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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAS #1181/01 2331440
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 211440Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4282
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1714
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2314
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 1904
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 6744

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001181 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/19/2017 
TAGS: KDEM KPOA PHUM PREL AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIA:  PROMOTING THE PRESIDENT'S FREEDOM AGENDA 
 
REF: A. STATE 88465 
     ¶B. STATE 108924 
     ¶C. ALGIERS 1016 
     ¶D. ALGIERS 1115 
     ¶E. ALGIERS 913 
     ¶F. ALGIERS 912 
     ¶G. ALGIERS 1114 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Thomas F. Daughton; 
reasons 1.4 (b, d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Advancing the President's Freedom Agenda 
has been an ongoing effort by Embassy Algiers since the 
arrival of the Ambassador in August 2006.  The Ambassador and 
Embassy officers routinely meet with democracy and human 
rights activists, political parties, journalists, and other 
members of civil society.  Embassy Algiers has consistently 
underscored the importance of freedom (particularly 
individual freedom), the ability of the individual to be an 
agent of change, and the value of a democratic form of 
government.  END SUMMARY 
 
EMBASSY ALGIERS' MSP 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) In its 2009 Mission Strategic Plan, Embassy Algiers 
has two principal objectives:  1) expanding bilateral 
counterterrorism cooperation and 2) expanding the country's 
political and economic space.  Addressing the President's 
Freedom Agenda is the driving force behind our efforts to 
enlarge Algeria's political space.  Algeria's colonial 
history, its long experience with single-party rule, and its 
fight against terrorism in the 1990's have combined to 
produce a state in which the security forces play a greater 
role in government than is healthy.  Our attempts to promote 
freedom in this environment have focused on support for 
individuals and organizations that are either overtly calling 
for political change or can otherwise contribute to expansion 
of individual freedom.  Our MSP Democracy Promotion goal 
includes a 2008 target for a legal framework that strengthens 
the functioning of local and international NGOs in Algeria, 
part of an ongoing strategy to create an environment in which 
individual freedom is valued. 
 
¶3. (U) Below per refs A and B is a listing of the activities 
undertaken in support of the Freedom Agenda since President 
Bush's June 2007 speech in Prague. (Note: The Ambassador was 
on assignment in Iraq during the month of July and on leave 
for much of August.  Summer turnover in the 
Political/Economic section also impeded to some extent our 
normal activities on this issue.  End note.) 
 
MEETINGS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Ambassador and poloffs meet regularly with members of 
civil society, always emphasizing elements of the Freedom 
Agenda, particularly the importance of citizen participation 
in Algeria's political space. 
 
-- On June 9 and as part of the visit of DRL DAS Erica 
Barks-Ruggles, Ambassador met with Nadia Ait Zai and Louisa 
Smati and stressed the importance of individual actors making 
positive change in Algeria.  Ait Zai directs local NGO and 
MEPI small grant recipient CIDDEF, which focuses on 
empowering women.  Smati is the director of Dar Al-Hassana 
Women's Shelter, which also focuses on empowering women (ref 
C). 
 
-- On June 10, also as part of the visit of DAS 
Barks-Ruggles, DCM met with members of civil society that had 
participated in programs administered by MEPI-funded NGO 
Freedom House.  The meeting brought together a diverse group 
of individuals, including lawyers, journalists and members of 
civil society who spoke passionately about their experiences 
and plans to be agents of change in Algeria. 
 
-- Poloffs met June 20 with Abdelrahame Chibane, president of 
the Algerian Muslim Scholars Association and former Religious 
Affairs minister, and discussed finding ways to counter 
Islamic extremism. 
 
-- July 9, poloff met with Aicha Barki, head of Iqraa, an 
association that focuses on combating illiteracy, especially 
among women and children, to create a more politically aware 
citizenry.  In the meeting, poloff emphasized the importance 
of citizens being informed about their government's 
activities. 
 
-- Poloff met with human rights activist and lawyer Ali Yahia 
Abdenour July 18 to discuss his new book giving an historical 
assessment of human rights in Algeria.  In the meeting, 
poloff raised the importance of engaging Algeria's youth to 
be political actors.  (Note:  Estimates indicate that 70% of 
Algeria's population is under 30.) 
 
-- On July 31 and as part of the visit of DRL Management 
Analyst Ramiro Martinez, poloff met with Hocine Zehouane, 
president of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human 
Rights (LADDH), one of the oldest human rights organizations 
in Algeria.  In the meeting, we stressed the U.S. commitment 
to human rights and the ability of the individual to support 
positive change in Algeria. 
 
-- Also as part of the Martinez visit, on July 31 poloff met 
with Meriem Belaala, president of local NGO SOS Femmes en 
Detresse, which focuses on empowering women.  In this 
meeting, we discussed the evolution of women's rights in 
Algeria and DRL's role in funding democracy and human rights 
programming. 
 
-- The Ambassador hosted a July 31 dinner with Amine Sidhoum, 
Lila Iril and Cherifa Kheddar, human rights activists who 
work on issues related to individuals who were disappeared in 
Algeria in the 1990s.  Sidhoum, an attorney, also represents 
individuals who have been tortured while in official custody. 
 The Ambassador emphasized our commitment to human rights and 
solicited views on ways the U.S. could support human rights 
in Algeria. 
 
-- The Ambassador met with human rights activist and lawyer 
Ali Yahia Abdenour on August 4.  He emphasized the U.S. 
commitment to human rights and solicited views on ways the 
U.S. could support human rights in Algeria (ref D). 
 
MEETINGS WITH JOURNALISTS 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Encouraging press freedom as a way to support 
individual freedom is a high priority for Embassy Algiers. 
While the Algerian print media is considerably more free than 
most other media in the region, journalists here are harassed 
by defamation lawsuits.  This leads in turn to a certain 
amount of media self-censorship. 
 
-- On June 10, as part of the visit of DRL DAS Erica 
Barks-Ruggles, PAO met with members of the International 
Federation of Journalists (FIJ) and the National Union of 
Journalists (SNJ).  The same day, the Ambassador hosted a 
lunch with journalists.  In these encounters, we stressed the 
importance of a free press and advocated decriminalization of 
defamation.  DAS Barks-Ruggles also discussed the Defending 
the Defenders fund (ref E). 
 
-- With the arrival of post's new PAO, the Ambassador hosted 
a dinner for print media journalists on June 20.  Throughout 
the dinner, the Ambassador stressed the importance of a free 
press and called for the decriminalization of defamation. 
 
-- The Ambassador hosted a lunch on August 1 as part of the 
visit of DRL Management Analyst Martinez.  The guests 
included members of the International Federation of 
Journalists (FIJ) and the National Union of Journalists 
(SNJ).  At the lunch, the Ambassador stressed the importance 
of a free press and advocated the decriminalization of 
defamation. 
 
MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL COMMUNITY 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Since the fall of 2006, Embassy Algiers has engaged 
members of the legal community to encourage them to continue 
to push for increased legal literacy and openness.  Embassy 
Algiers has also supported training assistance through 
MEPI-funded American Bar Association (ABA) programming. 
 
-- On June 9, the Ambassador hosted a dinner with prominent 
human rights attorneys Fatma Benbraham, Mostefa Bouchachi, 
Khaled Bourayou and Mohamed Tahri.  He stressed the 
importance of a free press and called for the 
decriminalization of defamation.  He also solicited views on 
how to advance positive change in Algeria's legal system (ref 
F). 
 
-- On June 25, following a June 10 lawyers' strike, the 
Ambassador met with Abdelmadjid Sellini, president of the 
Algerian Bar Association.  In this meeting, the Ambassador 
underscored the importance of legal reform and the need for 
an independent judiciary.  He also described the ABA's 
MEPI-funded work on legal reform in Algeria and sought 
Sellini's support for it. 
 
-- The Ambassador met Djamel Aidouni, Secretary General of 
the Judges' Union, on July 2.  In the meeting, he underscored 
the importance of legal reform and the need for an 
independent judiciary.  He also described the ABA's 
MEPI-funded work on legal reform in Algeria, and urged 
Aidouni to support it. 
 
MEETINGS WITH POLITICAL PARTIES 
------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) During the summer months, political parties are not 
very active in Algeria.  However, on June 10 and as part of 
the visit of DRL DAS Erica Barks-Ruggles, DCM hosted a dinner 
with members of both government and opposition political 
parties.  DCM and DAS Barks-Ruggles stressed U.S. support for 
human rights and advocated in favor of the decriminalization 
of defamation. 
 
-- On June 18, Poloff met with Lakhdar Benkhellaf, National 
Secretary of the "Djaballah wing" of the opposition Islamic 
 
SIPDIS 
political party Islah.  In the meeting, poloff stressed the 
importance of an open, democratic system, in which Algerian 
citizens are provided real choices and in which they can 
actively participate. 
 
MEETINGS WITH THE GOVERNMENT 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) The Embassy has actively sought meetings with various 
government actors to promote the Freedom Agenda. 
 
-- On June 9 and as part of the visit of DRL DAS Erica 
Barks-Ruggles, the Ambassador met with Farouk Ksentini, 
president of the GOA's National Commission for the Promotion 
and Protection of Human Rights.  Both DAS Barks-Ruggles and 
Ambassador stressed U.S. support for human rights and called 
for the decriminalization of defamation. 
 
-- On June 10 and as part of the visit of DRL DAS Erica 
Barks-Ruggles, DCM met with Messaoud Boufercha, Secretary 
General (no. 2) at the Ministry of Justice.  Both DAS 
Barks-Ruggles and DCM stressed U.S. support for legal reform, 
highlighting the MEPI-funded work in Algeria done by the ABA. 
 They also advocated in favor of the decriminalization of 
defamation. 
 
-- The Ambassador met with Cheikh Bouamrane, president of the 
GOA's High Islamic Council, to discuss religious freedom in 
Algeria June 12. 
 
-- As a follow-up to the visit of DRL DAS Erica 
Barks-Ruggles, the Ambassador hosted Farouk Ksentini, 
president of the GOA's National Commission for the Promotion 
and Protection of Human Rights, for lunch June 19.  The 
Ambassador again underscored U.S. support for human rights 
and advocated for the decriminalization of defamation. 
 
-- The Ambassador met with Justice Minister Tayeb Belaiz July 
29 to discuss the ABA's program to help professionalize 
actors in Algeria's legal system and to increase citizen 
awareness of their rights (ref G). 
 
GOING FORWARD 
------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Following our relocation into a new Embassy compound 
at the end of September, we intend to continue and to expand 
this regular round of encounters with human rights activists, 
political party members and government officials.  For FY 
2008, Embassy Algiers has developed a robust list of IVLPs 
that target civil society, media, and government individuals 
whom we have identified as potential agents of change.  The 
IVLPs will emphasize press freedom and judicial reform.  Our 
new Embassy facility will also enable us to make effective 
and frequent use of our DVC capabilities.  In June in our 
current facility, we hosted a DVC on Guantanamo Bay 
detainees.  Starting in October, we have planned DVCs on 
counterterrorism, U.S. foreign policy and trafficking in 
persons.  Embassy Algiers will also expand use of our newly 
created Embassy alumni association to reinforce the 
President's message on individual freedom and the ability of 
the individual to promote positive change.  (Note: In May 
2007, we hosted an initial reception of over 150 individuals 
that have participated in U.S. Government-sponsored programs. 
 The event was a success and included many individuals that 
have returned to their communities with positive views of the 
United States.) 
DAUGHTON