TUNISIA SUPPORTS LIBYA INCLUSION IN TSCTP

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000083 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG (HARRIS AND HOPKINS) AND AF/RA E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2018 TAGS: PTER MARR PINR PINS PREL PGOV TS SUBJECT: TUNISIA SUPPORTS LIBYA INCLUSION IN TSCTP REF: 07 STATE 167865 Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) (C) On January 25, Ambassador delivered reftel demarche on Libya's inclusion in the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP) to Minister of National Defense Kamel Morjane and Foreign Minister Abdelwaheb Abdallah. Morjane agreed with the US rationale and said the decision to include Libya was "obvious." He opined that the GOL is quite concerned about terrorism in the region and might be a helpful member of TSCTP. Morjane added that Tunisia has quite good cooperation with Libya given their shared border region and said that if the GOT could encourage Libya to join, "we will do it." In a separate meeting, Abdallah responded that Tunisia would have no objection if Libya accepted to join TSCTP. Indeed, he said, at the AMU Ministerial in Rabat earlier this week, there had been general agreement about the need for greater coordination in combating terrorism in the Sahara. "The danger is there for all of us," he said. Please visit Embassy Tunis' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/tunis/index.c fm GODEC