VZCZCXRO4930
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHMOS RUEHMR RUEHPA
DE RUEHNK #0289 0691322
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 101322Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5251
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0005
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0001
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0479
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000289 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR IO/UNP BHARRIS, WHA/PPC RYONEOKA, AF/RSA RHOUSTON 
AND AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2016 
TAGS: PREL UN UNSC GT VE MR
SUBJECT: DEFEATING VENEZUELA IN THE 2006 ELECTION FOR 
NON-PERMANENT SEAT ON THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL 
 
REF: A. STATE 20173 
     ¶B. NOUAKCHOTT 144 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Joseph LeBaron, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) 
 
¶1. (C) On March 9, DCM called on MFA Director for 
International Organizations Amb. Telmidi Ould Mohamed Amar to 
follow up on Embassy's February 14 dipnote (Ref B) 
encouraging Mauritania to vote for Guatemala in the 2006 
election for the non-permanent seat on the UN Security 
Council. 
 
¶2. (C) Telmidi said he understood the reasons why the USG 
opposed Venezuela's candidacy and said the minister was aware 
of the issue and of its importance to the USG.  Talmidi 
indicated that Mauritania was disposed to voting for 
Guatemala, but said the MFA needed first to see if the AU and 
Arab League take a stand on the issue, noting that these 
groups often do not take positions in such issues outside 
their region.  He added that the matter will likely come up 
in the September 2006 NAM summit in Havana, but seemed less 
concerned about that outcome.  Telmidi promised that the 
ministry would respond to our dipnote. 
 
¶3. (C) COMMENT:  Mauritania's membership to the AU was 
suspended following the August 3 coup, limiting even further 
the government's ability to influence an AU decision.  As 
well, should the AU decide to back Venezuela, Mauritania 
would feel compelled to back the decision as a show of 
solidarity with an organization that is strongly supporting 
its democratic transition process.  The same is true for the 
Arab League, where the transitional government has been 
staying closely aligned with AL policies both in an effort to 
maintain its legitimacy and to offset its decision to 
maintain full relations with Israel.  Venezuela may also play 
on the fact that Mauritania is the world's newest petroleum 
exporter, although we have not seen any evidence of that yet. 
 END COMMENT. 
LeBaron