VZCZCXRO2323
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHRN
DE RUEHMR #0047 0431110
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121110Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4590
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 5026

UNCLAS MASERU 000047 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV LT
SUBJECT: LESOTHO'S KING WANTS U.S. DOMESTIC ISSUES RESOLVED SO OBAMA 
CAN FOCUS ON AFRICA 
 
¶1.  At the monarch's invitation, on February 9, 2010, Ambassador 
Nolan and DCM Power met with King Letsie III and spoke with him 
for almost an hour on the current status of the health care 
reform proposals in the United States.  King Letsie was 
particularly interested in the cultural context in which the 
current debate is taking place, noting that universal coverage 
does not seem to be an issue that merits as much acrimonious 
debate as it has received in the U.S. political sphere.  The 
Ambassador gave a brief overview of the status of the reform 
efforts and outlined the various interests and issues involved 
in the proposals.  King Letsie was appreciative of the briefing 
and noted that his interest was driven in part by a desire for 
President Obama to resolve his domestic issues of health care 
and job creation, so that "he could return his attention to 
African issues." 
 
 
 
¶2.  Comment: The Basotho monarch is the head of state and 
largely a ceremonial figure, deeply revered by the Basotho 
people while remaining wholly outside of the local political 
sphere.  He was genuinely interested in the subject of U.S. 
health care reform; with the few foreign policy discussion 
options available to him in this small country's community, this 
meeting may have been in part a means of engaging in a 
substantive conversation that would not have any effect on 
contentious Basotho politics.  King Letsie was alone and was 
relaxed and at ease, dressed in jeans and a casual shirt, having 
just returned from his farm.  This was the first event of this 
kind in recent years, and the king mentioned that he would like 
to hold similar discussions in the future.  He clearly follows 
U.S. politics closely, perhaps in part because his wife, Queen 
Masenate, is currently in the U.S. pursuing a degree in 
economics at Columbia University. 
 
NOLAN