POLISARIO RESPONSE TO INVITATION TO U.S. HOSTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000235

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2017
TAGS: PREL UNSC MO AG
SUBJECT: POLISARIO RESPONSE TO INVITATION TO U.S. HOSTED
MEETING ON WESTERN SAHARA

REF: A. USUN 00225


B. USUN 0192

C. STATE 33377

Classified By: Classified by Amb. Jackie. W. Sanders. E.O 12958.
Reasons 1.4 (B&D).



1. (C) On instruction from the Polisario Leadership, Polisaro
New York Representative Ahmed Boukhari delivered March 22 the
Polisario response (text in para 2) to the March 20
invitation to a U.S.-hosted meeting with Morocco on the
Western Sahara. Boukhari's only comment was that the
Polisario wanted to be helpful, but that there were certain
red lines they could not cross.


2. (U) Text of Polisario response:

His Excellency Mr. Alejandro Wolff
Acting Permanent Representative of the United States to the
United Nations
140 East 45th Street
New York, NY 10017

March 22, 2007

Mr. Ambassador,

The Polisario Leadership has read with consideration and high
interest your letter of March 19,2007 and instructed me to
transmit to you the following:

1-The Polisario Leadership wanted to thank the United States
Government for its efforts aimed at assuring peace in the
world and, in this frame, its efforts to try to contribute to
a just solution of the conflict over the decolonization of
Western Sahara.

2-The Polisario Leadership has been and is still in favor of
the principle of negotiations and dialogue under the auspices
of United Nations with a view of facilitating a smooth,
ordered and speedy implementation of the right of the people
of Western Sahara to self-determination, which has been the
main legal pillar and raison-d'etre of all United Nations
resolutions and of all Peace plans endorsed by the Security
Council, ranging from the original Settlement Plan of
1990-91, the Houston Accords of 1997 to the Peace plan for
the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara (Plan
Baker)(sic) of July 2003.

3-We were all these years feeding a legitimate hope to see
the United States, with regard (sic) the question of Western
Sahara, playing a decisive role to preserve this framework
for any negotiations or dialogue with the intransigent
occupying power of our country, taking into account your own
great History, values, proved attachment to democracy,
self-determination and human Rights as well as Mr. Baker
(sic) priceless efforts.

4-In conclusion, and while thanking again the United States
Government for this initiative, the Polisario Leadership is
on (sic) the opinion that the acceptation of the principle of
negotiations or talks with Morocco must be based on the
following:

i). These negotiations should take place under the United
Nations auspices and with the valuable support of the United
States;

ii). They should take place in order to enable the people of
Western Sahara to exercise their right to self-determination,
in the framework of the Baker Peace Plan for Western Sahara.
I avail myself of this opportunity to express to your
Excellency my highest considerations.

Ahmed Bujari
Representative of the F. Polisario
End Text
WOLFF