MFA BLASE ABOUT MEDIA ATTACKS ON EMBASSY AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ALGIERS 000334

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ODIP KDEM AG
SUBJECT: MFA BLASE ABOUT MEDIA ATTACKS ON EMBASSY AND
PROPOSED EXPULSION OF AMERICAN MINISTER

REF: A. ALGIERS 274

B. ALGIERS 293

C. ALGIERS 291

D. ALGIERS 76

E. ALGIERS 133

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: After a period of relative calm, government
use of the press to attack Embassy activities (refs A and B)
heated up again on March 15 when Arabic-language daily El
Khabar featured front page headlines proclaiming that the
Interior ministry had issued an order forbidding NGOs to meet
with the U.S. Embassy. Since then, however, neither the
editor-in-chief of El Khabar nor several of our key civil
society contacts have reported receiving any official
instructions to that effect. El Khabar said that the basis
of the article was "a source in the Interior Ministry." We
approached the MFA again on March 16, seeking an explanation
for this latest salvo as well as to voice our concern over
restrictions on religious freedom (septel). The MFA assured
us that there was nothing "wrong" with Embassy behavior and
activities, that they had no instructions for us of any kind,
and that "sometimes the press acts irresponsibly" in running
stories such as the Zerhouni headlines of March 15. One
journalist complained to us on March 15 that the government
was now not only restricting press freedom but also hiding
behind a press it conveniently brands "irresponsible" to
avoid taking any responsibility for its own actions.
Meanwhile, two of our contacts, with whom setting up a
meeting is normally a simple matter of a phone call, asked us
this week to send the request as a diplomatic note, "given
the current atmosphere." END SUMMARY.

MFA: NO COMPLAINTS OR EXPLANATION
--------------


2. (C) MFA North America Director Abdellah Laouari told
Pol/Econ Chief on March 16 that the Interior ministry
headlines of the previous day had not changed anything since
the Ambassador raised the same issue with the MFA ten days
earlier (ref A). Laouari said that the MFA had no message
for us, and that we were not viewed to be "misbehaving" or
acting in any way out of the ordinary. Laouari said that he
was aware of the offical explanation requested by the
Ambassador during the previous meeting, but said that he had
heard nothing about any such response. P/E Chief told
Laouari that we were concerned that our contacts might feel
discouraged or threatened from meeting with us and with other
foreign embassies. Dismissing the press as "irresponsible,"
Laouari reiterated that the MFA was extremely meticulous and
protocol-conscious and would be sure to contact us in writing
if anything were amiss. P/E Chief responded that, while the
Embassy intended to be a good guest in Algeria, allowing the
press to be used in this manner was doing some harm both to
our ability to operate normally and to Algeria's image
abroad. Laouari promised to pass the message up within the
Ministry.

GROWING PRESSURE ON CHRISTIAN MINORITIES
--------------


3. (C) P/E Chief also raised the case of Hugh Johnson, a
protestant minister being pressured to leave after living in
Algeria for over 40 years (septel),as well as press reports
and reports from Swiss and Chilean citizens that Christian
minorities are facing increasing pressure in Algeria.
Laouari replied immediately that the Johnson case was a
"consular issue" and nothing more. He said that Johnson had
problems with his residency status in Algeria, and offered to
help us speak to the relevant officials in the MFA's
Directorate of Consular Affairs. P/E Chief responded that
perceptions of pressure upon religious minorities, regardless
of the small percentage of the population concerned, were
growing in importance and becoming a significant problem
(refs D and E). He warned Laouari that the issue had already
appeared in the European press and would likely appear in the
U.S. media as well unless the pressure reported on in the
Algerian press eased. Laouari said he understood and
promised to register our concern. He also raised the State
Department's annual International Religious Freedom Report,

ALGIERS 00000334 002 OF 002


asking if we would include the Johnson case and the concern
for Christian minorities in the report. P/E Chief advised
him that this was a certainty, and Laouari said he understood
that to be obvious.

EMBASSY, JOURNALISTS FEELING THE EFFECTS
--------------


4. (C) Adlene Meddi, a journalist with the French-language
daily El Watan, discussed the matter briefly with us on March
15 as well as in his blog. In response to the suggestion
that the media was to blame for its coverage, Meddi
countered, "They use us and then hide behind us." He added
that now was not a happy time to be an Algerian journalist.
Separately, we attempted this week to arrange meetings with
two working-level government contacts who normally will
arrange an appointment in response to a phone call. Both
asked us to send diplomatic notes to the MFA requesting the
meetings, then fax them copies separately. One of the
contacts said that he needed to protect himself and this was
"just a formality given the current atmosphere."

COMMENT: A CRIME WITHOUT FINGERPRINTS
--------------


5. (C) Thus far, none of our contacts can confirm receiving
any official written instructions from the Interior ministry,
and the pressure appears to be limited to using the press to
create a perception that does not exist in reality. The MFA
continues to tell us that nothing is wrong, while we have
stressed that a perception of waning civil liberties has been
created and is gaining traction. We will continue our
reporting on the pressure currently facing the Christian
minority in Algeria (refs D and E; septel),and we hope that
the negative effects of this press campaign we have felt thus
far will be allowed to fade away. Regardless of what the MFA
insists, a perception of narrowing civil liberties does exist
within Algerian society and within the regional and European
press -- a perception, with no fingerprints attached, that
may be as powerful as written instructions signed by Interior
Minister Zerhouni himself.
FORD