Reference ID: 09TRIPOLI417
Created: 2009-05-26 14:02
Released: 2011-02-25 00:12
Classification: SECRET
Origin: Embassy Tripoli
VZCZCXRO2956
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN
DE RUEHTRO #0417 1461454
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 261454Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4853
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 5383
SECRET VZCZCXRO2956
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN
DE RUEHTRO #0417 1461454
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 261454Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4853
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 5383 S E C R E T TRIPOLI 000417
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/25/2019
SUBJECT: AL-QADHAFI: NO LONGER RELUCTANT TO ENGAGE WITH AFRICOM
CLASSIFIED BY: Gene A. Cretz, Ambassador, Embassy Tripoli,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
1. (S) Summary. Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi told visiting Commander of U.S. Africa Command General William Ward that Libya supported the establishment of common African institutions, such as an African Ministry of Defense, and expressed hope that the Obama administration would not pursue a policy of military intervention in Africa, as he felt a U.S. military presence on the continent could be a trigger for terrorism. Al-Qadhafi said he hoped President Obama could travel to Libya in early July to address the African Union summit, as well as meet him at the G-8 conference in Italy later in the month. Al-Qadhafi expressed a desire for cooperation with U.S. Africa Command in the fields of counter-terrorism and counter-piracy. Gen. Ward’s meeting with Foreign Minister Musa Kusa reported septel. End Summary.
2. (S) On the afternoon of May 21, Muammar al-Qadhafi, hosted U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander General William “Kip” Ward (Gen. Ward) in his tent at the Bab al-Aziziyah complex in Tripoli for an meeting that ran slightly over an hour. Also in attendance were Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation (GPCFLIC) (Foreign Minister) Musa Kusa, Secretary for American Affairs Dr. Ahmad Fituri, Ambassador, U.S. Defense Attache, and a member of Gen. Ward’s staff.
3. (S) After exchanging pleasantries, al-Qadhafi noted that during Gen. Ward’s earlier trip to Libya, he had been visiting Mauritania, where a political crisis was ongoing. “Every time we put out a fire in Africa, another one breaks out. We used to say this was a US conspiracy, but not anymore.” Al-Qadhafi then began a lengthy monologue during which he related the stages of governance in Africa from revolutionary liberation, to dictatorship, to multi-party elections, concluding that now was the time to establish common African institutions, such as a Ministry of Defense, that would better represent African interests before the world.
4. (S) Al-Qadhafi turned to U.S. and Chinese involvement on the continent, characterizing the Chinese approach as soft, the U.S. as hard, and predicting that China would prevail because it does not interfere in internal affairs. He criticized what he said was a U.S. tendency to place military bases near energy sources, observing that the U.S. did this in the Gulf of Guinea, it would spark terrorism. Turning to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, al-Qadhafi questioned what he characterized as U.S. support for Israel at the expense of Palestine, and advised that it would be in the best interest of the U.S. to support the Palestinians. He cautioned against trusting the advice of Arab leaders in the Gulf and Levant and offered to play a role in that region if the U.S. desired. The Leader concluded his remarks by expressing a desire for President Obama to come to the African Union Summit in Libya in July, and after that meet him in Italy at the G-8 conference.
5. (S) In response to Gen. Ward’s profession of respect for the sovereignty of African countries, al-Qadhafi said he understood the U.S. position, but questioned the U.S. military presence in Djibouti, noting military power would be used by extremists tojustify terror. He then proceeded to identify two sources of terrorism, Wahabism and Switzerland. Qadhafi stated that the Swiss banking system was used to fund terrorists, and proposed that Switzerland be split among its neighboring countries, according to language.
6. (S) On the topic of Somali piracy, al-Qadhafi asserted that “foreign entities” had violated Somalia’s territorial waters. The solution to the problem of Somali piracy was therefore to forge an agreement between the countries exploiting Somali waters and the pirates. Al-Qadhafi offered to identify a pirate spokesman and broker this agreement.
7. (S) Al-Qadhafi emphasized that as Libya now presides over the AU, there was a possibility for cooperation with AFRICOM in combating terrorism in the Sahara and piracy. He said that he could deal with “the new America without reservation”, now that the United States was governed by “a new spirit of change.”
8. (U) This cable was cleared by U.S. Africa Command.
CRETZ
