Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RABAT165
2009-02-24 17:02:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Rabat
Cable title:
MOROCCO ASSISTS MAURITANIAN APPEAL FOR INCREASED
how-toP 241702Z FEB 09 FM AMEMBASSY RABAT TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9721 INFO AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY AMEMBASSY BAMAKO PRIORITY AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY AMEMBASSY DAKAR PRIORITY AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY USMISSION ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
S E C R E T RABAT 000165
NOFORN
STATE FOR AF/W AND NEA/MAG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2029
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER MO MR
SUBJECT: MOROCCO ASSISTS MAURITANIAN APPEAL FOR INCREASED
DIALOGUE WITH THE U.S.
Classified By: Charge Robert P.Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
S E C R E T RABAT 000165
NOFORN
STATE FOR AF/W AND NEA/MAG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2029
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER MO MR
SUBJECT: MOROCCO ASSISTS MAURITANIAN APPEAL FOR INCREASED
DIALOGUE WITH THE U.S.
Classified By: Charge Robert P.Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S/NF) Summary: A senior Moroccan diplomat asked us to
convey a message to the USG from the Mauritanian High Council
of State (HCE or junta),requesting that the U.S. consider
normalizing its relations with the HCE. In mid-Frebruary,
the military government's Foreign Minister Ould Mohemedou met
King Mohammed VI and subsequently used a Moroccan Ministry of
Foreign Affairs contact to convey this message to Embassy
Rabat. Mohemdou said that he would follow-up by sending a
detailed request in writing to the Embassy, through the
Moroccan MFA. Our contact cautioned that the Foreign
Minister and the Ministry were not aware of this request, but
implied it represented the GOM's wishes, at the highest
level, that the junta's request for normalization of
relations be conveyed to the USG. End summary.
--------------
Mauritanian High Council Appeals
to Morocco for Help with U.S.
--------------
2. (S/NF) On February 13, 2009, Abdellatif Bendahane
(strictly protect),Director of African Affairs at Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MFA),who has often been
a conduit for sensitive information, summoned Deputy
PolCouns. Bendhane reported that Mauritanian junta Foreign
Minister Dr. Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohemedou had secretly
visited Morocco between February 9 and 13 and had met with
Morocco,s King Mohammed VI twice. Subsequent to his
meetings with the King, Mohemdou met with our contact. Our
contact described his relationship with Mohemdou as close,
"like brothers," adding that his mother and Mohemdou,s
mother had tribal/blood relations. (Comment: While it is
normal to exaggerate the closeness of family connections
here, such links, however distant, often count for something
in the Moroccan political context. End comment.) Bendahan
said that Mohemdou had asked him, on behalf of the HCE, to
contact the U.S. Embassy in an effort to "appeal to the U.S.
to realign its position with Mauritania."
--------------
HCE Appeals for Normalization of Relations
--------------
3. (S/NF) Bendahane said Mohemdou had told him that the
Mauritanian junta would like to normalize its relations with
the U.S. and, at a minimum, needed U.S. counterterrorism
assistance. He bemoaned the junta's situation and asked that
the USG provide a list of conditions that would be required
to normalize relations. Mohemdou had relayed that the French
MFA, in recent months, had given the junta a list of ten of
its own conditions, which the Abdel Aziz regime was now in
the process of fulfilling in exchange for renewed assistance.
Mohemdou, in defending the junta, had underscored that the
military authorities had not killed anyone during or after
the August 2008 coup, had freed ousted President Abdellahi
from detention, was currently following the Constitution, and
was planning presidential elections. Mohemdou undertook to
provide a further communication, which has not yet been
received.
--------------
Morocco Facilitates Unconventional Channel
--------------
4. (S/NF) In closing the meeting, Bendhane underscored to
Deputy PolCouns that knowledge of this meeting and the
communication should stay between himself, the U.S. Embassy,
and Direction Generale des Etudes et de la Documentation
(DGED) Director General Mohammed Yassine Mansouri, adding:
"My Minister (i.e., Minister of Foreign Affairs Taieb Fassi
Fihri) does not know about this communication."
5. (S/NF) Comment: Our contact has for years credibly
conveyed high-level and sensitive information beyond what we
hear from the Foreign Minister or his Ministry. He is known
for his close relations with DGED Chief Mansouri, who has the
lead on Mauritania in the GOM. While the possibility exists
that this is not an official message, we have no reason to
question that this is an effort by the Mauritanian junta to
reach out. We defer to the Department and Embassy Nouakchott
on the substance and are simply reporting this message as
received. End comment.
6. (U) Tripoli minimize considered.
*****************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
*****************************************
Jackson
NOFORN
STATE FOR AF/W AND NEA/MAG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2029
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER MO MR
SUBJECT: MOROCCO ASSISTS MAURITANIAN APPEAL FOR INCREASED
DIALOGUE WITH THE U.S.
Classified By: Charge Robert P.Jackson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S/NF) Summary: A senior Moroccan diplomat asked us to
convey a message to the USG from the Mauritanian High Council
of State (HCE or junta),requesting that the U.S. consider
normalizing its relations with the HCE. In mid-Frebruary,
the military government's Foreign Minister Ould Mohemedou met
King Mohammed VI and subsequently used a Moroccan Ministry of
Foreign Affairs contact to convey this message to Embassy
Rabat. Mohemdou said that he would follow-up by sending a
detailed request in writing to the Embassy, through the
Moroccan MFA. Our contact cautioned that the Foreign
Minister and the Ministry were not aware of this request, but
implied it represented the GOM's wishes, at the highest
level, that the junta's request for normalization of
relations be conveyed to the USG. End summary.
--------------
Mauritanian High Council Appeals
to Morocco for Help with U.S.
--------------
2. (S/NF) On February 13, 2009, Abdellatif Bendahane
(strictly protect),Director of African Affairs at Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MFA),who has often been
a conduit for sensitive information, summoned Deputy
PolCouns. Bendhane reported that Mauritanian junta Foreign
Minister Dr. Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohemedou had secretly
visited Morocco between February 9 and 13 and had met with
Morocco,s King Mohammed VI twice. Subsequent to his
meetings with the King, Mohemdou met with our contact. Our
contact described his relationship with Mohemdou as close,
"like brothers," adding that his mother and Mohemdou,s
mother had tribal/blood relations. (Comment: While it is
normal to exaggerate the closeness of family connections
here, such links, however distant, often count for something
in the Moroccan political context. End comment.) Bendahan
said that Mohemdou had asked him, on behalf of the HCE, to
contact the U.S. Embassy in an effort to "appeal to the U.S.
to realign its position with Mauritania."
--------------
HCE Appeals for Normalization of Relations
--------------
3. (S/NF) Bendahane said Mohemdou had told him that the
Mauritanian junta would like to normalize its relations with
the U.S. and, at a minimum, needed U.S. counterterrorism
assistance. He bemoaned the junta's situation and asked that
the USG provide a list of conditions that would be required
to normalize relations. Mohemdou had relayed that the French
MFA, in recent months, had given the junta a list of ten of
its own conditions, which the Abdel Aziz regime was now in
the process of fulfilling in exchange for renewed assistance.
Mohemdou, in defending the junta, had underscored that the
military authorities had not killed anyone during or after
the August 2008 coup, had freed ousted President Abdellahi
from detention, was currently following the Constitution, and
was planning presidential elections. Mohemdou undertook to
provide a further communication, which has not yet been
received.
--------------
Morocco Facilitates Unconventional Channel
--------------
4. (S/NF) In closing the meeting, Bendhane underscored to
Deputy PolCouns that knowledge of this meeting and the
communication should stay between himself, the U.S. Embassy,
and Direction Generale des Etudes et de la Documentation
(DGED) Director General Mohammed Yassine Mansouri, adding:
"My Minister (i.e., Minister of Foreign Affairs Taieb Fassi
Fihri) does not know about this communication."
5. (S/NF) Comment: Our contact has for years credibly
conveyed high-level and sensitive information beyond what we
hear from the Foreign Minister or his Ministry. He is known
for his close relations with DGED Chief Mansouri, who has the
lead on Mauritania in the GOM. While the possibility exists
that this is not an official message, we have no reason to
question that this is an effort by the Mauritanian junta to
reach out. We defer to the Department and Embassy Nouakchott
on the substance and are simply reporting this message as
received. End comment.
6. (U) Tripoli minimize considered.
*****************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
*****************************************
Jackson