

Currently released so far... 6230 / 251,287
Articles
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Amsterdam
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Browse by tag
ASEC
AF
AE
AR
AORC
AJ
AU
AM
ABLD
AL
AMGT
ASUP
AFIN
APER
ABUD
AVERY
APCS
AEMR
ADCO
APECO
ASIG
AG
AA
AS
AFFAIRS
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AMED
AO
ACOA
AX
AROC
ATFN
ASEAN
AFGHANISTAN
AFU
AER
ALOW
AODE
ATRN
AID
AC
AGMT
CH
CO
CS
CE
CU
CLINTON
CG
CVIS
CMGT
CI
CJAN
CF
COM
CASC
CA
CBW
CM
CDG
CR
COUNTER
CD
CWC
CKGR
CN
CPAS
CJUS
CV
CONS
CT
CY
COUNTERTERRORISM
CIA
CACM
CDB
CAN
COE
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
CACS
CONDOLEEZZA
CARSON
CL
CIS
CODEL
CTM
CB
ECON
EFIN
EAIR
EUN
EINV
ENRG
EG
ETRD
EPET
ETTC
ELAB
EU
ER
ET
EAGR
ECPS
ECIN
ELTN
EAID
EMIN
EWWT
EFIS
EIND
EC
ES
EN
EI
ENVR
ENGR
ENIV
EUNCH
ENVI
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ELN
EZ
EXTERNAL
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EINT
EUR
ECINECONCS
ENNP
EFINECONCS
EK
ELECTIONS
ECUN
EINVEFIN
ECIP
EINDETRD
EUC
EREL
ECA
ENERG
ENGY
ETRO
EFTA
ECONCS
ECONOMICS
ECONEFIN
EINVETC
EINN
ESA
ETC
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ESENV
ETRDECONWTOCS
IN
IC
IR
IZ
IS
IAEA
IT
ICTY
IO
IA
IWC
ID
ICRC
ILC
INTELSAT
IMO
ISRAELI
IACI
ILO
ITRA
IBRD
IMF
ICJ
ICAO
ITALY
ITALIAN
IRAQI
INTERPOL
IV
IQ
IPR
INRB
ITPHUM
IIP
IL
INR
ITPGOV
IZPREL
IRC
INRA
INRO
IRAJ
IEFIN
IF
KDEM
KCRM
KJUS
KTIA
KWBG
KPAL
KIPR
KTIP
KE
KNNP
KGHG
KICC
KV
KTFN
KU
KCFE
KDRG
KWMN
KSCA
KGIC
KCOR
KFRD
KPKO
KSUM
KPRP
KPAO
KBCT
KIRF
KCFC
KISL
KREC
KSPR
KHIV
KBIO
KMCA
KMPI
KFLU
KSTH
KBTR
KS
KOMC
KOMS
KSEP
KPRV
KFLO
KHLS
KN
KWWMN
KUNR
KLIG
KSTC
KZ
KG
KRAD
KOLY
KTBT
KTDB
KOCI
KAWK
KCIP
KNPP
KWAC
KMDR
KAWC
KIDE
KSAF
KX
KWMNCS
KNEI
KCRS
KVPR
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KACT
KO
KFSC
KR
KPWR
KMIG
KSEC
KIFR
KDEMAF
KFIN
KGCC
KPIN
KPLS
KIRC
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KGIT
KBTS
KERG
KWMM
KRVC
KNSD
KVIR
KNUP
KTER
KDDG
KHSA
KMRS
KHDP
KTLA
KPAK
KNAR
KREL
KPAI
KTEX
KCOM
KNNPMNUC
KPOA
KRFD
KHUM
KDEV
KNUC
MOPS
MARR
MASS
MNUC
MO
MX
MCAP
ML
MTCRE
MR
MP
MY
MU
MIL
MAR
MC
MRCRE
MTRE
MA
MEPI
MV
MPOS
MD
MZ
MEPP
MOPPS
MAPP
MASC
MT
MERCOSUR
MK
MDC
MI
MAPS
MCC
MASSMNUC
MQADHAFI
MUCN
MTCR
MG
OREP
OVIP
OFDP
ODIP
OPDC
OAS
OTRA
OSCE
OECD
OIIP
OEXC
OPCW
OPIC
OPRC
OVP
OSCI
OTR
OSAC
OIC
OFFICIALS
OIE
PHUM
PREL
PGOV
PREF
PTER
PARM
PBTS
PINR
PINS
PHSA
PK
POL
PM
PINT
PE
PINF
PEL
PA
PARMS
PO
PLN
PROP
PALESTINIAN
PAO
PL
POV
PG
POLITICS
PEPR
PSI
PSOE
PU
POLITICAL
PARTIES
PBIO
PECON
PAK
POGOV
PINL
PKFK
PMIL
PY
PFOR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PRAM
PMAR
PGOVLO
PUNE
PORG
PHUMPREL
PF
POLINT
PHUS
PGOC
PNR
PGGV
PNAT
PGOVE
PRGOV
PRL
PROV
PTERE
PGOF
PHUMBA
SENV
SY
SZ
SOCI
SO
SR
SNAR
SA
SP
SW
SMIG
SU
SCUL
SC
SAN
SN
SL
SG
SYR
SEVN
SF
SI
STEINBERG
SIPRS
SH
SNARCS
SOFA
SANC
SHUM
SK
ST
TRGY
TU
TBIO
TH
TS
TSPL
TT
TPHY
TSPA
TI
TK
TIP
TERRORISM
TZ
TX
TW
TD
TP
TC
TO
TNGD
TINT
TRSY
TR
TFIN
TURKEY
UK
UNGA
UN
UNHRC
UNMIK
UNO
UZ
UNSC
UP
UG
UNHCR
UNDC
US
UNAUS
USTR
UV
UNEP
UY
UNESCO
USUN
UAE
USEU
UNDP
UNCHS
UNVIE
UNCHC
UE
UNDESCO
USAID
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 08TRIPOLI923, GOL SEEKS TO TURN THE PAGE ON LINGERING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08TRIPOLI923.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
08TRIPOLI923 | 2008-12-01 10:10 | 2011-02-01 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Tripoli |
Appears in these articles: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wikileaks-files/libya-wikileaks/ |
VZCZCXRO2821
OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHTRO #0923/01 3361044
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O P 011044Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4194
INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 1324
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 0684
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 0828
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 0774
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0947
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0634
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 4716
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TRIPOLI 000923
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DRL/NESCA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/1/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM LY
SUBJECT: GOL SEEKS TO TURN THE PAGE ON LINGERING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES
REF: A) TRIPOLI 882, B) TRIPOLI 920 CLASSIFIED BY: Chris Stevens, CDA, Embassy Tripoli, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
¶1. (C) Summary: A group of older political prisoners, many of whom are in ill health, may be released soon in connection with talks that have taken place under the auspices of the quasi-governmental Qadhafi Development Foundation (QDF). Separately, the GOL and QDF may soon significantly raise the amount of compensation offered to families of individuals killed in the 1996 Abu Salim prison riot to help secure an agreement with them to bring their legal claims to an end. Both developments are part of an effort by the GOL to pave the way for the celebration on September 1, 2009 of the 40th anniversary of the military coup that brought al-Qadhafi to power. Bringing some sense of closure to the Abu Salim issue would be an important step as Libya moves forward with a broader agenda of (vaguely defined) political and economic reform in the run-up to the September 1 festivities. End summary.
A GROUP OF POLITICAL PRISONERS MAY BE RELEASED SOON
¶2. (C) xxxxxxxxxxxx(strictly protect) told us on November 26 that the Government of Libya may release "within days" a tranche of 40-60 political prisoners. Talks about the potential release have been ongoing for nearly two months and have taken place under the auspices of the quasi-governmental Qadhafi Development Foundation (QDF), reportedly with the personal involvement of Saleh Abdulsalam Saleh, head of the QDF's Human Rights Committee. Noting that many, if not most, of the prisoners were older and in poor health, he said they had been carefully vetted by GOL security services, who were confident that they would not take up unwelcome political activities. While a few had made "full political conversions" and renounced their opposition to al-Qadhafi's regime, most were being released simply so they could seek medical treatment, with the understanding that they were "too old and too broken" to pose a threat. Drawing a parallel with the case of regime critic Idriss Boufayed (ref A and previous), who was released well after it was known that he was suffering from terminal lung cancer, xxxxxxxxxxxx expressed the hope that the QDF and HRSL could in time get the GOL to release political prisoners "before they're on their deathbeds".
POTENTIAL MOVEMENT ON ABU SALIM MASSACRE NEGOTIATIONS
¶3. (C) Separately, xxxxxxxxxxxx said there had recently been movement on negotiations between the GOL, QDF and families of the victims of those killed in the Abu Salim prison riots. (Note: Prisoners staged a demonstration in 1996 at Abu Salim prison, near Tripoli, a facility run by military place under oversight by the Internal Security Organization at which a large number of political prisoners are held. According to opposition website reports, the GOL responded with massive force, herding inmates into a central courtyard and opening fire with automatic weapons. Some reports put the number killed at 1,200. End note.) Libyan state-owned media and on the QDF's website reported that the GOL offered 120,000 Libyan dinars (approximately USD 97,000) in compensation to each victim's family in August. xxxxxxxxxxxx estimated the total number of families to be 1,100-1,200, and said that a number of families - many of whom have sought to bring legal action against the GOL - had rejected the amount as too small, pointing to other cases in which victims' families had obtained much larger settlements -- notably the families of the Benghazi children infected with the AIDS virus, who received one million Libyan dinars per child. (Note: The principle of compensation for lost family members is deeply ingrained in Libya's predominantly tribal society and, as seen in recent cases involving the Bulgarian nurses, the Italy-Libya colonial compensation agreement and compensation for U.S. victims of Libyan-sponsored terrorism, plays a prominent role in Libya's approach to foreign policy as well. End note.)
¶4. (C) xxxxxxxxxxxx argued that two things need to happen to unstick the negotiations, which have been heavily featured in externally-based opposition website reports:
1) the GOL should increase the amount of compensation offered to families, and;
2) families must abandon claims for "unreasonable" sums. xxxxxxxxxxxx said there is increasing awareness by GOL and QDF officials that the amount of compensation will have to be raised. Based on his consultations with the families, xxxxxxxxxxxx has recommended to GOL and QDF officials that 500,000 LD (approximately USD 405,000) would be an appropriate amount. He believes a counter-offer on that order will be made to the families in the coming weeks. Many of the holdout families are from Benghazi. Noting eastern TRIPOLI 00000923 002 OF 002 Libyans' reputation as being willfully obstinate, he complained that some of the families were "simple-minded and greedy". Some have sought the HRSL's assistance in contacting the International Criminal Court (ICC) to determine whether they might be able to pursue a case with the ICC. xxxxxxxxxxxx has tried to discourage them from doing so, arguing that there is a robust negotiations process in place and a sufficient architecture between the QDF and the GOL to facilitate a compromise and compensation. His counsel to both sides, he said, has been that 12 years have passed since the Abu Salim massacre and that "we all need to benefit from that passage of time, compromise and move on".
GOL/QDF SEEK TO CLEAR THE DECKS OF LINGERING ISSUES
¶5. (C) Framing efforts to secure the release of political prisoners and compensation for families of those killed in the Abu Salim massacre, xxxxxxxxxxxx said the GOL (and by, proxy, the QDF) was trying to turn the page on past contretemps in part to help pave the way for a raft of domestic political initiatives it plans to undertake next year in the run-up to the 40th anniversary of the military coup that brought al-Qadhafi to power. In that regard, the initiatives were of a piece with recent projects to finalize an Italy-Libya colonial compensation deal and a U.S.-Libya claims compensation agreement. Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi, whose time has been increasingly divided as his role in economic reform and key foreign policy issues has expanded, has nonetheless continued to play an active role in negotiations over the release of political prisoners and Abu Salim. xxxxxxxxxxxx expressed concern that the GOL/QDF efforts were not born of a genuine desire for reconciliation, but rather of a pragmatic need to close nettlesome accounts. Drawing a comparison with South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he stressed that "Saif al-Islam is no Mandela". While Saif al-Islam, in xxxxxxxxxxxx's view, saw involvement in the political prisoner and Abu Salim issues as a way to demonstrate to skeptical old guard elements his ability to resolve difficult issues, the issues were sufficiently sensitive that he ran a considerable risk of incurring backlash from conservative regime elements. 6. (C) Comment: The Abu Salim massacre has been and remains a particularly emotive issue for Libyans. The GOL's silence for more than a decade on the matter has been cited by Libya's externally-based opposition as a sign of the regime's callous indifference. Bringing some sense of justice and closure to the issue could constitute an important step as Libya moves forward with a broader agenda of (vaguely defined) political and economic reform in the run-up to the September 1, 2009 anniversary. End comment. STEVENS