137. Memorandum From the Vice President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Gregg) to Vice President Bush1
SUBJECT
- Meeting with Nourredine Kerroum, Secretary General of the Algerian Foreign Ministry
I had a fascinating meeting with Mr. Kerroum which demonstrated once more how valuable our relations with Algeria can be.
I discussed our concerns about Afghanistan. Kerroum agreed with our analysis.2 He said he believed that the Soviets now regretted their decision to invade and doubted that it had been inspired by fears of Muslim fundamentalism and said it would be very hard to get them out. Kerroum said that Algeria had worked jointly with India to press an NAM resolution against the Soviet move, but that it was hard for Algeria to pursue the Aghan issue whenever it was placed in an East-West context.3 I said we had no desire to put Afghanistan into that category, adding that our major concerns were to end the agony of the Afghan people and to get the Soviets out so that a neutral and non-aligned country could reemerge. I indicated that you had talked to Mrs. Gandhi about that topic4 and urged that Algeria do all in its power to press for a political solution.
We next talked about Libya, and while Kerroum agreed that there was widespread unhappiness within that country, it was not at all certain that Qadhafi would be overthrown. Algeria’s distaste for Qadhafi was clear in what Kerroum said, but it was also obvious that at this point they do not intend to take any forcible action.
On Iran-Iraq, Kerroum confirmed that there is a debate within the Iranian power structure, largely between President Khamenei and Speaker Rafsanjani. While Khamenei takes a more reasonable line, he cannot advocate a settlement of the war with Iraq that does not [Page 308] show to the Iranian people some concrete result of all of the fighting. A recent Algerian delegation was told in Teheran that the Iranians would give up all of their claims in Iraq except for their demand of Husayn Saddam’s resignation. Kerroum said he found no reason for optimism in looking at the war.
Kerroum dwelt largely on Algeria’s problems with Morocco and urged that the U.S. take a more balanced stance. He said it now appears that King Hassan believes that we will support him no matter what his posture relative to problems in the Western Sahara. Kerroum felt that a more balanced U.S. stand would push Hassan toward a more sensible West Sahara policy.5
Kerroum sent his best regards to you and stated that your talks with President Bendjedid and Foreign Minister Ibrahimi were the “clearest milestones” which mark a new U.S.-Algerian relationship. (Just before he left, Kerroum indicated that they are considering seriously the release of the American prisoner, Jay Salby, on humanitarian grounds. I thanked him for this indication of concern.)
Tom Nassif and Alec Toumayan both indicated that the meeting had been interesting and that several new points had emerged.
- Source: George H.W. Bush Library, Vice Presidential Records, Office of National Security Affairs, Donald P. Gregg Files, Country Files, OA/ID 19778, Folder 19778–003, Algeria—1984. Confidential. Sent through Murphy. Printed from an uninitialed copy. In the top right-hand corner of the memorandum, on a copy printed for Kemp, Gregg wrote: “Sorry you weren’t there. DG.”↩
- Gregg placed an asterisk after this sentence and in the left-hand margin wrote: “said pressure should be kept on Soviets.”↩
- Gregg underlined the words “it was hard for Algeria to pursue the Afghan issue whenever it was placed in an East-West context” and in the left-hand margin wrote: “this was stressed.”↩
- Not found.↩
- After this sentence, Gregg wrote: “He was vehement on this.”↩