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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 000194 

SIPDIS 

SIPDIS 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2018 
TAGS: PREL PINS OVIP MO
SUBJECT: NEA A/S WELCH AND DIRECTOR GENERAL MANSOURI REVIEW 
REGIONAL ISSUES 

REF: A. RABAT 185 (NOTAL) 
¶B. RABAT 0178 (NOTAL) 
¶C. RABAT 0171 (NOTAL) 

Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for reason 1.4 (b, c, and d). 

¶1. (S) SUMMARY: On February 25, Director General for 
Studies and Documentation (DGED) Mohamed Yassine Mansouri 
(the Moroccan equivalent of the Director of the Central 
Intelligence Agency) and NEA Assistant Secretary David Welch 
and his party had a cordial and frank two-hour exchange on 
regional issues, working their way from east to west. Welch 
explained U.S. plans to maintain and strengthen Lebanese 
institutions. He described Syria's unhelpful role in both 
Lebanon and in the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP), with 
Mansouri noting that Syria has begun to realize that the 
foreign fighters might threaten its own internal security. 
Welch updated Mansouri on the MEPP, and Mansouri replied that 
he and Foreign Minister Fassi Fihri had met Israeli Foreign 
Minister Livni. Mansouri predicted a "monarchical 
succession" in Egypt. He said Libya continued to blame Saudi 
Wahabism for the region's terrorism problem. He expressed 
concern about rapacity and brittleness in Tunisia. Mansouri 
said that Algeria's terrorism problem was returning as 
Al-Qaeda focused more on North Africa; yet Bouteflika flatly 
refused to participate in an AMU security summit. 
Ambassadors Welch and Riley urged Morocco to stick with the 
diplomatic track to resolve the Western Sahara dispute and 
said diplomatic support for Morocco's autonomy proposal was 
growing. Mansouri ended the tour with a plea for greater 
U.S. assistance to Mauritania. END SUMMARY. 

SYRIA AND LEBANON 
----------------- 

¶2. (C) With the Syrian Foreign Minister coming to Morocco on 
February 26, Ambassador Welch inquired about Syria's 
cooperation with Morocco. Mansouri said that while it was 
not all that Morocco desired, it has improved in the last few 
months. Welch said the Syrians have recognized that the 
foreign fighter pipeline may pose a risk to their own 
country. However, Syria continued to exert a great deal of 
pressure on Lebanon and appeared determined to maintain its 
interests in Lebanon at any cost. Prior to the Annapolis 
conference, Syria had been relatively quiet vis-a-vis the 
Palestinians. However, three or four weeks ago, it hosted 
the conference of rejectionists. Damascus has lost the 
support of many Arab friends, and the Arab League Summit is 
insufficient incentive to achieve better behavior. 

¶3. (C) A/S Welch asked how Lebanon could be a threat to 
Syria; yet Syria is bent on destroying Lebanese institutions, 
i.e., the government, the army, and the central bank. As a 
result, the United States was increasing its assistance to 
Lebanon, working in tandem with Germany, France, the United 
Kingdom, and other friends. Mansouri interjected that Saudi 
Arabia, Jordan and Egypt's positions had evolved. Welch 
noted that family, intelligence, and business are all one in 
Syria. He ended that portion of the discussion by stressing 
U.S. support for a political solution and a short-term focus 
on maintaining and strengthening Lebanese institutions. 

ISRAEL AND THE MEPP 
------------------- 

¶4. (S) Turning to Israel, Welch said that the good news was 
real albeit unseen. He assured Mansouri that the 
Israeli-Palestinian talks were addressing all issues and were 
making progress. He told Mansouri that the Secretary and 
then the President intend to return to the region. More Arab 
financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority would be 
helpful. Mansouri said that he and Foreign Minister Taieb 
Fassi Fihri had met Israeli Foreign Minister Livni and found 

RABAT 00000194 002 OF 003 


her serious. 

GAZA AND EGYPT 
-------------- 

¶5. (C) The conversation then turned to Gaza and Egypt. 
Ambassador Welch noted that the GOE had contained 300,000 
Palestinians within the Sinai after they spilled across the 
frontier. Meanwhile, Hamas was not using funds it received 
from Iran to improve the humanitarian situation. Asked about 
the expected transition in Egypt, Mansouri agreed that the 
army would not control the next transition. He nonetheless 
expected a "monarchical succession." 

THE MAGHREB 
----------- 

¶6. (C) Moving west, Mansouri said Morocco and Libya enjoyed 
very good relations and agreed on many regional issues. 
Mansouri noted that Libya continues to believe that Saudi 
Wahabism is the source of terrorism in the region. Welch 
acknowledged that Libyan-U.S. relations are currently 
strained due to historical disputes. Mansouri was surprised 
when Welch expressed concern about Tunisia. Mansouri said 
Morocco is quite concerned about the greed and brittleness of 
the Ben Ali regime. Mansouri added that the December 
2006/January 2007 events had scared the GOT. 

¶7. (C) Continuing the westward progression, Mansouri 
declared that Algeria's terror problem was returning, as 
Al-Qaeda focused on North Africa to offset reverses in Iraq 
and Afghanistan. He said that even though senior Algerians 
refuse to come to Rabat, Moroccans go there. Mansouri said 
that Morocco has tried everything to improve bilateral 
relations. He noted that while counterterrorism cooperation 
must work, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had recently 
completely rejected a Tunisian initiative to organize a 
security summit of Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) members. 

WESTERN SAHARA 
-------------- 

¶8. (C) Mansouri told Welch and party that Algeria's internal 
problems did not prevent a solution to the Western Sahara 
dispute. He expressed some concern that generational change 
in Algiers might complicate a solution, declaring that the 
older generation had created the problem and was best placed 
to solve it. Mansouri said the GOM is "very worried about 
the POLISARIO moving into the area east of the berm." 
Ambassador Welch then launched into a long discussion of U.S. 
support for Morocco,s autonomy proposal and for a diplomatic 
solution. Both he and Ambassador Riley cautioned against 
military action. Welch said that while nine UNSC members 
still do not back Morocco's position, international support 
was growing. Mansouri then explained that UN Special Envoy 
Peter Van Walsum had expressed some disappointment with U.S. 
and international support. Welch said we would look at ways 
to publicly support Van Walsum's efforts to achieve a 
solution. He added that the POLISARIO would never have an 
independent state. 

MAURITANIA 
---------- 

¶9. (C) Last but not least, Mansouri expressed deep concern 
about the deteriorating security situation in Mauritania and 
requested that the USG consider enhanced assistance to 
support the new democratic government. Welch said that the 
U.S. is providing more assistance both through the Middle 
East Partnership Initiative and the Trans-Saharan 
Counterterrorism Partnership. 

COMMENT 

RABAT 00000194 003 OF 003 


------- 

¶10. (C) Director General Mansouri, who is very close to King 
Mohammed VI, clearly enjoyed his three hours with Ambassador 
Welch and party. The exchange was frank and collegial as one 
might expect with an ally who shares similar interests and 
perspectives on many regional and international issues. END 
COMMENT. 

PARTICIPANTS 
------------ 

¶11. (U) U.S. Moroccan 
---- -------- 

NEA A/S C. David Welch DGED Director General 
Amb. Thomas T. Riley Mohamed Yassine 
DCM Robert P. Jackson Mansouri 
RAO Counselor George Gaydos Gen. Abdeljabbar Azaoui 
Executive Assistant to 
DAPNSA Elliot Abrams 
Erin Yerger 
NEA Staff Assistant 
Kimberly Harrington 

¶12. (U) NEA A/S Welch did not have an opportunity to clear 
this message. 


***************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
***************************************** 

Riley