Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NOUAKCHOTT842
2006-07-05 17:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nouakchott
Cable title:
SUBJECT: LARGE PROTEST CALLS FOR BREAK WITH ISRAEL
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C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000842
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR ASEC CASC MR
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: LARGE PROTEST CALLS FOR BREAK WITH ISRAEL
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH LEBARON, REASON 1.4 (B),(D)
----------
Key Points
----------
-- On July 4, several thousand Mauritanians participated in a
pro-Palestinian rally in the streets of the capital.
-- It reportedly was one of the largest political protests in
several years.
-- Feelings among the general Mauritanian population are
running high against Israel's efforts in Gaza to force the
return of a kidnapped Israeli solider.
------------
(C) Comments
------------
-- Besides its size, the protest was important because it was
organized by a newly-formed coalition of political parties.
-- For the coalition to choose a foreign policy issue to
galvanize Mauritanians and to attract support suggests that
foreign policy issues might emerge as an important part of
political campaigns, especially since the coalition was able
to get so many people out in the street.
-- It also appears that the coalition intentionally organized
the July 4th rally to attract attention away from a
simultaneous rally by former Minister Sidi Ould Cheikh
Abdellahi to announce his candidacy for president. (See
septel for more on Abdellahi and other political updates.)
End Key Points and Comments.
C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000842
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR ASEC CASC MR
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: LARGE PROTEST CALLS FOR BREAK WITH ISRAEL
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH LEBARON, REASON 1.4 (B),(D)
--------------
Key Points
--------------
-- On July 4, several thousand Mauritanians participated in a
pro-Palestinian rally in the streets of the capital.
-- It reportedly was one of the largest political protests in
several years.
-- Feelings among the general Mauritanian population are
running high against Israel's efforts in Gaza to force the
return of a kidnapped Israeli solider.
--------------
(C) Comments
--------------
-- Besides its size, the protest was important because it was
organized by a newly-formed coalition of political parties.
-- For the coalition to choose a foreign policy issue to
galvanize Mauritanians and to attract support suggests that
foreign policy issues might emerge as an important part of
political campaigns, especially since the coalition was able
to get so many people out in the street.
-- It also appears that the coalition intentionally organized
the July 4th rally to attract attention away from a
simultaneous rally by former Minister Sidi Ould Cheikh
Abdellahi to announce his candidacy for president. (See
septel for more on Abdellahi and other political updates.)
End Key Points and Comments.
1. (U) Several thousand Mauritanians participated in a
pro-Palestinian rally in the streets of the capital city
Nouakchott on July 4. The peaceful rally, organized by a
newly-formed political party coalition, ended with speeches
calling for Mauritanian unity with the Palestinian people, an
end to the U.S.'s supposed biased support of Israel, and a
call for the Mauritanian government to sever its diplomatic
relations with Israel.
2. (U) Embassy personnel observing the protest estimate that
between 3,000 and 4,000 people participated. Other estimates
range between 6,000 and 12,000.
3. (U) The government allowed the rally to form. However,
police and gendarmes prevented participants from marching to
the UN building as organizers had planned. RSO, who observed
the protest, saw several younger rally participants
attempting to incite the rally leaders to move through the
police line. However, these leaders obeyed police
instructions and continued the rally to its designated ending
spot across the street from the Ministry of Oil.
4. (U) Post has not determined any current threat to the
Embassy or American community posed by these events, but
anti-American slogans appeared during the protest.
5. (U) The rally followed a smaller "sit-in" of several
hundred people July 2 at the Palestinian Mission in
Nouakchott that advanced the same messages.
-LeBaron
LeBaron
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PINR ASEC CASC MR
SUBJECT: SUBJECT: LARGE PROTEST CALLS FOR BREAK WITH ISRAEL
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH LEBARON, REASON 1.4 (B),(D)
--------------
Key Points
--------------
-- On July 4, several thousand Mauritanians participated in a
pro-Palestinian rally in the streets of the capital.
-- It reportedly was one of the largest political protests in
several years.
-- Feelings among the general Mauritanian population are
running high against Israel's efforts in Gaza to force the
return of a kidnapped Israeli solider.
--------------
(C) Comments
--------------
-- Besides its size, the protest was important because it was
organized by a newly-formed coalition of political parties.
-- For the coalition to choose a foreign policy issue to
galvanize Mauritanians and to attract support suggests that
foreign policy issues might emerge as an important part of
political campaigns, especially since the coalition was able
to get so many people out in the street.
-- It also appears that the coalition intentionally organized
the July 4th rally to attract attention away from a
simultaneous rally by former Minister Sidi Ould Cheikh
Abdellahi to announce his candidacy for president. (See
septel for more on Abdellahi and other political updates.)
End Key Points and Comments.
1. (U) Several thousand Mauritanians participated in a
pro-Palestinian rally in the streets of the capital city
Nouakchott on July 4. The peaceful rally, organized by a
newly-formed political party coalition, ended with speeches
calling for Mauritanian unity with the Palestinian people, an
end to the U.S.'s supposed biased support of Israel, and a
call for the Mauritanian government to sever its diplomatic
relations with Israel.
2. (U) Embassy personnel observing the protest estimate that
between 3,000 and 4,000 people participated. Other estimates
range between 6,000 and 12,000.
3. (U) The government allowed the rally to form. However,
police and gendarmes prevented participants from marching to
the UN building as organizers had planned. RSO, who observed
the protest, saw several younger rally participants
attempting to incite the rally leaders to move through the
police line. However, these leaders obeyed police
instructions and continued the rally to its designated ending
spot across the street from the Ministry of Oil.
4. (U) Post has not determined any current threat to the
Embassy or American community posed by these events, but
anti-American slogans appeared during the protest.
5. (U) The rally followed a smaller "sit-in" of several
hundred people July 2 at the Palestinian Mission in
Nouakchott that advanced the same messages.
-LeBaron
LeBaron