Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XXIV, North Africa

141. Memorandum From the Vice President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Gregg) to Vice President Bush¹

Washington, November 29, 1984

SUBJECT

• Secretary General, Algerian Foreign Ministry

This afternoon I received Mr. Nuridin Kerroum, Secretary General (#2 man) of the Algerian Foreign Ministry. At the specific request of Foreign Minister Ibrahimi, who wants to keep you personally informed, he updated me on major issues of interest to Algeria. His main points:

— Western Sahara. The OAU seated the SDAR/POLISARIO and then Morocco left the OAU.² Yesterday, Nov 28, the UN Fourth Committee (a UNGA committee of the whole) passed an Algerian resolution calling for Morocco to negotiate directly with the POLISARIO (Hassan will not) (Note: US abstained on that vote).³ Morocco needs to move. Algeria wants to help Morocco make progress—not embarrass the King. Union with Libya didn’t help. We talk to the Moroccans on the phone when we wish. I saw the Moroccan Foreign Minister daily at the UN. Don’t be surprised if Ibrahimi appears in Rabat by the end of the year. We are talking.

— Morocco-Libya Union. The Union is unnatural, and has objectives Africans oppose. It contributed to Morocco’s defeat on OAU seating of the SDAR (which Libya voted for). “We don’t say it in public, but I think we were the first to decide that Qadhafi is crazy. The same day he signed the Union with Hassan, he came to Algiers and swore to President Bendjedid that he had signed nothing. I was there.”

— Drought. Algeria got the OAU to agree to forming a Special Fund to focus Africans on solving their drought problems. Algeria contributed $10 million seed money, and hopes the US will add a symbolic contribution—in addition to its large bilateral aid efforts. Fund HQ will be in Dakar. Next OAU summit will focus only on economic issues—hopefully avoiding divisive political ones.

— UN. Algeria would like to have its UN mission coordinate more closely with ours on issues of mutual interest. This would be helpful to both missions.

— Iran-Iraq War. The war can end only on the basis of no victors-no vanquished. But with Khomeini and Saddam in power, that is impossible. Things seem hopeless as long as they are in power.

Mr. Kerroum was very forthcoming and glad to see that we were. Talking with these folks continues to be a pleasure, a learning experience, and a clear indicator that we can work together on more and more.

1. 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. Bush initialed the top right-hand corner of the memorandum and wrote: “12–1.”
2. During the November 12–15 OAU meeting in Addis Ababa, Morocco quit the OAU after the SADR’s seating. In telegram 2735 from Maputo, November 27, the Embassy reported: “The OAU members were essentially ‘tired’ of the Western Sahara issue, and wanted to resolve it once and for all at the Addis meeting. The Morocco-Libya pact had also caused consternation among African leaders and alienated the GOM from previous supporters. Moreover, the Africans were unhappy that Morocco had not fulfilled the commitment for a referendum put forth at the last summit.” (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, Electronic Telegrams, D840757–0843)
3. United Nations General Assembly Resolution 39/40, which the General Assembly ultimately approved on December 5, called for direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario.