ALGERIANS CAUTIOUSLY WELCOME AFRICOM BRIEFING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 000842

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2017
TAGS: MARR MASS PREL AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIANS CAUTIOUSLY WELCOME AFRICOM BRIEFING


Classified By: Ambassador Robert S. Ford; reasons 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Ryan
Henry, accompanied by his delegation, consulted with newly
installed Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci, Minister
Delegate for National Defense Abdelmalek Guenaizia and
senior representatives of the foreign and defense
ministries and intelligence services in Algiers June 10 on
the establishment of AFRICOM. After Henry gave an overview
of the U.S. approach to establishing AFRICOM, Medelci
thanked him for the "general spirit" of the AFRICOM
endeavor. Noting Algeria's heavy losses from terrorism,
Medelci expressed satisfaction at the U.S. consultative
approach and appreciated American readiness to be a partner
to African countries in moving forward. He added that
African leaders had been pursuing security mechanisms for
the continent for several months. He observed that the
proposed U.S. endeavor included the whole continent and
concerned Algeria as a country and as a member state of the
African Union. He then opened the floor to Algerian
interagency representatives to ask questions of Henry or
make comments.


2. (C) MFA Minister Delegate for Africa Messahel said he
appreciated the military and civilian mix the U.S. was
proposing in the context of partnership with Africa's
efforts to take charge of its own security. Messahel was
very interested in what role the French (the former
colonial power in Algeria) would play in the U.S.
establishment of AFRICOM, as was Algerian intelligence
official General Lallali, who encouraged the U.S. to define
what partnership role in AFRICOM former African colonial
powers, especially Spain and France, would play. Lallali
also wanted to be sure that AFRICOM would support the AU
position that existing borders are inviolate. The
Algerian delegation also took careful note (and a few
Visibly relaxed) when Henry underlined that establishing
AFRICOM would not mean deployment of American forces
permanently onto the continent.


3. (C) Medelci said Algeria was sensitive to the U.S. desire
to consult African countries but regretted that the
consultation
did not occur prior to President Bush's announcement to
establish the new command. He concluded by
characterizing the discussions as "very important in
building consensus and an approach in common." He
expressed government of Algeria appreciation for the U.S.
desire for partnership. While acknowledging that Algeria
would have additional questions to propose in the future,
the FM stated that the discussions with Henry's delegation
marked a positive start.

COMMENT
--------------


4. (C) The GoA leaked to several reporters two days after
this briefing that the GoA had been explicit in not welcoming
the American decision to establish AFRICOM. The press
articles
highlighted that the Algerian delegation cautioned the
Americans that there were African instruments and processes
to address security problems on the African continent. The
press articles did not, however, state that Algeria rejected
the establishment of AFRICOM.


5. (C) This was our first time to see Mourad Medelci in his
new
role as Foreign Minister. He seemed somewhat ill at ease and
stayed
close to a script written out longhand in front of him. By
contrast,
Minister Delegate Messahel was relaxed and asked more
penetrating
questions. The Algerians received the Henry delegation with
relatively heavy hitters from the Algerian bureaucracy, but
they
all seemed quite stiff and formal - probably in part because
they
were ill at ease infront of each other.



6. (U) Deputy Under Secretary Henry and his delegation did
not have an opportunity to clear this message.

FORD