O 010643Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6977
NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY CAIRO 
AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
AMEMBASSY TUNIS 
AMEMBASSY RABAT 
AMEMBASSY PARIS 
AMCONSUL MARSEILLE

UNCLAS ALGIERS 000113 
 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR, R/MR, NEA/PA, NEA/PPD CJAZYNKA, PAGNEW, ASOMERSET 
AND NEA/MAG JPATTERSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS PTER AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIAN MEDIA REACTION TO BREAKING SCANDAL - JANUARY 31, 
2009 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Press reports of the CIA station chief in Algiers 
accused of raping two Algerian women, which broke on ABC News on the 
evening of January 28, were splashed across the front pages of 
almost every Algerian newspaper on January 31.  The extensive 
reporting was largely a translation of the original ABC News report 
and subsequent reporting by the Western press.  Commentary expressed 
in editorials and within some of the articles largely condemns the 
alleged crimes while criticizing the GOA for allowing the CIA to 
operate in Algeria without the knowledge of the general public. 
Comments posted in online discussion boards echoed the same 
sentiments while also sparking debates on rape and making value 
judgments on the two alleged victims.  Apart from a statement by the 
Algerian Ambassador to the U.S., there has yet to be an official GOA 
public response to the matter.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. The news of an investigation into allegations of rape broke 
Wednesday (January 28) evening in the U.S., too late to make it into 
Thursday's Algerian press.  As newspapers do not come out on Fridays 
in Algeria, the story first made its appearance in Algerian print 
media on Saturday January 31.  Coverage was, however, carried on 
Tout Sur L'Algerie, an online Algerian news site based in France, 
the day after the story broke.  The story made the front page of all 
major daily newspapers in Algeria except the government owned papers 
and Le Soir D'Algerie, an anti-government French-language newspaper 
which instead chose to print a policy interview with Embassy 
Pol/Econ Chief conducted six weeks earlier.  All the Algerian news 
articles were based on the original ABC News report, the affidavit 
in support of the search warrant and the Embassy Spokesperson's 
comments (strictly based on the DOS approved guidance).  A few 
journalists injected commentary into their articles; some lost some 
accuracy in translation, while a few went so far as to take 
liberties with the facts of the case. 
 
Government Press 
---------------- 
¶3. The GOA holds a monopoly over TV and radio in Algeria, as well as 
publishing six daily newspapers and running the national press 
agency Agence Presse Service.  There has been no official GOA 
statement concerning this case to date.  Therefore, there has also 
been no mention of the story in the government run media. 
 
French-Language Press 
--------------------- 
¶4. The majority of French-language reporting was factual and based 
on the original ABC News report.  A few facts were misconstrued 
during translation in some articles but commentary was kept to a 
minimum.  There were, however, several editorials written 
criticizing the idea of CIA presence in Algeria and the GOA's 
failure to inform the populace of same.  Many of the articles 
commented on the likelihood of this scandal having a negative impact 
on the new administration's efforts to reach out to the Arab world. 
The medium circulation Le Jeune Independant was the only paper to 
criticize the public press's silence, but also implied that the 
subject of the press reports had "run away" to the U.S. after the 
alleged rapes. 
 
Selected Headlines: 
 
"Sex, rapes, and videos at the U.S. Embassy in Algiers." Largest 
circulation French-language daily El Watan 
 
"The CIA tainted by a sexual scandal in Algiers." Influential daily 
Liberte 
 
"Scandal at the U.S. Embassy in Algiers: The CIA chief drugs and 
rapes two Algerian women." Large circulation daily Le Quotidien 
d'Oran 
 
"What is the CIA doing in Algiers?" Influential daily L'Expression 
 
Moderate Arabic-Language Press 
------------------------------ 
¶5. As with the French-language press, the majority of 
Arabic-language newspapers printed factual articles based on 
previous Western reporting.  The second largest Arabic-language 
daily El Khabar, however, reported that Washington has already 
assured the Algerian government that it was an isolated incident and 
that the investigation is ongoing.  The paper also reported that, 
when Ambassador Pearce met with the Algerian Minister-Delegate for 
Defense on January 29, he provided details about the case and 
expressed the USG's hope that this incident would not negatively 
affect the bilateral relationship between the two countries.  The 
leading political party's newspaper, Sawt Al Ahrar, also printed a 
factual article, but included a quote from an Algerian political 
science professor and former army officer, who claimed the incident 
was an American plot against Algeria. 
 
¶6. In an entirely unique article, the medium circulation Ennahar El 
Djadid printed a story claiming that one of the two alleged victims 
was an Algerian spy working for the U.S.  A commentary in the same 
paper implied that the downfall of the alleged CIA officer was a 
retaliatory act by the CIA in response to President Obama's recent 
efforts to close Guantanamo, end torture, and close secret prisons. 
The author reinforced this argument by comparing the officer, an 
African-American Muslim, to President Obama, an African-American 
with Muslim family ties. 
 
Selected Headlines: 
 
"CIA station chief in Algiers rapes two Algerian women; U.S. 
Ambassador to Algiers coordinates with the Ministry of Defense on 
the investigation." Large circulation El Khabar 
 
"Washington repatriates its intelligence officer after he raped two 
Algerian women; U.S. Embassy in Algiers avoids giving information." 
Ruling political party's newspaper Sawt Al Ahrar 
 
"An Algeria woman spy takes down a CIA officer in Hydra (Algiers)." 
medium circulation Ennahar El Djadid 
 
Conservative Arabic-Language Press 
---------------------------------- 
¶7. Even the conservative Arabic-language Algerian press printed 
factual articles on the case, although their commentary tended to be 
harsher.  The medium circulation Islamist daily El Bilad claimed 
that the videotaping of alleged sexual acts with the women was meant 
to be used to blackmail them into spying for the U.S.  The 
best-selling newspaper in Algeria, the anti-American Echourouk El 
Youmi, printed a scathing editorial likening the alleged rapes to 
other so-called violations by foreigners (read: Americans) in 
Algeria. 
 
Selected Headlines: 
 
"Diplomacy of kidnapping, rape, terror, and spying." Largest 
circulation daily Echourouk El Youmi 
 
"Scandal rocks the diplomatic corps in Algeria: CIA station chief 
rapes two Algerian women."  Medium circulation Islamist daily El 
Bilad 
 
Pan-Arab Media 
-------------- 
¶8. Several Pan-Arab media outlets reported on the news story after 
it broke in the U.S.  Al Arabyia, its parent channel MBC, and Al 
Jazeera all broadcast reports on the news.  Many Pan-Arab 
newspapers, such as Asharq Al Awsat and Al Hayet, also printed 
articles.  The coverage was largely based on a Reuters article and 
included the facts, as well as the assessment echoed by the various 
Pan-Arab news channels, that the allegations could "deal a major 
blow to the U.S. image abroad, at a time when President Barack Obama 
has called for a 'new way forward, based on mutual interest and 
mutual respect' with the Muslim world." 
 
Online News and Message Boards 
------------------------------ 
¶9. Tout Sur L'Algerie, an internet based news site, was the first 
Algerian media outlet to post coverage of the story.  Its coverage 
was factual and led to subsequent articles about the story and about 
the history of the CIA's presence in Algeria.  One editorial piece 
was posted by the website describing the ways in which the scandal 
"brings embarrassment to both Algiers and Washington."  The piece 
explained that the incident has revealed the presence of the CIA in 
Algeria after years of GOA assurances that they would not allow U.S. 
troops or intelligence agents on Algerian soil.  The journalist also 
believed that the incident could be used by Islamist groups to 
further discredit the Algerian government by accusing it of 
collaborating with the enemy.  For the Americans, the author felt 
this scandal would hinder the U.S. administration's attempts to 
improve the U.S. image in the Arab world. 
 
¶10. The online articles sparked strong reactions and lively debate 
on the website's message boards.  Postings began with anger and 
outrage over the alleged incident, but soon evolved into discussions 
and debates of two main themes.  One was the shock over the CIA's 
presence in Algerian and the anger at the Algerian authorities for 
having kept it a secret from the public.  The other was a debate 
over rape based on value judgments made about the two women in 
question by a number of readers.  There were a significant number of 
posts blaming the victims for having gone to the house of a stranger 
and having consumed alcohol.  Others responded with indignation over 
these remarks, underscoring the heinous nature of rape and the 
unacceptable attitude of blaming the victim.  One posting glossed 
over the rapes of two women while "Bouteflika has been raping 36 
million Algerians for ten years." 
 
Block Quotes 
------------ 
 
"The CIA in Algiers, who knew?" By Sami Ousy Ali for El Watan 
 
"It took a sordid sex scandal to break out in Washington for 
Algerians to learn that the CIA had a branch in Algiers.  Did the 
Algerian authorities give their permission for the opening of such a 
branch in our country?  If that is the case, the public was not 
informed, at least not officially...Yes, we know that our government 
already gave its permission for the opening of an FBI branch in 
Algiers, but the announcement that a CIA branch exists intrigues, 
shocks, and leaves one perplexed.  To be convinced, all you have to 
do is read the various commentaries posted on the internet to 
comprehend the scope of this surprise." 
 
"Diplomacy of kidnapping, rape, terror, and spying."  Djamel Laalami 
for Echourouk El Youmi 
 
"These two rapes are just another case to be added to the series of 
violations perpetrated by foreigners in Algeria.  Foreign embassies 
were involved in collecting information from political parties, 
organizations and media during courtesy calls, in a blatant attempt 
to interfere in the country's internal affairs.  Foreign entities 
were involved in spreading information about alleged bombings. 
Foreign entities were involved in painting a dark picture of Algeria 
in attempts to pressure it into changing its positions on several 
regional and international dossiers." 
 
PEARCE