Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ALGIERS1794
2007-12-16 10:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Algiers
Cable title:  

POSITIVE JUSTICE MINISTRY FEEDBACK ON MLAT

Tags:  PREL KTIA KCRM CJAN AG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0016
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAS #1794 3501052
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161052Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5010
INFO RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 2070
RUCNFB/FBI WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001794 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2017
TAGS: PREL KTIA KCRM CJAN AG
SUBJECT: POSITIVE JUSTICE MINISTRY FEEDBACK ON MLAT
DISCUSSIONS

REF: A. STATE 142342

B. STATE 164172

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Thomas F. Daughton for
reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001794

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2017
TAGS: PREL KTIA KCRM CJAN AG
SUBJECT: POSITIVE JUSTICE MINISTRY FEEDBACK ON MLAT
DISCUSSIONS

REF: A. STATE 142342

B. STATE 164172

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Thomas F. Daughton for
reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (SBU) In a December 9 meeting Mohamed Amara, Director
General of Judicial and Legal Affairs at the Ministry of
Justice, was enthusiastic about the November 19-21
expert-level discussions in Washington on a possible Mutual
Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) (ref A). DCM delivered the
points contained in ref B, emphasizing the positive feedback
we received from Washington about the discussions, and told
Amara that the U.S. response to the Algerian proposal would
likely come by February 2008.


2. (SBU) Amara stressed that a framework agreement on legal
cooperation between the U.S. and Algeria would greatly
facilitate other forms of cooperation, including "informal"
cooperation. Addressing the issue of police-to-police
cooperation specifically, Amara said that the assurances he
gave in Washington were still valid. He confirmed that, with
an MLAT, police-to-police cooperation would become much
easier. Amara expected that the number of formal requests
for assistance under an MLAT would be very small. In any
event, he noted, all potential requests from the Algerian
side would pass through his office first, and they would
ensure that the requests were legitimate and required the
formal mechanism. Most requests, he predicted, would be
dealt with informally, through a phone call or similar
contact. This was Algeria's repeated experience, he
observed, under similar arrangements with countries like
France.


3. (SBU) Amara also said that Algeria was moving in the right
direction concerning the training and conduct of its police,
noting human rights seminars organized by his ministry for
the investigatory police (police judiciaire). "The police
are there to serve the people," Amara stressed, and part of
the reform of the Algerian justice system involved teaching
the police to understand their proper role. He added that
the MOJ was eager to have American legal experts, to include
delegations of American judges, visit Algeria and that the
Algerian government was willing to pay the expenses of the
experts once in-country.


4. (C) COMMENT: Amara was clearly very favorably impressed
by the quality and content of the discussions in Washington.
He also reiterated his government's strong interest in
pursuing an MLAT negotiation process. He was virtually
adamant in his reassurance that informal, police-to-police
cooperation would be possible without resorting to the formal
mechanism of an MLAT, though he did stick to the GOA bottom
line that some kind of bilateral agreement is a necessary
prerequisite to any such cooperation.
FORD