Apres une visite a alger et une rencontre avec bouteflika en 2005, le sénateur americain lugar s'est rendus au maroc et a rencontré mohammed 6. M6 dit avec regret qu'il a tenté tout pour faire bouger les relations entre les deux pays mais le maroc n'a rien reçus de favorable ... M6 continue en disant au sénateur: " Je me suis senti comme un mendiant".
Quand lugar a rapporté a M6 que bouteflika proposait au maroc un referendum généralisé ou les marocains habitants au sahara seront acceptés au vote, M6 a rétorqué ironiquement:" qu'il avait aussi une suggestion pour bouteflika, essayons un referendum test en kabylie et voyons comment cela va marcher ...".
A propos des frontières mohammed 6 a dit au sénateur quand ce dernier a expliqué la version de bouteflika: " bouteflika a peur que si on ouvre les frontières, des millions d'algériens viendrons au maroc mais aucun marocain n'ira en Algérie, le roi conclut que le régime algerien n'est tout simplement pas prêt de faire progresser ses relations avec le maroc, mais le Maroc continuera d'essayer même s'il n'est pas optimiste".
-----------------------------------------------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 001767
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA PDAS CHENEY, NEA/MAG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2009
TAGS: ECON ETRD MO PBTS PGOV PHUM PREL MAS
SUBJECT: SENATOR LUGAR'S MEETING WITH KING MOHAMMED
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for Reasons 1.4. (b) and (d)
¶1. (C) Summary: Senator Lugar met for 40 minutes with King
Mohammed the afternoon of August 19 in Tetouan, northern
Morocco. The King thanked Senator Lugar for US intervention
in freeing the remaining POWs from Tindouf. Lugar encouraged
the King to use the release as an opportunity to make
progress on Moroccan-Algerian relations. He suggested in
particular that the King make a gesture to Bouteflika, either
in public remarks, privately, or by re-scheduling the visit
to Morocco of the Algerian PM. The King promised to keep
working on better relations with Algeria and suggested that
reviving a quiet channel to the GOA through Algerian Chief of
Staff Belkheir might be helpful, though he said he was not
optimistic that Algeria was ready to engage seriously. Lugar
encouraged the King to present a revised autonomy plan to new
SRSG Van Walsum. The King praised the FTA and said the US
should have no illusions about Morocco's Islamists; behind
their benign facade, they were all anti-American. General
Jones noted NATO efforts in the region and expressed hope to
strengthen Med Dialogue. End Summary.
¶2. (SBU) Participants
US
--
Ambassador Riley
Senator Lugar
EUCOM Supreme Allied Commander General Jones
GOM
---
King Mohammed VI
FM Benaissa
Deputy FM Fassi Fihri
¶3. (C) King Mohammed greeted Senator Lugar solo, as FM
Benaissa, and Deputy FM Fassi Fihri entered the room
separately. The King welcomed Lugar and thanked him and the
US for their efforts in freeing the POWs. The King said that
in spite of everything (likely referring to earlier GOM
concerns about the timing and staging of the POW release as a
"fait accompli"), he was pleased the prisoners were home.
¶4. (C) Lugar handed the King the original copy of President
Bush's August 15 letter to the King. The King said he was
pleased to have Lugar in Morocco. He knew the US was
disappointed that there had not been more progress over the
last year or more in relations between Morocco and Algeria,
or more positive steps between the two countries. The King
wanted to reassure the US that Morocco had been doing
everything it could to improve relations with Algeria. The
King related that he had traveled to Algiers in April, had
extended his stay, and done everything he could to move the
relationship between the two countries forward. Morocco had
received nothing in return. In English, the King said, "I
felt like a beggar" returning from Algiers.
5. (C) Lugar encouraged the King not to give up and wondered
whether there was not some "small thing" Morocco could do to
give the relationship a boost. Lugar said he knew at one
point the GOM had invited the Algerian PM to Morocco; he
didn't know the full background, but he encouraged the King
to restart this initiative, or do something comparable such
as exchange visits at the foreign minister level. Noting why
he had refused in the end to attend the aborted Arab Maghreb
Union summit in May, the King said he had to be attentive to
the opinions and views of the Moroccan people. The Western
Sahara means a lot to the Moroccan people, the King said, but
it does not mean anything to the people of Algeria. The
Algerian government can say whatever it wants about the
issue, "but I have to be careful." The Algerian leadership
had made very provocative comments before the AMU summit,
leaving the King no choice but to decline to participate.
Quand lugar a rapporté a M6 que bouteflika proposait au maroc un referendum généralisé ou les marocains habitants au sahara seront acceptés au vote, M6 a rétorqué ironiquement:" qu'il avait aussi une suggestion pour bouteflika, essayons un referendum test en kabylie et voyons comment cela va marcher ...".
A propos des frontières mohammed 6 a dit au sénateur quand ce dernier a expliqué la version de bouteflika: " bouteflika a peur que si on ouvre les frontières, des millions d'algériens viendrons au maroc mais aucun marocain n'ira en Algérie, le roi conclut que le régime algerien n'est tout simplement pas prêt de faire progresser ses relations avec le maroc, mais le Maroc continuera d'essayer même s'il n'est pas optimiste".
-----------------------------------------------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 RABAT 001767
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA PDAS CHENEY, NEA/MAG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2009
TAGS: ECON ETRD MO PBTS PGOV PHUM PREL MAS
SUBJECT: SENATOR LUGAR'S MEETING WITH KING MOHAMMED
Classified By: Ambassador Thomas T. Riley for Reasons 1.4. (b) and (d)
¶1. (C) Summary: Senator Lugar met for 40 minutes with King
Mohammed the afternoon of August 19 in Tetouan, northern
Morocco. The King thanked Senator Lugar for US intervention
in freeing the remaining POWs from Tindouf. Lugar encouraged
the King to use the release as an opportunity to make
progress on Moroccan-Algerian relations. He suggested in
particular that the King make a gesture to Bouteflika, either
in public remarks, privately, or by re-scheduling the visit
to Morocco of the Algerian PM. The King promised to keep
working on better relations with Algeria and suggested that
reviving a quiet channel to the GOA through Algerian Chief of
Staff Belkheir might be helpful, though he said he was not
optimistic that Algeria was ready to engage seriously. Lugar
encouraged the King to present a revised autonomy plan to new
SRSG Van Walsum. The King praised the FTA and said the US
should have no illusions about Morocco's Islamists; behind
their benign facade, they were all anti-American. General
Jones noted NATO efforts in the region and expressed hope to
strengthen Med Dialogue. End Summary.
¶2. (SBU) Participants
US
--
Ambassador Riley
Senator Lugar
EUCOM Supreme Allied Commander General Jones
GOM
---
King Mohammed VI
FM Benaissa
Deputy FM Fassi Fihri
¶3. (C) King Mohammed greeted Senator Lugar solo, as FM
Benaissa, and Deputy FM Fassi Fihri entered the room
separately. The King welcomed Lugar and thanked him and the
US for their efforts in freeing the POWs. The King said that
in spite of everything (likely referring to earlier GOM
concerns about the timing and staging of the POW release as a
"fait accompli"), he was pleased the prisoners were home.
¶4. (C) Lugar handed the King the original copy of President
Bush's August 15 letter to the King. The King said he was
pleased to have Lugar in Morocco. He knew the US was
disappointed that there had not been more progress over the
last year or more in relations between Morocco and Algeria,
or more positive steps between the two countries. The King
wanted to reassure the US that Morocco had been doing
everything it could to improve relations with Algeria. The
King related that he had traveled to Algiers in April, had
extended his stay, and done everything he could to move the
relationship between the two countries forward. Morocco had
received nothing in return. In English, the King said, "I
felt like a beggar" returning from Algiers.
5. (C) Lugar encouraged the King not to give up and wondered
whether there was not some "small thing" Morocco could do to
give the relationship a boost. Lugar said he knew at one
point the GOM had invited the Algerian PM to Morocco; he
didn't know the full background, but he encouraged the King
to restart this initiative, or do something comparable such
as exchange visits at the foreign minister level. Noting why
he had refused in the end to attend the aborted Arab Maghreb
Union summit in May, the King said he had to be attentive to
the opinions and views of the Moroccan people. The Western
Sahara means a lot to the Moroccan people, the King said, but
it does not mean anything to the people of Algeria. The
Algerian government can say whatever it wants about the
issue, "but I have to be careful." The Algerian leadership
had made very provocative comments before the AMU summit,
leaving the King no choice but to decline to participate.
Commentaire