Cablegate: Libyan Diplomatic Note Requesting Diplomatic Clearance for Qadhafi's Plane

VZCZCXRO2643
PP RUEHTRO
DE RUEHTRO #0697 2391638
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271638Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5203
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0229
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 5747

UNCLAS TRIPOLI 000697

SENSITIVE SIPDIS

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

TAGS: PREL EAIR OVIP LY

SUBJECT: LIBYAN DIPLOMATIC NOTE REQUESTING DIPLOMATIC CLEARANCE FOR QADHAFI'S PLANE REF: TRIPOLI 695

1.(SBU) As reported reftel, MFA A/S-equivalent Ahmed Fituri convoked CDA August 27 to formally request that Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi's Ifriqiyah Airways plane be granted diplomatic clearance -- including full privileges and immunities -- when Qadhafi travels to New York for the UNGA. Embassy's informal translation of the diplomatic note follows.

2. (SBU) Begin translation: The General People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation (Americas Desk), sends its compliments to the U.S. Embassy in the Great Jamahiriya, and has the honor to refer to the meeting that took place between the Secretary of the Libyan People's Bureau in Washington and Ms. Margaret Nardi, Head of Arab Maghreb Department to discuss details relative to the Leader's visit to the United States, and especially the pretexts that she enumerated regarding the difficulty of securing a diplomatic authorization for the plane transporting Brother the Leader and his accompanying delegation, and notably the fact that Ifriqiyah Airlines is not registered to fly in the American airspace; this is unacceptable. We hereby emphasize the need to address this issue because the diplomatic authorization is normally offered to the person on board of the plane, and we note that an aircraft registered under the name of this company has previously obtained the required diplomatic authorization. We stress that this aircraft has to be offered all the services and privileges that other head of states' planes usually have, including the parking spot. This is highly important and we cannot compromise it or accept an alternative to it. The General People's Committee Secretariat for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation (International Organizations Office) avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the esteemed US Embassy the assurances of its highest considerations. (Seal of the General People's Secretary for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation) To: US Embassy- Tripoli Tripoli: August 27th, 2009 (end text) POLASCHIK

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