ALGERIA: OBAMA IS "AMERICA WE DREAMED ABOUT"

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ALGIERS 000070

SIPDIS

NSC FOR CHRIS CLAYTON, DEPT FOR NEA/MAG AND NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIA: OBAMA IS "AMERICA WE DREAMED ABOUT"

REF: ALGIERS 65

Classified By: Ambassador David D. Pearce for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: While we expected a mostly positive
reaction to President Obama's inauguration in the Algerian
press (reftel) and among most Algerians, the Ambassador
received a surprisingly strong positive reaction from former
prime minister and ruling National Liberation Front (FLN)
chairman Abdelaziz Belkhadem on January 21. Belkhadem broke
from his traditional stoicism with almost bubbling enthusiasm
for President Obama, recounting how he stayed up late to
watch the inauguration festivities and saying that President
Obama represented "the America we dreamed about when we were
young." Other Algerian elites voiced similar optimism today
for the new administration. END SUMMARY.

UP ALL NIGHT
--------------


2. (C) Ambassador met with Minister of State without
portfolio and FLN secretary-general Abdelaziz Belkhadem early
on January 21. Belkhadem predictably criticized Israeli
actions in Gaza, but his main focus was praise for President
Obama's inaugural address and optimism about the new U.S.
administration. Belkhadem hailed Obama's first act, the
freezing of the Guantanamo tribunals, as a hopeful sign that
the new president was serious about putting values at the
center of U.S. foreign policy, a prospect Belkhadem welcomed.
Accompanied by FLN External Relations Director Salah
Goudjil, Belkhadem said that Obama's inaugural address
brought about an immense feeling of hope for Arab countries
and for the world as a whole. The typically dour Belkhadem
appeared to be personally moved by yesterday's events,
recounting how he stayed up well into the night to watch the
coverage of the inaugural balls, and added that he is roughly
halfway finished reading the President's memoir "Dreams from
My Father."

THE ALGERIAN DREAM
--------------


3. (C) Belkhadem told the Ambassador that the United States
under President Kennedy was a symbol of hope and emancipation
for Algerians during their war of independence from France.
(Note: Kennedy was the most prominent of world leaders to
support the anti-colonial cause and his values and vision of
the world greatly influenced now-senior FLN members during
their formative years. Not far from the Embassy is a square
named Place Kennedy. End Note). Belkhadem recounted his
fondness for the United States in the 1960s and said he saw
similarities between Kennedy's approach and Obama, reminding
him of the "America we dreamed about while we were growing up
and building our country." He also expressed his hope that
Senator Kennedy would recover from his collapse at the
inaugural luncheon.


4. (C) Belkhadem spoke at length about President Obama's
commitment to the values espoused in his inaugural address.
The FLN leader said that, in his opinion, the previous
administration's mantra that "you are with us or against us"
has now faded, and there is now more political space for the
U.S. to develop deeper and more nuanced relations with the
Arab world. President Obama's quick action regarding the
detention facility at Guantanamo Bay was taken by Belkhadem
as an important positive signal of the new president's
intentions. Belkhadem stated that it is not the United
States' military or diplomatic power that will cause Algeria
to follow its lead, but rather, its values.


5. (C) The Ambassador heard similar praise on January 21 from
two other markedly different Algerian notables with unique
insight into the inner workings of the Algerian regime.
Former Ambassador to the U.S. Mohamed Sahnoun said that the
Obama inaugural address set the "right tone" for audiences in
the Middle East and that the change in administrations would
be "psychologically important." Sahnoun believed the
President's public statements on the need to focus our
military efforts in Afghanistan would also resonate well with
Arab leaders. Meanwhile, Algerian novelist and former
government economist Boualem Sansal, whose work has been
banned by the Algerian authorities, praised President Obama
for his warning to world leaders against stifling dissent, a

ALGIERS 00000070 002 OF 002


message that Sansal felt Algeria's leadership ought to
consider.

COMMENT
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6. (C) The Islamist Belkhadem interspersed his positive
remarks about President Obama with doses of harsh criticism
of Israeli actions in Gaza. But on the President's inaugural
address, he was consistently positive. The values espoused
in the address, specifically the pursuit of mutual respect
and the idea that America's position of power should come
from our unassailable values rather than military might,
obviously struck a chord. And Belkhadem made a point of
saying that his view was representative of the Algerian
government. If so, it would appear that the Algerian
government sees in the Obama Administration an opportunity
for a new beginning, and for the United States to assume the
role of moral leader, not just technical partner in the war
on terror. On the issue of values, Belkhadem noted that he
hoped the U.S. would review carefully its policy on Western
Sahara, especially in light of its history of support for the
right of self-determination, including Kennedy's support for
Algeria's freedom struggle in the face of opposition from a
NATO ally, France.
PEARCE