Cablegate: Libyan Response to Potus Afghanistan/Pakistan Strategy

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OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHTRO #0946 3370841
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 030841Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5519
INFO RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0005
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0005
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 6069

C O N F I D E N T I A L TRIPOLI 000946

SIPDIS STATE

FOR NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/3/2019

TAGS: PREL AF PK LY

SUBJECT: LIBYAN RESPONSE TO POTUS AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN STRATEGY REF: State 122731

CLASSIFIED BY: Joan Polaschik, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy Tripoli, Libya, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)

1.(C) Pol/Econ chief discussed reftel points with Acting MFA A/S-equivalent Mohamed Matari December 1. Matari complimented the fact that POTUS had taken time to discuss the strategy with several specialists. He expresed his hope that the strategy would succeed. Matari warned, however, that the strategy would face criticism. Unless you have a strong government in Afghanistan, which is free of corruption, it will be difficult to make progress, he asserted. Matari believed that the U.S. needed to engage moderate Taliban groups as part of its strategy. He also said that there must be real development and that the Afghan people must see progress if the Afghan government hopes to win their support.

2.(C) Matari said that Libya had noted long ago that Pakistan was going to be the key to success in Afghanistan. He recalled that when Abdul Rahman Shalgam (Libya's current UN PermRep) was Foreign Minister, Shalgam had advised the United States to focus on Pakistan and had warned that failure there would have consequences in Afghanistan.

3. (U) We will report media reaction separately. POLASCHIK

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