NEA A/S WELCH'S MARCH 14 MEETING WITH FM BEDJAOUI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ALGIERS 000502

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DEPT FOR ALL NEAR EAST COLLECTIVE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2016
TAGS: PREL IS PA SU AG
SUBJECT: NEA A/S WELCH'S MARCH 14 MEETING WITH FM BEDJAOUI


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

SUMMARY
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1. (C) In their March 14 meeting, A/S Welch told FM Bedjaoui
we would welcome his visiting Washington in April; expressed
U.S. concerns about Sudan and urged Arab League support for
bringing African Union forces in Darfur under a UN umbrella;
and hoped Algeria would press Hamas to recognize Israel,
reject violence, and accept previous PA commitments. Noting
the United States would shortly announce an increased
humanitarian aid package to the Palestinian people, he urged
that any Algerian aid be directed toward the Palestinian
people and not to Hamas. FM Bedjaoui said President
Bouteflika had expressed satisfaction to him about his
meetings earlier in the day with A/S Welch. He said he
looked forward to visiting Washington in April, at a time
when Congress would not be on recess; praised the balanced
U.S. response to the controversial Danish cartoons
(portraying Prophet Mohammed as a terrorist); and, while
signaling Algerian support for a UN logistical role in Sudan
and for bringing African Union forces under a UN umbrella,
said it would be difficult to prevent Sudan from assuming the
Arab League presidency. On Hamas, Bedjaoui said the
organization would have to accept current realities and
U.S./Quartet conditions, though this would take time and
pressure needed to be exerted on Israel in order to overcome
its intransigence, which was a source of despair for the
Palestinians. A/S Welch said he had been encouraged by
President Bouteflika's hope that this year's Arab League
summit in Khartoum -- unlike the 1967 summit that produced
the famous "three no's" -- would this time say "yes, yes,
yes" to peace with Israel. (End Summary)

LOOKING FORWARD TO BEDJAOUI'S VISIT TO U.S.
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2. (C) In a March 14 meeting accompanied by Ambassador and
PolEcon Chief, NEA A/S Welch extended greetings from
Secretary Rice and told FM Bedjaoui we would welcome his

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visit to Washington this April. Noting that Bedjaoui wanted
to travel to the U.S. in conjunction with a visit to Brazil
(and post has since learned Argentina),the A/S encouraged
Bedjaoui to avoid coming to Washington during the April
Congressional recess and offered to help set up meetings at
State, the NSC and elsewhere. Bedjaoui thanked Welch for his
offer of assistance, noting he looked forward to going to
Washington and would keep in mind the Congressional recess.
Bedjaoui then commented that President Bouteflika, with whom
he had just been meeting, had been pleased with the meeting
he had had earlier in the day with A/S Welch. Welch
responded by remarking that the President was a man of
stature whose advice he respected and whose experience was of
great value.

NATO SUPPORT ROLE IN SUDAN NOT A CONCERN FOR ALGERIA
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3. (C) Signaling U.S. interest in a positive outcome on the
Sudan at the upcoming Arab League Summit, A/S Welch asked
Bedjaoui if he would be attending. Bedjaoui said he was
currently scheduled to be in Beijing at that time, but his
visit might be canceled to allow his participation in
Khartoum. Bedjaoui said he understood the U.S. position
against Sudan's assuming the presidency of the Arab League,
adding that the GOA "had not yet fully taken stock of that
(issue) as a government." That said, the Arab League
presidency was unlike that of the African Union, since the
presidency of the former rotated by alphabetical order.
Welch said that we were unhappy with Sudan because it was not
sufficiently contributing to a positive resolution of the
situation in Darfur. With respect to the rehatting of the
AMIS, the plan was not for the UN to replace the AU. Rather,
the idea was to put the force on a more stable financial
footing by putting it under a UN umbrella and attracting
other troop contributions. It was increasingly difficult for
others, including the U.S., to fund the force on the basis of
voluntary contributions. The role envisaged for NATO, added
Welch, was solely logistical. Sudanese leaders should not be
allowed to use this limited NATO support role to complicate
the handover. Bedjaoui commented that NATO was always a
sensitive subject in the area. However, he fully understood
the intent and assured Welch that the NATO role in Sudan was
not of concern to Algeria.

APPRECIATION FOR U.S. STAND ON DANISH CARTOONS

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4. (C) Bedjaoui, changing the subject, said the Algerians
appreciated the U.S. position and statements on the recent
Danish cartoons that had so angered the Muslim world. Noting
he had been on an official visit to Denmark when the cartoons
were first published, Bedjaoui remarked that at the time he
had a bad feeling about the future course of events. At a
dinner with ten Muslim Ambassadors to Denmark, the cartoons
had been a main point of discussion, and he had suggested
that the Ambassadors explain to the Prime Minister why the
cartoons were offensive to Muslims. Bedjaoui told Welch a
few words from the Prime Minister at the time would have "put
out the fire." Unfortunately, the Prime Minister did not
agree to meet with the Ambassadors; they sent reports to
their capitals reflecting this; and the situation
subsequently escalated. Bedjaoui also expressed appreciation
for the role of the British. Jack Straw had helped calm
reaction during his February visit to Algiers by joining
Bedjaoui on a visit to a mosque. The Foreign Minister then
told Welch, "I thank you (the United States) for your
moderating influence."


5. (C) Welch said he very much appreciated Bedjaoui's
remarks and would pass his comments to the White House.
President Bush, noted Welch, strongly supported the balanced
message the U.S. had delivered, and First Lady Laura Bush
carried the U.S. view to the Vatican in her meeting with the
Pope. Welch said just as telling as the actions of the
President and First Lady was the public sentiment in the U.S.
on the cartoons. It was significant that only 2-3 U.S.
newspapers at most published the photos. Americans clearly
did not want anything to do with fanning the flames. The
U.S., concluded Welch, believed strongly in freedom of the
press, but with freedom there also came responsibility.

CONTINUED AID TO PALESTINIANS BUT NOT HAMAS
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6. (C) Noting his discussion on Hamas over lunch with MFA
Secretary General Lamamra, Welch emphasized the U.S. view

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that Hamas needed to go beyond recognizing Arab League
positions on Israel that had come out of the League's Beirut,
Tunis, and Algiers summits. Welch said he understood from
his earlier meetings that the GOA would at some point have
dealings with Hamas following its election victory. When it
did, the U.S. strongly hoped Algeria would ask Hamas to
recognize Israel, respect the Palestinians' prior agreements
with Israel, and renounce violence. These views were shared
by the members of the Quartet and by Palestinian Authority
President Abbas, emphasized Welch. If Algeria planned to
support the Palestinians under a Hamas government, we hoped
that support would be channeled directly to the Palestinian
people. There was no reason to punish the latter by taking
assistance away. In this regard, the U.S. would rechannel
previous aid and offer a substantial new Palestinian aid
package, but not through the Palestinian government under
Hamas. The U.S. asked that Algeria, a solid financial backer
of the Palestinians and one of the few countries that had
carried out its financial pledges, do the same.

HAMAS NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE PRESENT REALITIES
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7. (C) Bedjaoui said Hamas was obliged to deal with the
present realities in the Israel-Palestinian relationship and
that respecting Quartet and U.S. conditions, including prior
Palestinian agreements with Israel, was part of that reality.
Bedjaoui offered that Hamas would respect the conditions but
that it would take time. He noted that the Palestinians felt
despair and perceived that Israel was intransigent in its
positions. Speaking personally, Bedjaoui said it was not
possible to go back in time to Oslo and rebuild the
relationship. There was no need to lose 10-15 years.
Pressure, though, needed to be exerted also on the Israelis
so that their intransigence would be overcome. There had
been 60 years of war and Hamas needed to be attuned to the
conditions it inherits.


8. (C) Welch told Bedjaoui acting Israeli Prime Minister
Olmert's statements of the previous day were encouraging.
His party's platform for the upcoming Israeli elections
called for supporting the road map. Olmert said Israel hoped
for a Palestinian partner but pledged to do whatever was
necessary to protect Israel's security if there was no
partner. Welch said he had been encouraged by President
Bouteflika's remark in their earlier meeting that he had been
at the 1967 Khartoum summit and had strongly supported the

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"three no's," but that there was a new situation and he hoped
the Khartoum Arab League summit this year would produce
"three yes's."


9. (U) A/S Welch has cleared this message.

ERDMAN