Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
87ALGIERS2184
1987-04-11 16:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Algiers
Cable title:  

ALGERIA AND THE PLO

Tags:  KPAL PREL KPRP PLO AG 
pdf how-to read a cable
P 111629Z APR 87
FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7300
INFO ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY LONDON
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ALGIERS 02184 

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: KPAL PREL KPRP PLO AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIA AND THE PLO

REF: KPRP 28

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ALGIERS 02184

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: KPAL PREL KPRP PLO AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIA AND THE PLO

REF: KPRP 28


1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY: ALGERIA HAS LONG BEEN AN ACTIVE--
IF DISTANT--PARTICIPANT IN MIDDLE EAST DIPLOMACY.
ENGAGEMENT ARISES FROM ALGERIA'S SELF-PERCEPTION
AS ROLE MODEL FOR ALL NATIONAL LIBERATION STRUGGLES
AND FROM STRONG EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE
ARAB/ISLAMIC CAUSE. POINT OF ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN
THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION, AND ALGERIA
HAS CONSISTENTLY TRIED TO IMPART THE "LESSONS
LEARNED" FROM ITS OWN STRUGGLE AGAINST COLONIALISM,
URGING "UNITY" ON THE PALESTINIANS FIRST AND
FOREMOST.


3. THE PLO HAS BEEN A SLOW LEARNER. PALESTINIANS
HAVE TRIED MIGHTILY TO IMPOSE "UNITY," BUT HAVE
LACKED THE RESOURCES AND REACH THAT THE FLN HAD
IN ITS WAR AGAINST FRANCE. ALGERIA, NONETHELESS,
HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT ALLY FOR THE PLO, AND THE
PALESTINIANS HAVE DERIVED BENEFIT FROM THE GOA'S
WIDELY VALUED DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS. ALGIERS HAS ALSO
SERVED AS A USEFUL VENUE FOR A NUMBER OF PLO ACTI-
VITIES, MAINLY TRAINING AND LARGE CONGRESSES--SUCH
AS THE PNC SLATED FOR APRIL 20.


4. ALGERIA, FOR ITS PART, HAS COMPLETED A LONG
JOURNEY FROM THE REJECTIONIST/STEADFASTNESS FRONT
APPROACH TO THE MIDDLE EAST DISPUTE, BUT IT STILL
VIEWS THE CAMP DAVID APPROACH AS A SELLOUT OF
ESSENTIAL PALESTINIAN INTERESTS. BUT, WHILE
CHAMPIONING THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE, ALGERIA HAS
LEFT UNCLEAR WHAT IT THINKS THE VIABLE SOLUTION
TO THE ARAB-ISRAEL DISPUTE COULD BE. THE GOA REJECTS
"TERROR" AS A TACTIC, BUT STILL REGARDS ACTS OF
VIOLENCE "IN THE TERRITORY TO BE LIBERATED" AS
ACCEPTABLE. END SUMMARY.

--------------
TO PNC OR NOT TO PNC
--------------


5. ALGERIA IS PLANNING TO HOST THE PALESTINE
NATIONAL CONGRESS ON APRIL 20 AFTER A PREPARATORY
MEETING STARTING APRIL 13. THESE MEETINGS ARE THE
RESULT OF MORE THAN TWO YEARS OF INTRICATE, CONFUSING,
AND OFTEN FRUSTRATING DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS AND PRO-
TRACTED NEGOTIATIONS WITH NUMEROUS PALESTINIAN FACTIONS
AND OTHER ARAB STATES. WHILE ALGERIA WILL BE PLEASED
IF THERE IS A SUCCESSFUL PNC, THE LONG-TERM GOAL
REMAINS PUTTING TOGETHER A MORE LASTING UNITY THAT
WILL ALLOW THE PLO TO PARTICIPATE COHESIVELY IN AN
ARAB SUMMIT, AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE
MIDDLE EAST, AND EVENTUAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH ISRAEL.

ALGERIA'S DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS HAVE SOUGHT TO COMPOSE
INTERNAL PALESTINIAN DIFFERENCES, INDUCE SYRIA TO
PUT ASIDE ITS PAROCHIAL OBJECTIVES AND DISLIKE FOR
YASSIR ARAFAT, AND SOLICIT SOVIET SUPPORT FOR UNITY
UNDER ARAFAT. AT THE SAME TIME, ALGERIA HAS ALSO
BEEN CAREFUL TO HOLD OUT A GLIMMER OF HOPE THAT
EGYPT CAN REJOIN THE ARAB COMMUNITY WITHOUT
ABANDONMENT OF ITS ESSENTIAL INTERESTS. WITH THESE
FACTORS TO DEAL WITH, IT WILL BE NO SMALL FEAT IF
THE PNC ACTUALLY CONVENES APRIL 20.

--------------
HISTORY LESSONS
--------------


6. THE ALGERIANS CONSIDER THEIR WARTIME EXPERIENCE
A MODEL FOR LIBERATION MOVEMENTS AND FOR THE PLO
IN PARTICULAR. FOR THE ALGERIANS, MAINTAINING
REVOLUTIONARY UNITY UNDER THE FLN UMBRELLA PREVENTED
BOTH THE FRENCH AND OTHER ARAB STATES FROM EXPLOITING
PUBLIC CLEAVAGES TO THEIR ADVANTAGE. ONCE THE ALGERIANS
MADE IT CLEAR THAT FRANCE COULD HOLD ON NO LONGER IN
NORTH AFRICA, THE FLN ATTAINED VIRTUALLY ALL OF ITS
OBJECTIVES. IN URGING THESE LESSONS ON THE PALESTINIANS,
HOWEVER, THE ALGERIANS OVERLOOK ONE KEY FACTOR: THEIR
UNITY WAS THE RESULT OF RUTHLESS LIQUIDATION OF ANY
ELEMENT THOUGHT RECALCITRANT OR INCONVENIENT, FROM
HARKIS WHO FOUGHT WITH FRANCE TO COMMUNISTS WHO JOINED
THE STRUGGLE FOR ANTI-NATIONALIST GOALS. TRY AS THEY
MIGHT, THE PALESTINIANS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE
UNITY ON THIS BASIS.


7. IN DEALING WITH THE PLO, THE ALGERIANS HAVE
TRIED--WITH VARYING SUCCESS--TO CONVEY A FOUR-PART
MESSAGE TO THEIR PALESTINIAN FRIENDS:

A) ALGERIA IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO ADVISE MOVEMENTS
ENGAGED IN "NATIONAL LIBERATION" STRUGGLES.

B) A KEY ELEMENT OF SUCCESS IS CONCEALING INTERNAL
DISPUTES BEHIND A FACADE OF UNITY.

C) NO OUTSIDE POWER CAN BE ALLOWED TO DICTATE GOALS,
LEADERSHIP, AND STRATEGY. THE PALESTINIANS, IN
CONTRAST TO THE FLN, HAVE SPLINTERED INTO FACTIONS
IDENTIFIED CLOSELY WITH ARAB STATES THAT HAVE
SACRIFICED PALESTINIAN INTERESTS FOR THE SAKE
OF THEIR OWN PAROCHIAL OBJECTIVES.

D) ALGERIA HAS MAINTAINED CONTACT WITH ALL PALESTINIAN
GROUPS FROM THE MAIN-LINE FATAH TO THE EXTREME
ABU NIDAL ORGANIZATION AND HAS INSISTED THAT
UNIFICATION OF ALL FACTIONS, WHATEVER THEIR
IDEOLOGY, IS THE ONLY WAY TO ADVANCE THE
PALESTINIAN CAUSE.

--------------
MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC SUPPORT
--------------


8. IN ADDITION TO LESSONS ON HOW TO ORGANIZE A
REVOLUTIONARY WAR, ALGERIA HAS FURNISHED THE PLO
MORE TANGIBLE MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC SUPPORT.
AS OF LATE MARCH 1987, ABOUT 600 PALESTINIAN COMBATANTS
WERE LOCATED WITH THE ALGERIAN MILITARY AT EL-BAYADH,
A REMOTE SITE ABOUT 600 KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST OF THE
CAPITAL. THESE COMBATANTS, WHO ARE REPORTEDLY UNHAPPY
WITH THEIR LOT IN THE REMOTE DESERT LOCATION, HAD
MOVED TO EL-BAYADH IN LATE 1986 FROM A CAMP AT
TEBESSA, NEAR THE TUNISIA FRONTIER.


9. ALGERIA ALSO HOSTS AN OFFICIAL PLO EMBASSY, LED
BY AN ARAFAT SUPPORTER, AND SMALL LIAISON OFFICES
FOR SOME OF THE PLO FACTIONS. ON THE POLITICAL LEVEL,
THE ALGERIANS HAVE, SINCE THE DEATH OF THE FOREIGN
MINISTER BENYAHIA IN 1982, DEALT PUBLICLY WITH THE
PLO THROUGH THE APPARATUS OF THE RULING PARTY (FLN).
THE PLO WORKS WITH THE ALGERIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY ON
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS, WITH THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
ON MILITARY TRAINING, AND WITH THE FLN ON MATTERS
OF POLICY. THE MAIN FIGURES WITHIN THE FLN WHO DEAL
WITH ALGERIAN-PLO RELATIONS ARE MOHAMMED CHERIF
MESSAADIA, HEAD OF THE PERMANENT SECRETARIAT OF THE
FLN CENTRAL COMMITTEE, AND HIS CLOSE ASSOCIATE, SADEK
ZOUATEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE PARTY COUNCIL OF FRIENDSHIP
WITH PEOPLES.

--------------
CATCHING FLIES WITH HONEY
--------------


10. ZOUATEN AND MESSAADIA TAKE CARE OF VISITING
PALESTINIAN DELEGATIONS, BUT PRESIDENT BENDJEDID
ALSO ENGAGES HIMSELF PERSONALLY, RECEIVING MOST
PALESTINIAN DELEGATIONS, AND HIS POSITION AS FLN
SECRETARY-GENERAL ALLOWS THE ALGERIANS TO PRESERVE
THE FORMS OF PARTY-TO-PARTY RELATIONS. THE ALGERIANS
CAREFULLY BALANCE THEIR PROTOCOL TREATMENT OF THE
VARIOUS GROUPS, ENSURING THAT NONE IS SEEN AS FAVORED.
WHEN GEORGE HABBASH AND THE PFLP, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE
AT THEIR MOST INTRANSIGENT ON THEIR CONDITIONS FOR
ATTENDING ANY REUNIFICATION CONFERENCE, THE ALGERIANS
BECOME EVEN WARMER AND MORE WELCOMING IN THEIR PUBLIC
TREATMENT OF HABBASH, SEEKING TO WIN HIM OVER TO WHAT
IS THE ESSENTIALLY PRO-FATAH VIEW OF THE GOA.


11. WHILE AVOIDING A PUBLIC BREAK WITH ANY PLO
FACTION, THE ALGERIANS HAVE ALSO APPLIED DISCREET
PRESSURE ON ALL GROUPS TO PUT REUNIFICATION ABOVE
PERSONAL AND FACTIONAL INTERESTS. PART OF THIS
PRESSURE IS TO INSTILL AND EXPLOIT A SENSE OF SHAME
AND PERSONAL OBLIGATION. BENDJEDID HAS STAKED
CONSIDERABLE POLITICAL CAPITAL ON HIS REUNIFICATION
INITIATIVE, AND NO PALESTINIAN GROUP WANTS OPENLY
TO DEFY THE PRESIDENT'S CALLS FOR UNITY AND BEAR
THE BLAME FOR THE FAILURE OF HIS EFFORTS.


12. THE ALGERIANS HAVE ALSO TRIED TO PRESSURE SPECIFIC
INDIVIDUALS WHO THEY BELIEVE ARE OBSTRUCTING UNITY
EFFORTS. IN FEBRUARY 1987, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ALGERIANS
APPARENTLY GAVE ARAFAT COLD TREATMENT FOR OPPOSING A
UNITY PLATFORM DURING AN ALGIERS PALESTINIAN WRITERS
AND JOURNALISTS CONFERENCE. IN ORDER TO BRING GEORGE
HABBASH AND THE PFLP INTO THE UNIFICATION TALKS,
ALGERIA HAS TRIED TO USE WHAT INFLUENCE IT HAS ON
THAT FACTION'S SYRIAN BACKERS. WITH THIS GOAL IN
MIND, ALGERIA HAS TAKEN A NOTABLY PRO-SYRIAN PUBLIC
STAND SINCE BENDJEDID'S JANUARY 23 VISIT TO DAMASCUS
AND SINCE THE KUWAIT ISLAMIC CONFERENCE SUMMIT. IN
SO DOING, ALGIERS HAS HAD TO SWALLOW HARD AND MAINTAIN
PUBLIC SILENCE OVER SYRIA'S SUPPORT FOR THE AMAL
MILITIA IN THE LEBANON CAMPS WAR.

--------------
TERRORISM VS. NATIONAL LIBERATION
--------------


13. ALGERIA RECOGNIZES THE TERRIBLE DAMAGE THAT
TERRORISM DOES TO THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE WITH WESTERN
PUBLIC OPINION. YET, DRAWING FROM THEIR OWN STRUGGLE
AGAINST THE FRENCH, THE ALGERIANS FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT
USE OF VIOLENCE IS A LEGITIMATE TACTIC AGAINST A
COLONIZER WHO SHOWS NO SIGN OF GIVING IN TO THE DEMANDS
OF A "COLONIZED PEOPLE." ALGERIANS FEEL THE DILEMMA
ACUTELY--BOTH ON A PHILOSOPHICAL AND A TACTICAL LEVEL--
AND HAVE COME UP WITH A LINE OF ARGUMENT THAT CONDEMNS
TERRORISM, BUT ACCEPTS THE MORAL AND TACTICAL VALIDITY
OF ACTS OF VIOLENCE ON THE TERRITORY TO BE LIBERATED.
THIS ALLOWS THE GOA TO BE CRITICAL OF TOTALLY REPRE-
HENSIBLE ACTIONS LIKE RANDOM ATTACKS AT EUROPEAN
AIRPORTS ON INNOCENT PASSENGERS AND THE ACHILLE LAURO
AFFAIR, BUT PRESUMABLY LEAVES A DOOR OPEN TO ATTACKS
ON ISRAEL DIRECTLY. FOR FEAR OF TYING THEMSELVES
DOWN OR PREJUDGING ISSUES ON WHICH THE PALESTINIANS
CANNOT THEMSELVES AGREE, THE ALGERIANS ARE PURPOSE-
FULLY VAGUE ABOUT WHAT TERRITORY IS TO BE LIBERATED--
THE WEST BANK AND GAZA OR ISRAEL ITSELF.


14. BEYOND THE PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUE, THE ALGERIANS
FACE MORE PRACTICAL DILEMMAS IN HOW TO DEAL WITH THE
PALESTINIAN ORGANIZATIONS THAT ENGAGE IN TERRORISM.
THE ACHILLE LAURO DISASTER WAS EASY TO CRITICIZE,
BUT THEY STILL CONSIDER ABU ABBAS AN IMPORTANT PALES-
TINIAN LEADER WHO MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN UNITY
GFFORTS. THEY CONSIDER ABU NIDAL BEYOND THE PALE,
A JUDGMENT MADE EASIER BY THE FATAH DEATH SENTENCE
AGAINST HIM, BUT THE GOA NONETHELESS IS NOT OVERTLY
HOSTILE TO ABU NIDAL AND PERMITS AT LEAST TWO PALES-
TINIAN STUDENTS LOYAL TO HIM TO LIVE IN ALGIERS.


15. WHATEVER THE GOA'S VIEWS ON THE UTILITY OF
TERRORISM, ALGERIA'S BROAD POLICY OF KEEPING DOORS
OPEN TO EVERY CONCEIVABLE "NATIONAL LIBERATION"
MOVEMENT OVERRIDES MOST OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. THE
GOA SEES ITSELF AS THE WORLD'S MIDDLEMAN AND RECOG-
NIZES THAT TO DEAL WITH ALL PARTIES TO DISPUTES, IT
MUST BE ON SPEAKING TERMS WITH THEM. AT A TIME WHEN
NO OTHER COUNTRY COULD HAVE ACHIEVED WHAT ALGERIA
HAS WITH THE PLO UNITY EFFORT THUS FAR, AN ARGUMENT
CAN BE MADE IN FAVOR OF THAT OPENNESS.

--------------
WILL THE REAL ALGERIA PLEASE STAND UP
--------------


16. ALGERIA HAS COME A LONG WAY FROM THE DAYS IT
FORMED THE REJECTIONIST/STEADFASTNESS FRONT WITH THE
LIKES OF SYRIA, SOUTH YEMEN, AND LIBYA. WHILE ITS
VIEWS ON THE ARAB-ISRAEL DISPUTE HAVE CHANGED
RADICALLY AND ITS WILLINGNESS TO HAVE ITS NAME
ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRUE HARDLINERS IS NON-EXISTENT,
THE GOA HAS BECOME VAGUE ON HOW IT THINKS PEACE CAN
BE FOUND IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE CAMP DAVID ACCORDS
AND GESTURES LIKE HASSAN'S MEETINB WITH PERES AT
IFRANE ARE STILL ROUNDLY CRITICIZED IN THE ALGERIAN
PRESS. YET, THE ALGERIANS WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY
NOT TO CRITICIZE THE HUSSEIN/ARAFAT ACCORDS WHEN
THEY SHOWED PROMISE OF WORKING, AND THEY HAVE MADE
SOME OVERTURES TO EGYPT, INDICATING THAT THE EGYPTIANS
CAN EVENTUALLY MAKE THEIR WAY BACK INTO THE ARAB
COMMUNITY ON THEIR OWN TERMS.


17. SO FAR THE ALGERIANS HAVE CAREFULLY AVOIDED
INVOLVEMENT IN DETAILS OF THE COMPLEX NEGOTIATIONS
LEADING TO THE PNC MEETING. WHATEVER THEIR PRIVATE
FEELINGS ABOUT SPECIFIC ISSUES, THEY HAVE TAKEN NO
PUBLIC STAND ON THE ABROGATION OF THE AMMAN ACCORD,
ON PLO TIES WITH EGYPT, ON THE ORGANIZATION OF PLO
LEADERSHIP, OR ON OTHER DIVISIVE QUESTIONS. DRAWING
ON THEIR OWN REVOLUTIONARY EXPERIENCE, THE ALGERIANS
HAVE SAID ONLY THAT THE PALESTINIANS THEMSELVES MUST
DECIDE THESE QUESTIONS WITHOUT OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE
AND THAT PERSONALITIES, EVEN YASIR ARAFAT'S, SHOULD
NOT BECOME AN ISSUE THAT OBSCURES REVOLUTIONARY GOALS.

--------------
PROSPECTS
--------------


18. THE SHORT-TERM PROSPECTS FOR ALGERIA AND THE PLO
RAISE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS:

A) CAN ALGERIA HOST A PNC MEETING IN APRIL AS PLANNED
DESPITE FACTIONAL DISPUTES AMONG THE PALESTINIANS?

B) IF SO, WILL THE PNC INCLUDE ALL FACTIONS OR WILL
IT BE A RUMP SESSION WITHOUT PFLP AND OTHER
PRO-SYRIAN PARTICIPATION? FOR THE ALGERIANS,
THE LATTER WOULD REPRESENT ALMOST AS SERIOUS A
DIPLOMATIC SETBACK AS A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN OF
THE MEETING.

C) WILL THE PNC MEETING ACHIEVE SOME SORT OF UNITY
OR WILL IT BE ANOTHER FORUM FOR COMPETING GROUPS
AND PERSONALITIES TO AIR THEIR DISPUTES IN PUBLIC?

D) GIVEN THE COMPETING INFLUENCES AT WORK AMONG THE
PALESTINIANS, WHAT WILL BE THE LIFE SPAN OF ANY
AGREEMENT REACHED AT THE NEXT PNC?


19. WHILE ALGERIA RETAINS ITS SHORT-TERM OBJECTIVE
OF BRINGING ALL PALESTINIAN FACTIONS TO ALGIERS IN
LATE APRIL, ITS LONG-TERM GOAL REMAINS RESTORING A
PLO THAT CAN PRESENT A FACADE OF UNITY, SPEAK WITH
ONE VOICE ABOUT THE PRINCIPLES OF PALESTINIAN
NATIONALISM, AND ATTEND AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
AS A COHESIVE GROUP. AT THE SAME TIME, ALGERIA
WILL TRY TO MAINTAIN ITS POSITION AS MEDIATOR AND
DISINTERESTED FRIEND AND TEACHER TO ALL PALESTINIAN
FACTIONS--A TEACHER WHOSE PRESTIGE AND EXPERIENCE
SHOULD GUIDE RELUCTANT AND REBELLIOUS STUDENTS ON
THE CORRECT REVOLUTIONARY PATH. IF ONLY THEY WOULD
LISTEN.


JOHNSTONE