This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ALGIERS 001591 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2015 
TAGS: PREL PTER ETRD MARR AG MO WI IZ US SOFA
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES U.S.-ALGERIAN COOPERATION, 
SOFA, WESTERN SAHARA, AND ASSASSINATION OF ALGERIAN 
DIPLOMATS IN IRAQ WITH NEW MFA SECRETARY GENERAL LAMAMRA 
 
REF: ALGIERS 1585 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman, Reason 1.4 (b) (d) 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1.  (C) Ambassador was the first official caller on newly 
appointed MFA Secretary General Ramdane Lamamra July 31. 
Lamamra, a former Ambassador to Washington from 1996-99 and 
to the UN from 1993-96, was recalled from Lisbon last week to 
replace a colleague (former Secretary General Hocine 
Meghlaoui) who reportedly had clashed with Foreign Minister 
Bedjaoui.  This message reports Ambassador and Lamamra's 
discussion of U.S.-Algerian relations, the development of 
bilateral military ties including the need for a SOFA, 
Western Sahara, and Lamamra's request for assistance in 
locating and returning the remains of the two Algerian 
diplomats murdered by Al-Qaida in Iraq.  Reftel reports their 
discussion of the upcoming emergency Arab Summit in Egypt. 
Lamamra came across as both well-connected to his own 
leadership and well-disposed toward the U.S.  He will be an 
excellent and authoritative interlocutor.  End Summary. 
 
U.S.-Algerian Relations 
----------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Ambassador, accompanied by DCM, called on newly 
appointed MFA Secretary General Lamamra, who returned from 
Lisbon last week to assume his new responsibilities but was 
only officially installed late July 30.  Ambassador 
congratulated Lamamra on his new assignment, extended 
condolences over the assassination of two Algerian diplomats 
in Baghdad, and noted that bilateral relations had developed 
considerably since Lamamra's posting to Washington.  Lamamra 
said the U.S. Ambassador was his first official caller, 
describing this as especially "fitting."  Lamamra said he had 
accompanied Bouteflika on his November 2001 visit to 
Washington and meeting with President Bush, and had already 
felt the change at that time.  Ambassador commented that U.S. 
relations with Algeria were developing across the board, with 
one indication being the surge in the number of official USG 
visitors to Algeria in the past two years.  Lamamra 
encouraged more Americans to visit Algeria, including 
journalists.  In the 1990s, American journalists had a 
mistaken understanding of the nature of the terrorist 
violence in Algeria, but now he thought they were more ready 
to comprehend that Algeria had been an early battlefield in 
the "global struggle" against terror. 
 
¶3.  (C) Ambassador observed that the development of relations 
extended to trade and investment, as Algeria recognized the 
need to move beyond the French umbrella and into a global 
economy.  Lamamra said that need had long been recognized in 
Algeria, but was only now being put into action.  He cited $7 
billion in Algerian exports to the U.S. in 2004, but added 
there was still a need for greater diversification beyond 
hydrocarbons.  Ambassador commented that more U.S. firms had 
participated in this year's Algiers trade fair than ever, and 
a great number of them were non-hydrocarbon companies looking 
to establish themselves in Algeria as a regional base for 
manufacturing.  Lamamra said he had been involved with 
then-U.S. Ambassador Hume in an attempt to bring American 
fast food franchises such as McDonald's to Algeria, but at 
the time it had not worked.  Now, the Algerian private sector 
was ready to work with companies such as McDonald's. 
Ambassador said we should revisit this idea.  Lamamra agreed, 
saying he wanted to see visible "symbols of America" in 
downtown Algiers. 
 
¶4.  (C) Ambassador offered his analysis that the convergence 
in U.S.-Algerian interests since 2001 involved not just a 
common struggle against terrorism after 9/11 but also a 
shared vision of the future, based on Algeria's movement 
toward democracy and open markets, that had never existed 
before.  Lamamra commented that energy companies did not need 
the assistance of diplomats to do business, but other sectors 
of the economy could benefit from the Embassy's help.  He 
mentioned in this regard his discussions as Algeria's 
Washington ambassador with Vice President Cheney when he 
visited Algeria as a private businessman. 
 
Bilateral Military Ties and a SOFA 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Ambassador said that U.S.-Algerian military to 
military ties were developing rapidly.  The U.S. European 
Command was working with the Algerian military to counter the 
threat of GSPC terrorism in the vast Sahelian region.  As 
part of this effort, we had recently held the first joint 
exercise in Algeria of our special forces.  Raising the need 
for a SOFA, Ambassador said the U.S. participation in this 
exercise had been very small, but if we were to move forward 
with this kind of cooperation, which was clearly in our 
mutual interest and which the Algerian military was eager to 
do, we would need to conclude a SOFA.  The need for a SOFA 
had been raised in Washington with General Senhadji during 
the Joint Military Dialogue and again in Algiers with Foreign 
Minister Bedjaoui, who had reacted positively to the idea of 
hosting a team of U.S. experts who could discuss what a SOFA 
entailed and address any concerns.  We have SOFAs with 
roughly 150 countries.  They are entirely routine and 
essentially accord immunities similar to those granted to 
Embassy administrative and technical staff. 
 
¶6.  (C) Ambassador added that State has proposed sending a 
team to Algiers September 20-21 to discuss any issues 
involving concluding a SOFA.  Ambassador urged a response as 
soon as possible.  Lamamra asked if he understood correctly 
that the team would be coming to discuss a SOFA, not 
necessarily to negotiate a final text.  Ambassador confirmed 
that was correct, noting that Bedjaoui had said there were 
some issues that might require changes in Algerian domestic 
legislation.  The team would include people who had conducted 
SOFA negotiations in a number of countries.  Noting that this 
was a new issue for him, Lamamra asked whether the U.S. had 
secured the full cooperation of the Algerian military on this 
issue.  Was there now an official military to military 
dialogue?  Ambassador responded that had been the purpose of 
the Joint Military Dialogue, which now provided a formal 
mechanism for high-level military dialogue. 
 
¶7.  (C) Lamamra noted there had been some military to 
military exchanges in the 1980s, recalling that Richard 
Armitage had led such a team to Algiers when Armitage had 
been Under Secretary of Defense.  Ambassador assured Lamamra 
that we now have numerous regular visits.  EUCOM is very 
interested in Algeria and has a strategic vision in which 
Algeria plays an important part.  The recent GSPC attack in 
Mauritania had had a positive effect in terms of promoting 
regional cooperation among the Sahelian states as well. 
Lamamra said he would discuss these issues, including a SOFA, 
with General Senhadji.  He added that in terms of agreeing on 
the visit of the SOFA team, it would be helpful if we could 
get him the names and titles of the team members. 
 
Western Sahara and POW Release 
------------------------------ 
 
¶8.  (C) Turning to the Western Sahara, Lamamra commented that 
Algeria was pleased to see the appointment of the new UNSYG 
Personal Representative, von Welsum.  Lamamra hoped the 
appointment would provide badly needed momentum.  Lamamra 
observed that Polisario leader Abdelaziz had announced his 
willingness to release the remaining Moroccan POWs.  To the 
Ambassador's comment that this was a humanitarian issue and 
that continuing to hold the Moroccans was harmful to both 
Polisario and Algeria, Lamamra replied that this was an 
independent Sahrawi decision.  Algeria respected the 
independence of Polisario decision-making, but would continue 
to offer the Polisario its advice based on humanitarian 
concerns.  Lamamra added that the Moroccan security services 
were arresting Sahrawis for merely calling for a referendum. 
U.S. advice to Morocco to respect human rights would also be 
appreciated, he said.  The situation in the Western Sahara 
needed to be deescalated.  Ambassador assured Lamamra that we 
were raising this issue in Rabat as well. 
 
Help Algeria Retrieve Remains of Diplomats in Baghdad 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶9.  (C) Lamamra said that over the weekend, he had 
accompanied Foreign Minister Bedjaoui on his condolence calls 
on the families of the two Algerian diplomats who were 
kidnapped and murdered in Iraq.  The principal request of the 
families was that the bodies be returned.  Lamamra requested 
that we inform the GOA if the U.S. had any information about 
the location of their remains.  Returning the remains to 
their families for burial would help build Algerian popular 
support for fighting terrorism in Iraq as well as at home. 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10.  (C) Lamamra, who speaks excellent English, strikes us as 
someone who will prove to be an especially valuable and 
authoritative interlocutor.  Unlike his predecessor, he is 
personally close to President Bouteflika as well as to both 
Foreign Minister Bedjaoui and Prime Minister Ouyahia.  He is 
also clearly well-disposed to the United States and 
understands our system and views.  Lamamra will be an 
excellent interlocutor for senior officials in Washington as 
well, and we will strongly encourage him to pay an early 
visit to the U.S. in order to help advance a direct, 
high-level bilateral engagement. 
 
 
ERDMAN