Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TRIPOLI764
2008-10-02 15:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tripoli
Cable title:  

SCENESETTER FOR THE VISIT OF SE WILLIAMSON TO LIBYA

Tags:  PREL CD SU LY 
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TelegramRestricted by caption. UNCLASSIFIED TRIPOLI 00000764 
O P 021515Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3938
INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0133
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA PRIORITY 0139
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 0085
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA PRIORITY 0014
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 1231
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 0771
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 0623
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0145
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0909
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0593
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 4455
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TRIPOLI 000764 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/MAG AND AF/SPG FOR GMKEEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CD SU LY
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR THE VISIT OF SE WILLIAMSON TO LIBYA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TRIPOLI 000764

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/MAG AND AF/SPG FOR GMKEEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CD SU LY
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR THE VISIT OF SE WILLIAMSON TO LIBYA


1. (SBU) Your trip to Libya comes one month after Secretary
Rice's historic visit marked a new chapter in Libya's
re-engagement with the West and nearly two months after a
U.S.-Libyan agreement to settle outstanding claims for
compensation for attacks including the Lockerbie bombing of

1988. In recent years, Libyan Leader Muammar al-Qadhafi has
rebranded himself as a leader of Africa and a mediator in
African affairs. He is personally invested in peace in Chad and
Sudan. Libya's diplomatic effort is led by Dr. Ali Treiki, a
career diplomat and former foreign minister with over 40 years
of experience.

QADHAFI'S LEADERSHIP ASPIRATIONS


2. (SBU) Libya celebrated 39 years of the "Al-Fateh" revolution
last month. Since taking power in a bloodless coup in 1969,
Qadhafi has pursued policies ranging from support for terrorism,
rebellion, and insurgency to forging diplomatic bonds throughout
the Arab and African spheres. The Sirte Declaration of
September 1999 is touted here as the genesis of the African
Union and a platform for the future "United States of Africa."
Domestic propaganda celebrates Qadhafi as the father and guide
of closer integration on the continent. Despite his leadership
aspirations, the Leader is open to an international solution for
Darfur. During her visit, the Secretary told Qadhafi that the
U.S. wants to cooperate with Libya to secure peace in Africa and
particularly in Sudan.


3. (SBU) Resolving the conflict in Darfur is also strategically
important for Libya. Regime security depends, in part, on
regional security. Senior GOL officials have made it clear that
they are concerned that al-Qaida and associated groups could
gain a foothold in ungoverned areas like Darfur. They worry
about a potential "belt of terrorism" running from Somalia in
the east to Mauritania in the west. A secure Sudan would bisect
that belt, but if Chad and Sudan are unable to control their
territories, Libya fears its own desert south will be vulnerable
to terrorist infiltration.

LIBYA'S POINT-MAN ON DARFUR, SUDAN, CHAD


4. (SBU) Dr. Ali Treiki personally leads the GOL's diplomatic
engagement on African issues. Treiki is a career diplomat who
has served multiple times as PermRep in New York and as foreign
minister. He now handles the Africa portfolio within the
Foreign Ministry, but sits in the Prime Minister's office --

possibly a sign of his unique status within the GOL, as he is
said to report directly to the Leader, and not to the Foreign
Minister. Treiki will leave Libya in the spring or summer of
next year to take on the presidency of the UN General Assembly
for 2009.


5. (SBU) Treiki is supportive of the UN-AU peace process in
principle, but worries about the effectiveness of AU troops in
the region. He sees reconciliation between Chad and Sudan as a
prerequisite to peace in Darfur and has hosted meetings between
both sides to reach an end to hostilities. Treiki is willing to
pay lip service to the Dakar Process and the efforts of the
Contact Group in order to maintain cordial African relations.
He has expressed doubt about the effectiveness of Arab League or
Qatari intervention. He sees tri-lateral engagement between
Libya, Chad, and Sudan as the most promising approach, given
these governments' direct stake in the outcome. He views last
month's agreement to exchange ambassadors between N'Djamena and
Khartoum as a first step toward Chadian-Sudanese cooperation
that will include a bilateral peacekeeping force to monitor the
border. Treiki recently told us that Libya strongly opposes the
ICC indictment of President Bashir, believing this will only
harden Bashir's stance on Darfur.


6. (SBU) Libya's previous attempts to broker peace under
Treiki's guidance have not yet borne fruit. The Darfur peace
conference held in Sirte in 2007 disbanded after key rebel
groups failed to attend. An intra-Chadian reconciliation
conference held at the same time and attended by President Deby,
Bashir, and Chadian rebels resulted in an agreed ceasefire.
That ceasefire proved to be shortlived, however, and rebels
resumed their attacks against the government in February 2008.
Chadian intra-rebel talks held in Tripoli last spring and
observed by the EU and UN also fizzled.


TRIPOLI 00000764 002 OF 002



7. (SBU) Treiki enjoyed a good relationship with your
predecessor and appreciates working with the United States. He
thinks Libya is best positioned to bring peace to Darfur because
of its proximity to the conflict, but he is open to effective
foreign cooperation. However, he believes the situation in
Sudan is an African problem that demands an African solution and
will prefer to work within the framework of a resurrected Sirte
agreement.

MANAGING PERCEPTIONS IMPORTANT FOR COOPERATION


8. (SBU) Qadhafi's desire to be viewed as a leader defines the
parameters under which Libya can coordinate efforts in Sudan.
He has railed against Western colonization in Africa and raised
his concerns on AFRICOM with the Secretary. Treiki will need to
balance the Leader's interest in success in Sudan with the need
to show independence and leadership.
STEVENS