VZCZCXRO2652
PP RUEHTRO
DE RUEHTRO #0048 0221553
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 221553Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4349
INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 1382
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS PRIORITY 0738
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 0870
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 0813
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0986
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0673
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 4873

C O N F I D E N T I A L TRIPOLI 000048 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/NESA (HOFSTATTER), LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR WALLER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  1/22/2019 
TAGS: PTER PGOV KISL PINR PHUM LY
SUBJECT: LATEST ROUND OF TALKS WITH IMPRISONED LIFG MEMBERS CONCLUDES, NEXT ROUND SCHEDULED FOR LATE FEBRUARY  

REF: 
A) 08 TRIPOLI 993, 
B) 08 TRIPOLI 577, 
C) 08 TRIPOLI 320  

CLASSIFIED BY: Gene A. Cretz, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy - Tripoli, U.S. Dept of State. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 

¶1. (C) Saleh Abdulsalam Saleh, Human Rights Committee Director of the quasi-governmental Qadhafi Development Foundation (QDF), told P/E Chief on January 22 that the latest round of talks with imprisoned members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), which began in late December (ref A), had concluded on/about January 20.  Saleh said that he and Ali al-Salabi led the QDF's delegation for most of the latest round.  Former LIFG member Numan Ben Othman, who is based in London and who has played a prominent role in earlier rounds of the talks, did not participate and QDF Chairman Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi, son of Muammar al-Qadhafi, only took part in the opening session(s). The talks took place at the Abu Salim prison.  

¶2. (C) The talks are part of what QDF officials describe as "an ongoing dialogue" under the personal patronage of Saif al-Islam with individuals described as former LIFG members .  As reported refs B-C, QDF officials say the dialogue has so far resulted in the release of 131 former LIFG members, the most recent tranche of which was let go in June.  Media reports characterize the individuals released so far as former LIFG "fighters"; however, the extent to which they were committed extremists who actively bore arms against al-Qadhafi's regime, as opposed to less dangerous individuals who associated with extremists or were less active functionaries in the LIFG, is unknown.  As reported, ref B, Saleh told us that the only thing required of LIFG members was a willingness to renounce political violence and a commitment not to resume extremist activities.  As reported ref A, he told us in December that the recently concluded round of talks had been delayed when questions arose about the sincerity of some former LIFG members' renunciation of political violence.   

¶3. (C) Saleh said the next round of talks was scheduled to begin in mid to late-February, and that another tranche of former LIFG members (he put the number remaining in Libyan prisons at 90-100 individuals) could be released in late February to early March.  
CRETZ