INITIAL SCANDAL REACTIONS RESTRAINED, LONGER-TERM

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ALGIERS 000119

SIPDIS
NOFORN

DEPT FOR DS/IP/NEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2024
TAGS: PREL PINR KPAO MARR ASEC AG
SUBJECT: INITIAL SCANDAL REACTIONS RESTRAINED, LONGER-TERM
IMPACT UNCERTAIN

REF: A. ALGIERS 106

B. ALGIERS 107

C. ALGIERS 113

ALGIERS 00000119 001.2 OF 003


Classified By: Ambassador David D. Pearce; reasons 1.4 (b, d and g).


1. (S/NF) SUMMARY. Although initial public and government
reaction to the ABC News story regarding misconduct by a
former Embassy officer (refs A and B) has been polite and
restrained, the medium-term impact on our image and public
outreach activities may be linked to how the judicial process
plays out. We will have to closely monitor media trends,
government signals and public reaction for months. The
perception that proper legal actions have been taken thus far
by the USG appears to have done much to satisfy the initial
concerns of our official contacts. The government took steps
to manage the fallout of the story and immediately
underscored the importance of key areas of bilateral
cooperation, particularly security and counter-terrorism.
Overall official and public reactions thus far have painted
the incident as unfortunate and embarassing but primarily a
legal matter being addressed by the relevant U.S.
authorities, and not an incident that would impact the
substance or quality of bilateral relations. Privately,
senior security contacts have indicated that
counter-terrorism cooperation will go on. At the same time,
however, some have made plain their unhappiness about not
being forewarned, as well as their hope, in the interest of
managing the domestic fallout, that there will be equal media
attention for any punishment that may result. END SUMMARY.

FEBRUARY 2: PRESS COVERAGE CONTINUES
--------------


2. (S/NF) The three or four outlets covering the story on
February 2 featured sensational headlines but were short on
new substance. As the Embassy sticks closely to the
Department-approved press guidance, those papers continuing
to run stories are forced to use information already in the
public domain, or to use the story as a hook for reporting
ancillary information. For example, stories on February 2
used the alleged incidents as a vehicle to describe the book
authored by the officer in question, to report on
investigations possibly taking place in Egypt involving the
same officer, and to cover comments from marginal party
leaders who briefly ranted regarding the incidents but then
launched into longer diatribes against the government and the
upcoming presidential elections. The French-language daily
Liberte ran a page-two story called "Dangerous Liaisons,"
which used the alleged incidents to comment on what it
described as the delicate and sometimes stormy relations
between Algerian political leaders and foreign missions to
Algeria, and between the government and international NGOs.
The piece recounted incidents in the past including perceived
tensions in the media between former Ambassador Ford and
then-prime minister Belkhadam that were widely reported last
year, and the restriction of a German NGO's activities in
October, 2008.

OFFICIAL REACTIONS RESTRAINED, STRESS COOPERATION
-------------- --------------


3. (S/NF) Algerian officials have limited their public
comments and have yet to release an official government
statement. Algerian Ambassador to the U.S. Abdallah Baali
was widely quoted as saying that the alleged incidents are
"unfortunate," but that they should not affect bilateral
relations, and that Algeria is keen on pursuing a cooperative
relationship with the United States. Baali said publicly
that he was reassured that the USG is fully investigating the
matter and that he "has faith in the U.S. authorities" to
prosecute the alleged perpetrator if a case is established.
Foreign Minister Medelci was quoted January 31 in the
French-language daily Algerie News as saying simply, "we are
following the developments of the case." Interior Minister
Noureddine Zerhouni provided the most expansive official
public comment on the incident on the margins of the closing
session of Parliament January 31. According to Arab-language
and French-language print media, Zerhouni said "this CIA
agent played an important role in fighting terrorism in
collaboration with Algerian intelligence." Zerhouni noted
that the officer in question has diplomatic immunity, and
thus, Algeria cannot pursue a criminal case against him here.

ALGIERS 00000119 002.2 OF 003


He added for emphasis that the complainants in the case were
of "foreign nationalities," and did not file a legal
complaint with the Algerian justice system, but rather,
pursued the matter through the USG. As to the allegations of
assault, Zerhouni opined that the officer in question may
have wanted to recruit the two women, or he simply could be
"sick or not normal sexually."


4. (S/NF) The Arabic-language daily El Bilad on February 1
quoted an anonymous Algerian official who expanded on
Zerhouni's comments, trying to reduce speculation about the
presence of the CIA in Algeria. The official was quoted as
saying, "the incident cannot cause a deterioration in
bilateral relations between the U.S. and Algeria;
post-September 11 relations have been excellent, reflecting
the increased cooperation between the services of both
countries. People familiar with the nature of the security
relationship between Algiers and Washington do not hide the
fact that the CIA has played an increasingly large role in
recent years and has collected a huge amount of information
on Al Qa'ida and AQIM thanks to the Algerian experience in
fighting terrorism."

PRIVATE SIGNALS MORE MIXED
--------------


5. (S/NF) Privately, most government contacts dismissed any
suggestion that the incident would have an impact on
working-level relationships. One Algerian Army major told
staff from our Office of Security Cooperation (OSC) at a
previously scheduled meeting that "this type of incident
happens everywhere; it is only front-page news because the
CIA was implicated." Local police contacts told RSO that
their cooperation will continue and that there have been "no
reports of unusual activity or particular interest in the
case." On January 31, the MFA's deputy director of
diplomatic privileges, Abdelaziz Djafri, contacted us to
request the names of the victims who made the allegations,
explaining that they had yet to file their complaint with the
Algerian authorities. We conveyed our talking points on the
case to Djafri to which he only responded, "you're not going
to be able to give me the names then?" During a January 31
meeting with the Ambassador, Professor Ali Mabroukine would
not be drawn out on the issue and quickly changed the subject
by touting the new Obama administration as a new opportunity
for U.S.- Algerian relations. In a February 2 meeting with
the Ambassador, Senator Mohieddine Ammimour did not even
raise the issue, and instead began the encounter by
congratulating us on the election of President Obama, calling
it a lesson in democracy for the whole world.


6. (S/NF) Senior security contacts have indicated privately
that counter-terrorism cooperation will go on. At the same
time, however, some have made plain their unhappiness about
not being forewarned, as well as their hope, in the interest
of managing domestic fallout here, that there will be equal
media attention for any punishment that may eventually
result.

PUBLIC REACTION UNCERTAIN
--------------


7. (S/NF) Thus far, Algerian public reaction has been harder
to gauge, apart from the outrage cum cynicism of press
commentary and blogs. Our staff reported that some Algerians
had expressed their surprise and concern that the CIA had an
official presence in Algeria with the knowledge of their
government. Some of our staff also said that some family
members have shown concern for the welfare of female Embassy
employees given the nature of the alleged incident, which has
offended their relatives' moral sensibilities. On-line
message board postings have followed a similar pattern (ref
C),but also contain numerous postings chastising the
accusers themselves for their bad judgment and impropriety.
Some bloggers even praised the USG for exhibiting
transparency in its handling of the case, pointing to it as
an example that the Algerian government could learn from.
Presidential candidate Moussa Touati stated that the scandal
presents more of a legal issue dealing with sovereignty and
diplomatic immunity than an opportunity for political debate.
Columnist Chawki Amari used the story on February 1 as a
metaphor for what he called the "rape" of the Algerian
constitution during the November 2008 amendment process,

ALGIERS 00000119 003.2 OF 003


adding that "unfortunately, the constitution could not file a
complaint with the authorities." More ominously, his online
column on February 2 included incendiary quotes he said he
obtained from average Algerians, including calls for
Algerians in the U.S. to commit retaliatory acts of violence
against American women, and for protests against the U.S.
Embassy. We have yet to see any organized or widespread
calls for action of this nature.

COMMENT: POSSIBLE LONG-TERM FALLOUT
--------------


8. (S/NF) Given the clear intent of the government to play
down its potential embarassment at the story, and based on
the reaction to the story so far, we do not predict any overt
or tangible immediate effect on our programs. Interior
Minister Zerhouni's comments to the press were a clear signal
that the government is looking to limit public debate on the
issue. But while the government is clearly making an effort
to manage the story, it is too early to judge the ultimate
impact on Algerian public opinion. It is probably safe to
say that it will be months before we will be able to make any
kind of accurate assessment. Algerians do not forget, and
many - including our security contacts - have said they will
be following the evolution of the story closely, expecting it
to resurface on the front pages with any new developments in
the U.S. and/or Egypt. The best we can hope for is that
attention will continue to focus on the transparency of the
U.S. judicial system, particularly in comparison to the
frustration ordinary Algerians feel about the lack of
judicial recourse in their own country. Perceived positive
U.S. steps in the region over time may mitigate any lingering
negative effects. By corollary, we would expect the issue
would also resurface quickly and reinforce any public
reaction to perceived negative U.S. steps in the area.
PEARCE