ALGERIA ON CHEMICAL TERRORISM CONFERENCE IN EARLY

UNCLAS ALGIERS 000084 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/CB DAVE WEEKMAN AND CARSON KUO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL CWC AG SUBJECT: ALGERIA ON CHEMICAL TERRORISM CONFERENCE IN EARLY 2010 REF: A) STATE 01954 B) 09 STATE 116290 ¶1. Pol-Econ Chief shared ref A budget figures with and explained ref A points January 27 to the MFA Deputy Director for International Security Affairs, Abderrahman Hamdaoui, who was accompanied by Office Director for International Security Affairs, Melissa Lakehal. Hamdaoui thanked the U.S. for helping sponsor and finance the conference, and placed it in the framework of our excellent bilateral counterterrorism cooperation. Hamdaoui agreed that Africa should be the conference focus, saying it should be a "continental event." Most African countries lacked the resources to finance participation, and would welcome the funding the USG was offering. He said he would forward reftel A budget contribution to the conference organizer, the African Center for the Study and Research of Terrorism (CAERT). The MFA had already passed to CAERT the USG ref B proposed agenda, without indicating it was a USG draft. The MFA had asked CAERT to draw up a conference budget. CAERT has indicated it would prefer to hold the conference May 3-4. ¶2. He confirmed that Algeria would cover most ref b conference costs, including conference services and administrative support. As host nation, Algeria would direct its police to provide conference security. He agreed that the conference would have English and French interpretation. However, he inquired whether the U.S. or EU could help fund other conference costs, such as interpretation into Arabic, since three-way interpretation would be far more expensive than English and French only. Hamdaoui thought the Europeans might be prevailed upon to help fund interpretation, meals, and other areas at a level roughly equal to what the U.S. was offering. He said the Spanish Ambassador had recently told him he would urge the EU to be "more generous." ¶3. Post will continue to confer with Hamdaoui about organizing and supporting the conference. PEARCE