ALGERIAN AMBASSADOR ON FRANCO-ALGERIAN TREATY,

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000466 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/20/2016 TAGS: PREL AG MO FR SUBJECT: ALGERIAN AMBASSADOR ON FRANCO-ALGERIAN TREATY, BOUTEFLIKA'S HEALTH REF: 05 PARIS 6890 Classified By: Ambassador Craig Stapleton, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) During a January 19 introductory meeting with the Ambassador, Algerian Ambassador to France Missoum Sbih confirmed that the long-sought Franco-Algerian friendship treaty remains stalled over differences over historical issues, namely how to address French colonization of Algeria. Originally, the GOA had sought to include mention of colonization in the treaty, to which the GoF objected; both sides then agreed to consider making appropriate statements at the time of the signing of the treaty. Ambassador Sbih added that the French National Assembly's refusal to revoke a February 2005 French law lauding the positive role of French colonization had further complicated the issue, which was now a domestic political controversy in both Algeria and France, with French opinion polls showing a majority of the public supporting the law. Those in France who objected to the February 2005 law, he added, did so by arguing that the Assembly should not legislate on historical matters, not by challenging the assertion of a positive French colonial role. ¶2. (C) Sbih concluded that efforts to rewrite the February 2005 law, led by National Assembly President Debr at the request of President Chirac, are unlikely to succeed, due to public unwillingness to own up to France's colonial misdeeds and the pressures of France's impending presidential elections in 2007. Sbih concluded that if the Friendship Treaty is to be signed, it will require a grand gesture of the part of President Chirac, whom Sbih viewed as weakened but looking to leave behind a legacy, with few accomplishments to show and a third presidential term out of the question. Sbih conceded that it remained possible that the friendship treaty will be abandoned, which he viewed as not a terrible loss for Algeria, but a far larger setback for the GoF. In Sbih's view, Algerian-French relations would continue at their already excellent level without the accord, though they would not reach the "exceptional level" (in Sbih's definition, better than French relations with Morocco or Tunisia) promised by the treaty. ¶3. (C) Sbih described himself as a close and longtime collaborator of Algerian President Bouteflika, having served as Bouteflika's chief of staff for many years when Bouteflika was Minister of Foreign Affairs. He added that he remained at the President's side during his month-long hospitalization in France. Sbih described Bouteflika as in the "final stages of convalescing" from his illness, which he insisted was exactly what the GOA had described to the public: a stomach hemorrhage and nothing more. Sbih stressed that Bouteflika was gradually resuming his usual level of activity, and concluded that perhaps the president's staff had been too cautious in insisting that Bouteflika remain in France for several weeks to recover. ¶4. (C) Comment: Elysee contacts have described upgrading relations with Algeria as Chirac's most pressing priority in the Middle East after Lebanon. Failure to conclude the friendship treaty with Algiers would be a major personal setback for President Chirac, whose military service in Algeria prior to independence was a formative experience. We expect that Chirac will seek to work his longtime personal relationship with Bouteflika (and the political capital gained by Bouteflika's treatment by French government doctors) to bring the treaty to fruition. At the same time, it does not appear that the GoF will seek to conclude the treaty at any price; GoF officials continue to stress to us that a French apology for its colonial past in Algeria remains of the question. End comment. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton