Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SOFIA72
2007-01-17 15:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sofia
Cable title:  

BULGARIAN NURSES IN LIBYA: GOB REASSURED, AGREES

Tags:  PREL PHUM EUN LY BU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0460
OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHSF #0072/01 0171514
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171514Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON
REUHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 SOFIA 000072 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, NEA/MAG AND L (J. SCHWARTZ)
LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM EUN LY BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIAN NURSES IN LIBYA: GOB REASSURED, AGREES
ONLY SOLUTION IS DIPLOMATIC

REF: A. TRIPOLI 24


B. 06 SOFIA 1695

C. SOFIA 26

SOFIA 00000072 001.2 OF 004


CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JOHN BEYRLE, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 SOFIA 000072

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/NCE, NEA/MAG AND L (J. SCHWARTZ)
LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM EUN LY BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIAN NURSES IN LIBYA: GOB REASSURED, AGREES
ONLY SOLUTION IS DIPLOMATIC

REF: A. TRIPOLI 24


B. 06 SOFIA 1695

C. SOFIA 26

SOFIA 00000072 001.2 OF 004


CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JOHN BEYRLE, REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY. U.S., UK, EU, AND BULGARIAN REPRESENTATIVES
AGREED IN SOFIA JANUARY 16 THAT CONTINUED PRIVATE TALKS WITH
LIBYAN MFA DIRECTOR OBEIDI OFFERED THE BEST HOPE FOR GAINING
THE RELEASE OF THE FIVE BULGARIAN NURSES AND ONE PALESTINIAN
DOCTOR JAILED IN LIBYA SINCE 1999 FOR ALLEGEDLY SPREADING THE
HIV VIRUS IN BENGHAZI. ALL SIDES AGREED THAT A "FIVE-PARTY"
(U.S., EU, UK, BULGARIA, LIBYA) MEETING WITH OBEIDI SHOULD
FOLLOW, AND THE UK AMBASSADOR TO TRIPOLI UNDERTOOK TO
APPROACH OBEIDI JOINTLY WITH U.S. CHIEF OF MISSION CECIL.
PRESIDENT PARVANOV AND FM KALFIN EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH
PERCEIVED LIBYAN INTRANSIGENCE, BUT WERE VISIBLY BUOYED BY
THE PRESENCE OF THEIR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS AND CLEARLY
HEARD U.S. AND EU PLEAS TO LOWER THE RHETORICAL TEMPERATURE
WITH LIBYA. PARTICIPANTS AGREED ON A BALANCED DRAFT STATEMENT
FOR THE JANUARY 22 GAERC MEETING THAT EXPRESSED "FULL
SOLIDARITY" WITH BULGARIA AND CALLED ON LIBYA TO RELEASE THE
NURSES, BUT ALSO REITERATED THE COUNCIL'S "COMPASSION AND
SOLIDARITY WITH THE CHILDREN OF BENGHAZI." ALL REJECTED
LIBYAN LEADER QADHAFI'S IMPLICIT LINK BETWEEN THE FATE OF THE
NURSES AND THAT OF CONVICTED LOCKERBIE BOMBER MEGRAHI. END
SUMMARY.


2. (U) PARTICIPANTS:

U.S.:
AMBASSADOR JOHN BEYRLE
TRIPOLI COM CHARLES CECIL
SOFIA POL-ECON COUNSELOR BRAD FREDEN (NOTETAKER)

UK:
AMBASSADOR TO TRIPOLI VINCENT FEAN
SOFIA DCM NICK LEAKE
FCO LIBYA DESK OFFICER MARK PETHICK

EUROPEAN COMMISSION:
AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA MARC PIERINI, INTERNATIONAL FUND
COORDINATOR

GERMAN PRESIDENCY:
AMBASSADOR TO SOFIA MICHAEL GEIER

BULGARIA:
FOREIGN MINISTER IVAILO KALFIN
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER FEIM CHAUSHEV
MIDDLE EAST DIRECTOR PETKO DOYKOV
LIBYA DESK OFFICER DEYAN KATRATCHEV

IN A LAST-MINUTE CHANGE OF PLAN, PARTICIPANTS ALSO MET FOR
NEARLY AN HOUR WITH BULGARIAN PRESIDENT GEORGI PARVANOV IN

HIS OFFICE.

BUCKING UP THE BULGARIANS
--------------


3. (C) IN MEETINGS WITH PRESIDENT PARVANOV AND FOREIGN
MINISTER KALFIN JANUARY 16, THE U.S., UK AND EU EXPRESSED
WELCOME SOLIDARITY WITH BULGARIA'S EFFORTS TO FREE THE FIVE
NURSES IMPRISONED IN LIBYA. UK AMBASSADOR TO TRIPOLI FEAN
CALLED THE NURSES PLIGHT "A CENTRAL PREOCCUPATION OF OUR
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP WITH LIBYA" AND SAID THEIR RELEASE
MUST BE "A PRELUDE TO FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS." FCO
LIBYA DESK OFFICER PETHICK CONFIRMED THAT PM BLAIR'S FOREIGN
POLICY ADVISOR NIGEL SHEINWALD HAD TOLD OBEIDI THAT BLAIR
WOULD NOT VISIT LIBYA AS LONG AS THE NURSES REMAINED IN
CAPTIVITY. FEAN NOTED THAT MUSA KUSA HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED A
SIMILAR REBUFF IN MADRID, AND THAT CHIRAC HAD MADE CLEAR THAT
QADHAFI WOULD NOT BE WELCOME IN PARIS UNDER CURRENT
CIRCUMSTANCES. AMBASSADOR MARC PIERINI, REPRESENTING THE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION, TOLD PARVANOV "THE UNDERLYING MESSAGE IS
THAT QADHAFI CANNOT VISIT EU CAPITALS UNTIL THIS IS
RESOLVED." AMBASSADOR BEYRLE SAID THAT RESOLVING THIS ISSUE
WOULD HELP LIBYA OPEN THE DOOR TO A BROADER RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE U.S. AND THE EU. PARVANOV, KALFIN AND DEPUTY FOREIGN
MINISTER CHAUSHEV APPEARED VISIBLY BUOYED BY THE SHOW OF
SUPPORT. IN THE WAKE OF LIBYA'S REAFFIRMATION OF THE DEATH
PENALTY FOR THE NURSES ON DECEMBER 19, ALL THREE FACED FIERCE
CRITICISM FROM THE PRESS AND PARLIAMENT FOR THE ALLEGED
FAILURE OF THEIR "QUIET DIPLOMACY" WITH LIBYA.

NEED FOR STRONG PRIVATE DIPLOMACY . . .

SOFIA 00000072 002.2 OF 004


--------------


4. (C) ALL OF BULGARIA'S PARTNERS EMPHASIZED THAT, CONTRARY
TO STATEMENTS BY SOME BULGARIAN POLITICIANS, THE TIME FOR
QUIET DIPLOMACY WAS NOT OVER. "IF THE DIPLOMATIC APPROACH
FAILS, THERE IS NO PLAN B," FEAN TOLD PARVANOV. THE
BULGARIAN LEADERSHIP'S WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT THIS UNPALATABLE
TRUTH VARIED IN PROPORTION TO THEIR DAY-TO-DAY INVOLVEMENT
WITH THE PROBLEM: CHAUSHEV NEEDED NO CONVINCING, WHILE
KALFIN SEEMED TO SOFTEN HIS VIEWS AS THE TALKS PROGRESSED AND
PARVANOV -- THE ONLY ELECTED OFFICIAL AMONG THE THREE --
ACCEPTED THE ARGUMENT RATHER GRUDGINGLY. IN THE END, ALL
AGREED ON THE NEED TO CONTINUE TALKING TO OBEIDI.


5. (C) KALFIN SAID HE HAD SPOKEN OVER THE WEEKEND TO EU
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER FERRERO-WALDNER AND GERMAN
FOREIGN MINISTER STEINMEIER. THE RESULT WAS A DRAFT STATEMENT
FOR THE JANUARY 22 GAERC, CIRCULATED BY THE GERMAN PRESIDENCY
AND CALLING ON LIBYA TO RELEASE THE NURSES. AFTER REVIEWING
THE DRAFT, THE UK AND EU REPRESENTATIVES ARGUED THAT IT
NEEDED MORE BALANCE, CITING AS THEIR EXAMPLE SECRETARY RICE'S
DECEMBER 19 STATEMENT. PIERINI ADDED THAT THE STATEMENT
SHOULD IMPLY AT LEAST A SYMBOLIC INCREASE IN RESOURCES FOR
THE INTERNATIONAL FUND, AS REQUESTED BY OBEIDI IN LONDON (REF
A). ON FURTHER DISCUSSION, THE PARTICIPANTS AGREED TO ADD
FOUR ADDITIONAL POINTS TO THE GAERC'S DRAFT CONCLUSIONS:

-- COMPASSION AND SOLIDARITY WITH THE BENGHAZI VICTIMS;
-- READINESS TO CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING TO THE CHILDRENS
LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE "THROUGH APPROPRIATE MEANS;"
-- CONTINUED DIALOGUE WITH THE LIBYAN AUTHORITIES AND THE
BENGHAZI FAMILIES;
-- "FULL SOLIDARITY WITH BULGARIA."


6. (C) THE EUROPEAN PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT IT WAS ENTIRELY
APPROPRIATE FOR BULGARIA TO CALL FOR AN EXPRESSION OF
SOLIDARITY FROM THE GAERC. QADHAFI WOULD READ BETWEEN THE
LINES, PIERINI SAID, AND SEE THAT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
EU AND ITS MEMBER STATES DEPENDED ON RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. AT
THE SAME TIME, BULGARIA AND ITS U.S./UK/EU PARTNERS MUST
RE-ENGAGE WITH OBEIDI USING THE 2005 EU PRESIDENCY PAPER
(DRAFTED BY THE UK) AS THE TEMPLATE. CHAUSHEV AGREED THAT THE
GROUP'S NEXT MEETING SHOULD BE WITH OBEIDI AND ACCEPTED THE
UK'S OFFER TO APPROACH HIM JOINTLY WITH THE U.S. EMBASSY IN
TRIPOLI. THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS
WOULD EMPHASIZE TO OBEIDI THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPLETING THE
JUDICIAL PROCESS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE HIGHER
JUDICIAL COUNCIL COULD ACT WITHOUT DELAY.


7. (C) AMBASSADOR BEYRLE NOTED THAT WE ARE ENTERING WHAT WE
HOPE IS THE END GAME IN THE NURSES' SAGA, MAKING IT EVEN MORE
IMPORTANT THAT BULGARIA AND ITS PARTNERS SPEAK WITH ONE
VOICE. HE AND COM CECIL STRESSED THAT THE BULGARIAN SIDE
SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACT QUICKLY IF AND WHEN THE LIBYAN
HIGHER JUDICIAL COUNCIL OPENS THE DOOR TO THE NURSES RELEASE.
THE PROCESS SHOULD RELY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON PRECEDENT AND
EXISTING TREATY ARRANGEMENTS SO AS NOT TO GIVE THE LIBYANS
ANY EXCUSE FOR ELAY. CHAUSHEV RESPONDED THAT BULGARIA WAS
ALREAY PREPARING A DRAFT MEMORANDUM UNDER THE TERMS OF TS
BILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH LIBYA ON EXCHANGE OFPRISONERS. ALL
AGREED THAT THE END OF THE JUDICAL PROCESS WOULD BE THE TIME
FOR BULGARIA AND IT INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TO REDOUBLE THEIR
DIPLOMAIC EFFORTS WITH LIBYA, PERHAPS BY ENGAGING QADHAFI
DIRECTLY.

AND A SOFTER PUBLIC LINE
--------------


8. (C) AMBASSADOR BEYRLE SAID THAT THE USGS PRIVATE MESSAGES
TO THE LIBYANS ON THIS ISSUE WOULD ALWAYS BE STRONGER THAN
ITS PUBLIC STATEMENTS, REFLECTING OUR BELIEF THAT THE
DIPLOMATIC TRACK HOLDS THE BEST HOPE FOR BRINGING THE NURSES
HOME. EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN PARTICIPANTS ALSO STRESSED THE
NEED FOR BULGARIA TO TURN DOWN THE RHETORICAL HEAT (REFS
B/C),AND TO PREPARE THE PUBLIC FOR THE SUPREME COURT'S
LIKELY REAFFIRMATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY. ATTEMPTS TO
PRESSURE QADHAFI THROUGH HARSH PUBLIC STATEMENTS WERE
COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AND WOULD MOVE BULGARIA FURTHER FROM ITS
GOAL OF BRINGING THE NURSES HOME.


9. (C) DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER CHAUSHEV AGREED ENTIRELY, BUT
LAMENTED THAT "PUBLIC OPINION IN BULGARIA CALLS FOR A MORE
MUSCULAR APPROACH." HE SAID THE MFA WAS FIGHTING A
REAR-GUARD BATTLE AGAINST RESOLUTIONS PROPOSED BY BULGARIAN
DEPUTIES IN BOTH THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT CALLING FOR EVERYTHING FROM A TRADE EMBARGO ON

SOFIA 00000072 003.2 OF 004


LIBYA TO A MILITARY RESCUE ATTEMPT. CHAUSHEV WAS DISMISSIVE
OF THESE MOVES, BUT CITED THEM AS EXAMPLES OF THE PRESSURES
THE MINISTRY FACED. PARVANOV PUT IT MORE BLUNTLY: "WE ARE
OPEN TO DIALOGUE, BUT THE LIBYAN APPROACH MUST ALSO BE TAKEN
INTO ACCOUNT. THE LIBYANS MUST UNDERSTAND THAT ANOTHER DEATH
SENTENCE CANNOT PASS WITH SILENCE FROM THE BULGARIAN SOCIETY.
THEY CANNOT EXPECT THE REACTION TO BE ANYTHING BUT FIRM AND
HARSH."

FRUSTRATION SHOWS THROUGH
--------------


10. (C) WHILE STUDIOUSLY AVOIDING INFLAMMATORY LANGUAGE,
BULGARIAN OFFICIALS FROM THE PRESIDENT ON DOWN COULD NOT
ALWAYS HIDE THEIR FRUSTRATION WITH THE LIBYANS. IN PARVANOV'S
WORDS, "LIBYA MUST SHOW SOME UNDERSTANDING OF OUR POSITION IN
THE SAME WAY WE HAVE TRIED TO UNDERSTAND THEIR POSITION."
THE PRESIDENT ASKED DETAILED QUESTIONS INDICATING THAT HE WAS
FOLLOWING THE ISSUE VERY CLOSELY. HIS SENSE OF BETRAYAL
SHOWED THROUGH WHEN HE ASKED WHAT HE CALLED "A QUESTION THAT
HAS BEEN TORTURING ME SINCE DECEMBER 19:" WHY DID THE LIBYAN
COURT REAFFIRM THE DEATH SENTENCES AFTER WHAT HE
CHARACTERIZED AS "THE PREVIOUS DIPLOMATIC BREAKTHROUGH?"


11. (C) FOR HIS PART, KALFIN ASKED RHETORICALLY WHY BULGARIAN
OFFICIALS WERE BEING URGED TO PLACATE THEIR PUBLIC WHILE
LIBYAN OFFICIALS SEEMED TO BE PANDERING TO THE FAMILIES OF
THE VICTIMS? THE LIBYAN GOVERNMENT MUST STATE CLEARLY THEIR
COMMITMENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL FUND AND TO DEALING THE
FAMILIES," HE SAID. REFERRING TO THE FUND AND THE LIBYAN
COURTS RULING ON COMPENSATION, KALFIN ASSERTED THAT THE GOL
SHOULD BE TELLING THE FAMILIES, "THIS IS SIGNIFICANT," IF IT
IS SERIOUS ABOUT RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. "INSTEAD," HE
ASSERTED, "THEY ARE DOING THE OPPOSITE."


THE LIBYAN DYNAMIC
--------------


12. (C) THE BULGARIANS AGREED WITH US AND OUR EUROPEAN
COUNTERPARTS THAT THE LIBYAN SUPREME COURT WAS LIKELY TO
UPHOLD THE NURSES' DEATH SENTENCE SOMETIME IN THE COMING
WEEKS, THUS BRINGING THE LIBYAN JUDICIAL PROCESS TO A CLOSE.
THIS WOULD ALLOW THE HIGHER JUDICIAL COUNCIL -- A GOVERNMENT
BODY -- TO ACT ON THE NURSES BEHALF, SHOULD QADHAFI DECIDE TO
RELEASE THEM, BUT IT WILL ALSO PRESENT THE GOB WITH ANOTHER
ROUND OF PUBLIC AND PARLIAMENTARY OUTRAGE THAT IT MUST
MANAGE. ALL AGREED THAT WE MUST URGE THE GOL TO ACT QUICKLY
IN THE EVENT THE DEATH SENTENCES ARE UPHELD. IN ANY CASE,
KALFIN SAID, "IT WILL BE A VERY DIFFICULT MOMENT FOR US."


13. (C) THE EU'S PIERINI SAID THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN
LIBYAS POSITION SINCE THE LAST MEETING WAS THAT THE GOL NOW
AGREED THAT THE BENGHAZI FAMILIES WOULD RECEIVE MONEY FROM
BOTH THE GOVERNMENT (AS A RESULT OF THE CIVIL SUIT AGAINST
THE NURSES) AND THE INTERNATIONAL FUND. PIERINI ADDED THAT
THE VERDICT AWARDING COMPENSATION TO THE FAMILIES IS VERY
ENCOURAGING. "IT APPEARS THE LIBYANS ARE TRYING TO PERSUADE
THE FAMILIES TO SHUT UP IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY," PIERINI SAID.
THEY WERE, HOWEVER, DELIBERATELY AVOIDING CLARITY ON THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FUND AND THE COMPENSATION THAT THE
GOVERNMENT WOULD PROVIDE.


14. (C) RESPONDING TO OBEIDI'S PLEA FOR A SYMBOLIC SWEETENER
(REF A),PIERINI SUGGESTED A FORMAL TWINING ARRANGEMENT
BETWEEN THE BENGHAZI CENTER AND HOSPITALS IN ITALY, FRANCE
AND OTHER EU COUNTRIES. THIS, ALONG WITH A STATEMENT OF THE
EU'S COMMITMENT TO THE CHILDREN'S LONG-TERM CARE, COULD GIVE
OBEIDI THE COVER HE IS LOOKING FOR AND ALLOW HIM TO GO BACK
TO QADHAFI. KALFIN QUESTIONED WHETHER THE LIBYANS WERE NOT
JUST MOVING THE GOAL POSTS AND WHETHER THEY MIGHT NOT
CONTINUE TO DO SO IF THE RESPONSE FROM THE EU WAS POSITIVE,
TO WHICH FEAN REPLIED, "WE NEED TO TEST OBEIDI." PIERINI
REITERATED THAT THE VICTIMS' RELATIVES WILL NEVER BE
SATISFIED; IN THE END, IT IS UP TO THE LIBYANS TO HANDLE THE
FAMILIES. FEAN SUGGESTED THAT ANY ACTUAL "TOPPING UP" OF THE
FUND BE HELD IN RESERVE, CONTINGENT ON A FAVORABLE OUTCOME IN
THE NURSES CASE. ALL PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT SAIF AL-ISLAM,
QADHAFI'S SON AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE QADHAFI FOUNDATION, WAS
NOT A RELIABLE CHANNEL FOR NEGOTIATIONS.

NEXT STEPS
--------------


15. (C) KALFIN SUMMARIZED THE GOB'S WAY FORWARD AS FOLLOWS:


SOFIA 00000072 004.2 OF 004


-- CONTINUE THE STRATEGY OF ENGAGEMENT WITH OBEIDI OUTLINED
IN THE 2005 EU PRESIDENCY PAPER.
-- URGE THE LIBYANS TO CONCLUDE THEIR JUDICIAL PROCESS
EXPEDITIOUSLY.
-- SEEK A STATEMENT FROM LIBYA ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE
INTERNATIONAL FUND IS "REAL" AND "A TANGIBLE SIGN OF
SOLIDARITY WITH THE CHILDREN."
-- MAINTAIN AND STRENGTHEN INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY,
INCLUDING AT LEAST TACIT AGREEMENT BY THE EU AND THE U.S. NOT
TO MEET WITH QADHAFI UNTIL THE NURSES COME HOME.
-- AVOID COUNTERPRODUCTIVE PUBLIC STATEMENTS, E.G.,
CONDEMNING LIBYA OR QUESTIONING THE INTEGRITY OF ITS JUDICIAL
SYSTEM.
-- REJECT ANY LINK BETWEEN THE NURSES' FATE AND THAT OF
CONVICTED LOCKERBIE BOMBER MEGRAHI. KALFIN POINTED OUT THAT
BY LINKING THE NURSES TO MEGRAHI, "LIBYA IS TESTING NOT
BULGARIA, BUT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY."


COMMENT: 90 PERCENT OF SUCCESS IS SHOWING UP
--------------


16. (C) PARVANOV AND KALFIN WERE CLEARLY PLEASED BY THIS SHOW
OF INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY FROM BULGARIA'S EUROPEAN AND
AMERICAN PARTNERS. BULGARIA'S POLITICAL LEADERSHIP HAD BEEN
LED TO BELIEVE -- OR LED THEMSELVES TO BELIEVE -- THAT THE
LIBYAN HIGH COURT WOULD REDUCE THE NURSES SENTENCES ON
DECEMBER 19, THEREBY PAVING THE WAY FOR THEIR RETURN. THEY
WERE THEREFORE BITTERLY DISAPPOINTED WHEN THE COURT UPHELD
THE DEATH SENTENCES, WHICH MAY EXPLAIN THEIR INITIAL HARSH
PUBLIC STATEMENTS (REFS B/C). AS A RESULT OF OUR DIPLOMATIC
HAND-HOLDING, THE BULGARIANS ARE NOW SAYING OUT LOUD WHAT
THEY HAVE KNOWN ALL ALONG: THAT THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO
THE MULTI-LATERAL DIPLOMATIC APPROACH .


17. (C) BULGARIA WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK TO THE EU AND
ESPECIALLY THE U.S. FOR BEHIND-THE-SCENES LEVERAGE OVER
QADHAFI, RECOGNIZING THAT TOUGH PRIVATE MESSAGES ARE LIKELY
TO HAVE GREATER IMPACT THAN PUBLIC STATEMENTS. AT THE SAME
TIME, BULGARIA URGED US TO UNDERSTAND HOW DEEPLY THE NURSES'
PLIGHT IS FELT HERE AND THE DIFFICULTY OF MESSAGE CONTROL.
AS PARVANOV SAID POINTEDLY, "I'M SURE YOU HAVE SEEN HOW
PAINFUL THIS ISSUE IS FOR ALL OF US." AS BULGARIA CONTINUES
TO SIDE WITH US THROUGH TROOP EXTENSIONS IN IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN, NOTHING THE USG CAN DO IN BULGARIA THIS YEAR
WILL HAVE AS MUCH POSITIVE RESONANCE AS THE PERCEPTION THAT
WE HELPED TO BRING ABOUT THE RELEASE OF THE NURSES. WE URGE
WASHINGTON TO TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CLEAR TO THE
LIBYANS THAT THE NURSES' CONTINUED DETENTION IS A SERIOUS
OBSTACLE TO THE BROADER RELATIONSHIP BOTH WE AND THEY WANT.


18. (U) U.S. EMBASSY TRIPOLI DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTINITY
TO REVIEW THIS MESSAGE PRIOR TO RELEASE.
BEYRLE