Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BANJUL34
2007-01-22 11:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Banjul
Cable title:  

THE GAMBIA: JOURNALIST ON U.S, IRANIAN TIES

Tags:  PREL PGOV MASS KMCA GA IR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4256
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHJL #0034/01 0221116
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 221116Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7257
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//POLAD/J2//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000034 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PLS PASS ODC, DAO, AND RAO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS KMCA GA IR
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: JOURNALIST ON U.S, IRANIAN TIES

REF: A. BANJUL 33 (NOTAL)


B. BANJUL 19

C. BANJUL 11

D. BANJUL 16

BANJUL 00000034 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

SUMMARY
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000034

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PLS PASS ODC, DAO, AND RAO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS KMCA GA IR
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: JOURNALIST ON U.S, IRANIAN TIES

REF: A. BANJUL 33 (NOTAL)


B. BANJUL 19

C. BANJUL 11

D. BANJUL 16

BANJUL 00000034 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) President Jammeh remains deeply resentful over the
suspension of MCA eligibility and holds Ambassador personally
responsible, but advisers are quietly warning Jammeh to avoid
going too far in antagonizing the U.S., according to
well-informed journalist and Embassy contact. He said Jammeh
had requested dols five million in financial aid during the
Iranian President's recent stopovers here, but that latter
had made no commitment. Resident Turkish military advisor
provided further details on the Iranian military training
mission here. END SUMMARY.

A STILL-RESENTFUL PRESIDENT JAMMEH
--------------


2. (C) In January 19 conversation with Ambassador, Pap Saine
(protect),well-informed chief editor at independent daily,
"The Point," indicated that President Yahya Jammeh remained
deeply resentful over the June 2006 suspension of The
Gambia's MCA eligibility due to slippage on various
eligibility criteria. Citing sources at the Presidency,
Saine stated that Jammeh was particularly angry with
Ambassador, holding him personally responsible for the MCC's
decision to suspend. Saine added that he was aware that the
Ambassador's repeated requests in recent months to meet with
Jammeh had come to naught, remarking that Jammeh himself had
made the decision not to grant the requested meetings.
(COMMENT: Most recently, in mid-January, Presidency declined
Ambassador's request to meet with Jammeh to discuss
counterterrorism cooperation; Ambassador was received instead
by the National Intelligence Agency head, as reported ref a.
END COMMENT)


ADVICE TO JAMMEH ABOUT U.S. RELATIONSHIP
--------------


3. (C) Saine confided that several advisors to Jammeh were
quietly telling him of the need to avoid unduly antagonizing
the U.S., pointing out to him that running afoul of the
superpower could do The Gambia no good. To drive the point
home, he continued, these advisers had reminded Jammeh of the
removal of two heads of state that they (the advisors)
portrayed as "deposed" by the U.S. -- Iraq's Saddam Hussein
and Liberia's Charles Taylor.

THE EMERGING IRANIAN RELATIONSHIP
--------------


4. (C) Saine, again citing sources at the Presidency, said
Jammeh had used Iranian President Ahmadinejad's transits here
January 13-16 (ref b) to press for dols five million in
financial aid. According to Saine, Jammeh had assured
Ahmadinejad of his support for the latter's opposition to
"Western domination" and, to prove it, had shown the Iranian
leader the text of his (Jammeh's) year-end interview in which
Jammeh delivered a familiar anti-Western diatribe (ref c).
Saine stated that Ahmadinejad had agreed to consider Jammeh's
aid request, but had stopped short of making any commitment.
(NOTE: Regarding the Iranian military training team here
reported in ref b, the resident Turkish military advisor
informed us that it is composed of six persons, that it
arrived in The Gambia, several months ago, and that it is
providing the training to Gambian units in Jammeh's home
village of Kanilai, located about 90 kilometers east of
Banjul. The Turkish military advisor did not have any details
on the units being trained, but they may include
Kanilai-based members of the Presidential security force --
whose members are seconded from the army -- and militia
elements. END NOTE)

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


5. (C) Whatever Jammeh's ongoing resentment toward the USG
and Ambassador personally, other senior GOTG figures remain
accessible to us, as evidenced by Ambassador's recent
meetings with the Vice President (ref d) and NIA Director.
At the same time, his increasingly erratic behavior of late
-- and his courting of Iran -- underscores the fact that his

BANJUL 00000034 002.2 OF 002


continued support for bilateral cooperation in such key areas
as counterterrorism cannot simply be taken for granted. END
COMMENT.


STAFFORD