EMBASSY TRIPOLI'S RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT'S CAIRO SPEECH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TRIPOLI 000739

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/PPD, AND S/P (GBEHRMAN)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON OEXC OSCI PREL SCUL SENV SOCI TNGD
TSPL, LY
SUBJECT: EMBASSY TRIPOLI'S RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT'S CAIRO SPEECH

REF: STATE 71325

TRIPOLI 00000739 001.2 OF 004



1. (SBU) Introduction: Following the exchange of Ambassadors in
January 2009, the United States and Libya have embarked on a new
period of engagement. With the restoration of full diplomatic
relations for the first time in more than three decades, we are
engaging Libyans on a vast range of public diplomacy and
democracy building initiatives, including education and English
language, human development, cultural outreach,
entrepreneurship, and science and technology programs. These
nascent programs are widely viewed by the Libyan public as a
sign of the mutual respect and partnership that are developing
with the normalized relationship. The President's June 4 speech
in Cairo added momentum to this new partnership, and many
Libyans welcome the change in rhetoric and policy included in
that speech. However, the Libyan Government remains extremely
suspicious about some aspects of our public diplomacy and
outreach programs and, in the past three years, has blocked some
programs that included direct interaction with the local
population. There is an influential group who oppose the
process of normalization with the United States and make their
voices heard in decision-making circles. Although there has
been a growth in "charitable organizations" in recent years,
true civil society in Libyan is nonexistent. "Non-governmental"
organizations require Prime Minister-level approval to operate
and retain close ties to the government; many are chaired by
close relatives of leading government figures. Both of these
factors make it difficult for the Embassy to carry out the
far-ranging, consultative process outlined in reftel, yet we
seek every opportunity to engage our key partners in a
discussion of U.S. policy and initiatives. We are incorporating
key aspects of the President's Cairo initiatives in our public
diplomacy programming; an outline of our specific ideas follows.
We also note that normalization -- within the fullest legal
extent possible -- of visa regimes and entry requirements for
Libyan citizens is necessary to convey and implement the full
extent of respect and partnership laid out in the President's
Cairo speech. End introduction.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT


2. (SBU) In the area of Human Development and Rule of Law, Post
will assist indigenous non-governmental organizations calling
for reform and greater transparency. Through capacity-building
exercises and exchanges with U.S. and international
non-governmental organizations, Post will help Libyan
organizations develop the expertise required to effectively
lobby and implement political and economic reforms. More
specifically, Post will target its outreach on the development
of linkages between Libyan cadre and international professional
associations such as the American Bar Association. With MEPI
funding, Post was able to establish the U.S. Department of
Commerce's Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) in Libya,
working mainly with the General People's Committee for Justice
and the General People's Committee for Industry, Economy, and
Trade (Ministry of Economy-equivalent). Post has facilitated
three assessment and program planning trips for CLDP staff to
Libya, as well as a visit by a U.S. Federal Judge. Post will
implement follow-up workshops with the judges in Libya, a study
tour for the judges to visit the Arbitration Center in Tunisia,
and a trip to visit the U.S. Federal Judge at the U.S. Court of
International Trade in New York. Proposals for future
activities include: Fostering the creation of a Commercial Law
Inter-agency Task Force and providing training in safeguarding
intellectual property rights of small- and medium-sized
businesses. These programs will strengthen judicial independence
and help develop a society that comes to respect the rule of
law. Finally, Post will undertake specific programs to push
Libya to formalize and rationalize its policies regarding labor
and migration management. We will focus our engagement on
conducting workshops for policy makers to develop migration
management, rationalize guest worker programs, increase law
enforcement capacity to combat trafficking in persons and
smuggling, and regularizing care for at-risk populations. Post
also plans to increase its cooperation with the MEPI Regional
Office in Tunis to expand programs in the areas of Pediatric
HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment programs, media development
initiatives, and education system enhancement. We have found
that soliciting Libyan government requests and identification of
various programs and needs through dialogue ensures better
prospects for success.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS


3. (SBU) English Language Outreach has been one of our most
successful initiatives in Libya, and the way in which we have
reached the most people with the least amount of host government
intervention. Post will continue working with English Language
Fellows and Specialist Programs and will shift from government
institutions to working directly with the ever increasing number

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of private language and training centers. Fostering this kind
of people-to-people contact is at the heart of the President's
Cairo message. We will continue to execute short term (2 to 6
weeks programs) in English language instruction that will focus
either on direct English Language Instruction or on Training
Future English Language Teachers. It is our goal to expand
these programs beyond Tripoli and Benghazi into Southern and
Western Libya, while especially targeting underprivileged
minority groups.


4. (SBU) The ACCESS Micro-Scholarship Program is designed to
provide English Language instruction to under-privileged
children from 14 to 18 years of age with particular emphasis on
underprivileged minority groups. Embassy Tripoli has
implemented with tremendous success the ACCESS Micro-Scholarship
Program at the Success School in Benghazi. We will expand the
program to two schools in Tripoli and at least three schools in
southern Libya. Embassy Tripoli would like to double this
program over the next four years; with a goal of providing 100
scholarships per year by 2015.

EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL OUTREACH


5. (SBU) The Embassy continues to work to bridge the substantial
gap created by the 24-year break in U.S.-Libyan relations, and
the most effective way to do this is to continue to focus on
Exchange and Speaker programs. Libyans are slowly returning to
the United States for study, tourism, and business; enthusiasm
to do so is high, but Libyans have little practical knowledge of
U.S. systems and practices, which vary considerably from those
present in Libya. Embassy Tripoli hopes to increase the number
of participants in the International Visitors Leadership
Program, the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, the Fulbright
Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program, the Study of the
U.S. Institutes, and the Undergraduate Exchange Program.


6. (SBU) With the exception of English Language Specialists,
Post has been less successful in programming American speakers
and visitors in Libya. Programs have been fully scheduled and
then cancelled due to lack of support by the Government of Libya
by not issuing visas. Over Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009, Embassy
Tripoli had more than 15 American visitors and speakers programs
cancelled. Post will actively work to further develop its
relationships with Government of Libyan institutions in order to
secure the support necessary to execute speaker programming.
Post hopes to match the success of English Language Fellows and
Specialists in the fields of music, sports, education,
archaeology, science, and technology and will leverage regional
Speakers and programs planning to visit other posts in the
Middle East and North Africa.

EDUCATIONAL ADVISING AND INFORMATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER


7. (SBU) Post remains engaged in an active Public Diplomacy
program to re-establish a strong relationship between Libyans
and Americans, to promote a positive vision of the United
States, and to cultivate common interests outlined in the
President's Cairo speech. Post is actively engaged in the
educational sector, working with the Government of Libya to
assist Libyans who wish to pursue studies in the United States
and establishing relationships with local universities to
conduct targeted workshops on the Test of English as a Foreign
Language (TOEFL),Graduate Record Examination (GRE),and the
college and university application process. Compared to its
small population (around 5.5 million),Libya has a large number
of students studying overseas (more than 30,000). During the
late 1970's and early 1980's there were more than 5,000 Libyan
students in the United States. That number was reduced to
almost zero during the sanctions period, but fortunately has
seen large increases since the reestablishment of full
diplomatic relations.


8. (SBU) According to the Ministry of Higher Education, there
are now nearly 1,700 Libyan students studying at American
Colleges and Universities and the Government of Libya intends to
increase that number to 6,000 through its own scholarship and
grant programs. Due to suspicion on the part of the Government
of Libya, Post has had limited access to Libyan students headed
to the United States. The absence of appropriate educational
advising, cultural advising sessions, and pre-departure
orientations has left many Libyan students unprepared for their
experience in the United States. In academic year 2008-2009,
nearly one-third of all Libyan students studying in the United
States returned without having finished the first year of their
program. This is a problem of which the Government of Libya and
Embassy Tripoli are acutely aware, and through a campaign of
sustained outreach to the Government of Libya, Post has slowly
gained access to students interested in studying in the United
States in the academic year 2009-2010. In addition to

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Government of Libya obstacles, the Public Affairs Section
currently has no publicly accessible space. By the end of this
calendar year, the Public Affairs Section will establish an
Information Resource Center which will give us greater access to
students. Given the high interest in studying in the United
States, Post plans to hire additional staff members to provide
regular educational advising sessions within the Embassy's
Information Resource Center. In addition to properly outfitting
the Information Resource Center, Embassy Tripoli will establish
a network of American Corners throughout Libya that will serve
as its regional outreach centers. The American Corners will
provide Education Advising and information on the United States
and will leverage current relationships with regional Libyan
institutions.
Entrepreneurship.


9. (SBU) Within the area of Entrepreneurship, Post will train
Corporate Boards of Directors in Strategic Planning/Roles and
Responsibilities to help facilitate the transition from public
ownership to private management. Post will implement programs
to train board members in free-market principles, business
ethics, market strategies, and shareholder rights and
responsibilities, all of which are essential to ensure a more
transparent system. Post's efforts to couple Libyan
organizations with international partners will help to raise
awareness of anti-corruption programs and resources.


10. (SBU) With MEPI funding, the Financial Services Volunteer
Corps (FSVC) conducted three professional workshops from Fall
2008 to the present, at the invitation of the Libyan Central
Bank. The workshops covered Banking Supervision, Banking
Controls, and IT Systems for Banks. The Director of the Libyan
Stock Exchange met with FSVC leadership in New York in 2009, and
requested training for his staff, which has been scheduled in
Libya but is contingent upon FSVC receiving the required Libyan
visas. Post has established a good track record in with
entrepreneurial and banking programs in Libya and we are
well-poised to expand our training to include consulting in
banking and securities regulations, and to assist with Libya's
ongoing efforts to privatize its banking sector.


11. (SBU) Entrepreneurship programs for women and the expansion
of economic opportunities for women remain two key areas for
Post. Libya remains a largely traditional society, with
economic activity generally limited to male participation. As
Libya's economy modernizes, it is crucial that women seize
entrepreneurial opportunities and that frameworks exist by which
women have equal access to finance and business-management
technical assistance. Current data on the role of women in the
commercial sector are incomplete; an assessment will be
necessary to determine which programs will be most successful.
With MEPI funding, Post will undertake a needs assessment on
women economic activity and areas for improvement. Post has
identified the Waatasimu Foundation (headed by Aisha al-Qadhafi)
and UNDP as potential implementers of this proposed program.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


12. (SBU) As highlighted in the President's Cairo Speech,
science and technology presents a unique opportunity for
government to government cooperation, citizen exchanges, and
capacity-building programs. Post, in combination with the
Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science has very successfully
engaged the Libyan government in the area of science and
technology. One of our most exciting and successful programs
has been the Libyan Space Camp project where Post and OES
combined to send twenty-four Libyan high school students, two
Libyan teachers, and a professional Libyan film crew to take
part in NASA's Advanced Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama.
The program was carried out under the U.S.-Libya Science and
Technology Cooperation Agreement, signed in January 2008. At
the Academy, the students and teachers learned about the mental,
emotional, and physical demands astronauts face and were able to
see American science and technology up-close. The Libyan
students and teachers represent the first group from North
Africa to attend U.S. Space Camp, and only the second group from
the Arab world since 1982. A film recording the students'
experience at camp will be produced by a Libyan film crew. The
film will be shown on Libyan television, in Libyan classrooms,
and throughout the region to spark an interest in science and
discovery, demonstrate U.S. goodwill, and inspire future
participation in science and technology exchanges. Given the
success of the program, Post intends to continue the Libyan
Space Camp project and in the coming year will specifically
target under-represented groups and non-traditional audiences
for participation in this program.


13. (SBU) Post and other local embassies built a partnership
comprising members of the European Union, private companies, the

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U.S. Government, and the Government of Libya to improve the
quality of care and treatment for victims of AIDS. Expanding
these successes to the broader goals of infectious disease
prevention and increased public awareness will improve the
overall quality of healthcare, and provide much-needed
professional employment for Libyans entering the workforce.

VISAS AND ENTRY PROCEDURES


14. (SBU) One aspect of the relationship that continues to
present a significant obstacle to building full, flourishing
people-to-people ties is the current restrictive visa
reciprocity schedule and the additional procedures required for
Libyans upon entry into the United States by the National
Security Entry/Exit Registration System (NSEERS). The lack of
multiple-entry long-term visas in addition to the additional
security and registration requirements are viewed by Libyans as
a symbol of a lingering lack of respect from the difficult days
in our bilateral relationship. The current requirements allow
little flexibility and result in even U.S. Government-sponsored
visitors being subjected to long delays for their travel and
arrival. For example, the participants of Space Camp missed an
entire day of their exchange program due to a missed flight
caused by a six hour NSEERS registration process at the Atlanta
International Airport. A change in both the visa reciprocity
schedule and NSEERS registration process are needed in order to
fully realize the President's Cairo goals of mutual respect,
peace, advancement, and partnership. We are currently working
with the Libyans to establish a bilateral working group to
liberalize both the U.S. and Libyan visa schedules.

COMMENT


15. (SBU) Libya has made great strides towards rejoining the
community of nations by renouncing weapons of mass destruction
and international terrorism and is a top partner in combating
terrorism. However, years of isolation and stagnation have
taken their toll. Libyans must undertake significant political,
economic, and civil society reforms, as well as the basic
institution-building necessary to allow Libya to make up for
decades of underdevelopment. In February 2004, U.S. diplomats
arrived back in Tripoli ready to implement a wide range of
programs in step with Libyan actions to fulfill its commitments
and reopen to the West. The pace of reform has gone slower than
expected and the reform process in Libya will be generational.
During that span, continued public diplomacy and assistance
programming will be necessary to build the trust and cooperation
necessary to achieve the objectives laid out by the President in
Cairo. Recognizing the extreme sensitivities on the part of the
government to the kind of interaction we anticipate, the Embassy
will move forward in a deliberate but careful manner to ensure
that the scope and intensity of our activities push up against,
but do not cross, the red lines that are part and parcel of the
political fabric here. The current controversy regarding the
return of convicted Pan Am 103 bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi
may impact on the short and near term prospects of Embassy
programs to affect the range of activities that we have laid out
in this cable. End Comment.
CRETZ