CONGRESSMAN LANTOS STRESSES BILATERAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 TRIPOLI 000453 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/ELA, NEA/IPA LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/28/2016 TAGS: OREP PREL PTER PGOV LY SUBJECT: CONGRESSMAN LANTOS STRESSES BILATERAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND REGIONAL CHALLENGES WITH LIBYAN OFFICIALS REF: A) TRIPOLI 11 CLASSIFIED BY: Elizabeth Fritschle, Pol/Econ Chief, United States Liaison Office, DOS. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) CLASSIFIED BY: Elizabeth Fritschle, Pol/Econ Chief, United States Liaison Office, DOS. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (SBU) In a series of meetings with senior Libyan officials during his August 22-24 trip to Libya, Congressman Tom Lantos, ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Relations Committee, reviewed bilateral achievements since his first visit to the country in January, 2004 and set new goals for enhanced future cooperation. The Congressman, accompanied by Charge Berry, House International Relations Committee (HIRC) Senior Professional Staff Member Alan Makovsky, HIRC Professional Staff Member Mike Beard, and Poloff, met with the Libyan Leader Moammar Qadhafi, Director of the Qadhafi Development Foundation Seif Al-Islam Qadhafi, Libyan Director of Military Intelligence Abdullah Sanussi, Director of the External Security Organization Musa Kusa, Secretary of the General Peoples Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation (Foreign Minister equivalent) Abdurrahman Shalgam, Secretary of American Affairs Ahmed Fatouri and Secretary for European Affairs Abdelati Obeidi of the General Peoples Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation. The Congressman's trip partially overlapped with visit of Senator Arlen Specter (septel) and several official meetings were combined. ¶2. (SBU) In all meetings with GOL interlocutors, the Congressman stressed that the two major goals that he set in January, 2004 on his first trip to Libya had been achieved: the removal of Libya from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism list and the reestablishment of full diplomatic relations. His next goal is to increase the number of Libyan students studying in America from 150, the present figure, to 6,000 over the next three years. He also emphasized the need of the GOL to enhance its image and presence in the United States by either opening additional consulates in cities like New York and Los Angeles, or establishing honorary consulates. He used the Saudi Embassy in Washington as an example of a country that has successfully enhanced its image in America by investing considerable financial resources in its Embassy. THE LEADER, ONCE AGAIN, STRESSES WAHABI EXTREMISM -------------- --- 3.(C) On August 22 in his desert encampment on the outskirts of Sirte, the Leader of the Revolution Moammar Qadhafi greeted the entire delegation, but dedicated the majority of time to an hour-long tjte-`-tjte with Representative Lantos focusing on Wahabism in Saudi Arabia, which has become one of his standard topics. The leader emphasized his anxiety over the spread of religious fundamentalism in the Kingdom, citing a recent supposed statement of the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia that Saudi students should be barred from attending university in the United States. He also berated the spread of Wahabist thought in mosques and schools inside and outside of the Kingdom. The leader urged the US to call for "self determination" for tribal groups of Saudi Arabia, who would presumably chose a government other than the present monarchy. Qadhafi also lobbied for support of his plan to create "Isratine" as the best solution for lasting peace in the Middle East. He did not bring up any aspects of the GOL's bilateral relationship with the US during the meeting. ¶4. (C) Congressman Lantos and Senator Specter were scheduled for separate meetings with Qadhafi in Sirte. While Specter's delegation traveled by U.S. military aircraft to Sirte, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the General People's Congress, Suleiman Shihumi, chartered a Air Libya plane from Mitiga International Airport for the Lantos delegation. Shihumi greeted Lantos warmly, facilitated the Qadhafi meeting, and arranged for a official banquet with General Peoples Committee delegates from the Sirte region. During the one-hour flight, an Egyptian movie entitled "The Leader" starring screen favorite Adel Imam was shown to the delegation and Libyan protocol officers. Security personnel and a local translator confirmed that many of the jokes in the movie, that obviously make fun of a Middle Eastern dictator, could be aimed at Qadhafi or Mubarak, including a scene showing disregard for members of the cabinet. (Embassy Ccomment: It is unclear if this was to show that the leader does in fact have a sense of humor about his monopoly on political power, or that a certain degree of toleration exists in Libya, or that the Libyans love a movie that pokes fun at Egyptian politics -- if in fact the Libyans intended any message at all. End Comment.) CONCERNS OVER SAUDI WAHABISM AS SOURCE OF EXTREMISM AND TERRORISM REITERATED -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶5. (S) Libyan Director of Military Intelligence Abdullah Sanussi held a joint meeting with Congressman Lantos and Senator Specter on August 23, calling for increased cooperation in all aspects of our relationship, specifically technology and knowledge transfer. In a theme similar to Representative Lantos' last meeting with Sanussi (ref A),he reiterated the leader's deep concern with Wahabism and the Saudi government's purported link to Al-Qaeda. Sanussi stated that after 9/11, the GOL was perplexed by US behavior as they expected a "judgment day" for Saudi Arabia, home to a majority of the highjackers, not an invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. Sanussi also took credit for the GOL putting Osama bin Laden on an Interpol watch list in 1997, showing that they had an inkling of events to come far in advance of 9/11. ¶6. (S) When Senator Specter pressed Sanussi for solid proof linking Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden to the Saudi government, Sanussi orchestrated a subsequent meeting between Congressman Lantos and Mohamed Ismail, the Libyan national who was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for 10 months and charged with a plot to assassinate then Crown Prince Abdallah. Ismail, who speaks fluent English, is the son of a former Libyan diplomat, and was educated abroad. For several years, he worked at Seif Al-Islam's Qadhafi Development Foundation, on various projects such as negotiating the release of western hostages in the Philippines. Ismail claimed that he worked closely with Saudi opposition groups in London who tried to "create a free radio station in Saudi Arabia" but was arrested on trumped up charges. Ismail talked at length about "specialized treatment" that Wahabi detainees receive in Saudi prisons, claiming that they receive cash, and are being recruited to fight in Iraq. (Embassy Comment: Embassy notes that testimony in a US court differs considerably from this Libyan version of events. End Comment.) SENIOR OFFICIALS GIVE OPINIONS ON NEW EMBASSY COMPOUND -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) In meetings with Faturi, Obeidi, and FM Shalgam on August 23, Representative Lantos continuously pressed on the theme of a need for a secure, efficient US Embassy chancery, calling the lack of an Embassy his "biggest disappointment" with the state of our current relationship, especially because it impedes the issuance of visas. He stressed the need for "land with a clear title," adding his hopes for the Libyan Embassy in Washington to increase in size and scope. Shalgam expressed concern over proposed NEC sites because they are "such a long drive from downtown," instead arguing that a more proper place is the "Shaat Club" located in downtown. (The British, Italian, Turkish, and Egyptian Embassies are located in this area near the waterfront). In a separate meeting, ESO Chief Kusa echoed Shalgam's worries, asserting that the proposed NEC site in Farjan is "too open and vulnerable to attack. You should listen to my advice. Anyone could attack and run away". Kusa also argued for the idea of opening up a new Embassy in the Shaat Club area and was not keen on the idea of an entirely new Embassy compound. Per septel, Qadhafi expressed similar concerns over U.S. plans to build a large NEC. REGIONAL EVENTS -- VIEWS EXCHANGED ON HIZBALLAH AND LEBANON -------------- -------------- ¶8. (C) Regional events in Lebanon and Israel accounted for much of the conversation in meetings with GOL interlocutors. Sanussi called Israel's "excessive reaction" to Hizballah attacks "the reason Nasrallah is a hero in the eyes of the people." Shalgam stressed that people in the region were "very impressed" with Hizballah's ability to withhold Israeli military might for 32 days. He also warned that in order for the cease fire to last, European nations must be willing to send more troops. Lantos stressed that Hizballah has the intent of destroying Israel and that the force employed by the Israeli army equaled the threat of Hizballah to the nation of Israel. Throughout his meetings, he repeatedly used the analogy that if a rebel force was operating out of Canada and threatened US security, we would clearly use heavy force in combating that threat. IRAN MODEL VS LIBYA MODEL -------------- ¶9. (S) In an August 24 meeting with Director of External Security Musa Kusa, Lantos called the difference between Iran and Libya "monumental" and predicted that books will be written about the historic decision Qadhafi took in giving up its WMDs. While Kusa seemed to agree, he expressed worry over the imbalance that was created with the changes in Iraq, tipping the scales towards Iran. "Iran and Iraq used to balance each other out...now, there is no balance." He said the Libyans were "sure that the Iranians are enriching uranium and making a bomb," adding that events in Lebanon are really just an "Iranian-Syrian game". He also expressed a concern about the estimated 300 Libyans aiding the insurgency in Iraq: "We can't control our own children. We are doing our best, but we uncover a new cell everyday." SOMALIA FALLING TO EXTREMISTS -------------- ¶10. (C) Both Sanussi and Shalgam expressed a growing concern with the deteriorating state of affairs in Somalia. Sanussi said that the Taliban is running Somalia and in a short while, it is bound to become another Afghanistan. Shalgam worried that Somalia is being hurled "back into the Middle Ages" by the current leadership and that the younger generation there is easily seduced by Muslim extremists: "We won't be able to convince younger generation that their leadership is wrong." MUBARAK NOT PLEASED WITH YOUNG QADHAFI'S SPEECH -------------- -- ¶11. (C) Congressman Lantos began a meeting with Seif Al-Islam Qadhafi, director of the Qadhafi Development Foundation, by congratulating him on his speech earlier in the week that called for significant political and economic reform, including enhanced freedom of the press. "I am very proud of your speech," Lantos said of the two-hour monologue which was broadcast on every radio and television station in the country. Seif immediately noted that President Mubarak of Egypt called his father, the leader, to express his displeasure with the speech, saying it called for "too much change and too much freedom" and warning that the country should be more conservative in its approach to change. Seif claimed he does not know what his father's reply to Mubarak was. (Embassy Comment: Since the speech was broadcast widely on state-run media, it must have at least had the tacit blessing of the leader. End Comment). Seif added that the speech took about two or three years to develop and hinted that there may be another forthcoming speech, focusing more on politics and the creation of a constitution. He added that he intends to "close all pending human rights cases and start a new beginning for the country." ¶12. (S) Seif, who took a passive role during most of the meeting, then queried Lantos about Iran, stating that the Iranians are telling the GOL that "the Americans are playing a game with you" and will refuse allow replacement of Libya's SCUD missiles, instead stripping the GOL of its weaponry. "They have told us that the Americans will let us down." Representative Lantos countered that those assertions are untrue and that the USG truly appreciates what the GOL has done in abandoning its WMD program. Seif then asked about the disarmament of Hizballah, which Lantos replied is a "must" as all countries must be in control of their own borders: "Nasrallah has set the development of Lebanon back years." Lantos invited Seif to join him on his next trip to North Korea to share Libya's story of giving up WMDs, a "major gesture for peace globally." US BUSINESS REPS TALK OIL AND VISAS -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Congressman Lantos and Senator Specter met with U.S. business leaders on August 23 representing Amerada Hess, Marathon Oil, Exxon-Mobil, Chevron-Texaco, Conoco-Philipps, and Occidental. The businessmen expressed optimism about increasing oil output in the coming years in Libya, but were frustrated by continued visa challenges. They cited the initial optimism that existed when bilateral relations were restored, but difficulties both in obtaining visas for Americans to come to Libya and in sending local and third country national employees to the United States have dampened that feeling to some degree. Still, on the big picture issues like personal security and government corruption, they see Libya as offering a relatively favorable operating environment compared to their counterparts working in Nigeria, Indonesia, Colombia and other oil-production states. ¶14. (SBU) Congressman Lantos and Senator Specter did not clear this cable before departing Tripoli. BERRY