VZCZCXRO4481
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHTRO #0704 2421556
ZNY EEEEE ZZH
P R 301556Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5211
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0231
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0591
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1150
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0822
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 5755

UNCLAS E F T O TRIPOLI 000704

SENSITIVE NOFORN SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL PGOV EAIR OVIP UNGA LY

SUBJECT: LIBYAN PROTOCOL CHIEF CONFIRMS QADHAFI WILL NOT STAY IN ENGLEWOOD RESIDENCE ENTIRE TEXT SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED/NOFORN; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.

¶1. (SBU/NF) In an August 29 meeting, Libyan Protocol Chief Nuri al-Mismari confirmed that plans for Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi to stay in Englewood, NJ are off. Instead, the GOL is focusing on finding accommodations for Qadhafi in Manhattan. According to Mismari, the most likely outcome is that Qadhafi will stay at the Libyan Permrep's residence in Manhattan. Mismari showed A/DCM an August 25 e-mail from him to the Libyan Permrep, telling him to abort plans to use the NJ residence, noting that, "see, you didn't need to pressure me about this; we were already working on an alternative arrangement." Mismari said that, if asked, the GOL will tell journalists that it is not using the NJ residence because the necessary renovations will not be completed in time for Qadhafi's visit. Mismari stressed that any further USG public comment on the issue would be "damaging," and that the Libyan Government doesn't want things to "spin out of control, and then he [Qadhafi] will get involved, and not want to do the trip at all." Mismari was keenly interested in the potential protests in Englewood on August 30, noting that he really hopes they have been canceled. He asked that A/DCM contact him as soon as possible if any news about the protests is heard.

¶2. (SBU/NF) Mismari showed A/DCM a fax he sent August 28 to the Libyan missions in NY and DC, telling them to focus henceforth only on the "official purpose" of Qadhafi's visit, and to cancel planning for "extraneous" activities, such as a Qadhafi walk through of Harlem, and some press roundtables. "I want to wait for things to cool down in the U.S. before proceeding with any such extra events," he said.

¶3. (SBU/NF)Mismari asked A/DCM about flight clearances for the Qadhafi delegation. He said his current plan is for the delegation to travel on the Ifriqiyah Airways VIP plane to Portugal, then charter a separate plane for the delegation to use to travel to NY. He inquired if "this will work for your people."

¶4. (SBU/NF) Comment: Mismari, even in the frenzy of the lead-up to the September 1 celebration, seemed remarkably focused on Qadhafi's NY trip. He kept both the Italian Ambassador and an Italian Prime Ministerial advance team and the two lead organizers of the September 1 events waiting for an hour, even though A/DCM offered that he should meet the others first, as they all had arrived at the same time. Mismari appeared very committed to the success of the NY trip, stressing, "This is not about Qadhafi or Obama, but rather about our two countries and peoples writ large. This trip has to move forward, so the relationship can progress, and we do not leave future generations of Libyans and Americans to deal with this hot potato of abnormal bilateral relations." POLASCHIK