
acknowledged; they are not as entrepreneurial. The Spanish
are interested in taking advantage of the FTA.

Med Dialogue
--------------


12. (C) Senator Lugar told the King he was pleased General
Jones could join him on this important mission to Morocco and
turned the floor over to the General. General Jones thanked
the King for the meeting. He noted the importance of NATO
activities in the region and welcomed the strong military
cooperation between the US and Morocco. He hoped to see Med
Dialogue strengthened in the future and encouraged Morocco's
increased participation.


13. (C) The King closed by saying he hoped he would see
President Bush before long, as they had not seen each other
since last summer. The 50th anniversary of Moroccan
independence was coming up in 2006, and the country was
already planning commemorative events. As a result, the King
would probably not be able to see President Bush this year,
but he hoped it would not be too long. Lugar thanked the
King again for his hospitality and the many arrangements made
to make his mission to Morocco a success.


14. (C) Senator Lugar did not have a chance to clear this
cable before departing post.

RILEY