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FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5193
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1138
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0810
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0579
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RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 5737

C O N F I D E N T I A L TRIPOLI 000692 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/MAG AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  8/26/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC OVIP PINR UK LY
SUBJECT: LIBYAN PROTOCOL CHIEF ON PLANS FOR SEPTEMBER 1, NEW YORK 
ACCOMMODATIONS 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Joan Polaschik, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy Tripoli, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)

1.(C) In an August 26 meeting, Libyan Protocol Chief and Qadhafi confidante Nuri al-Mismari pressed A/DCM for information on who would "replace" the Secretary at Libya's September 1 celebration of the 40th anniversary of Muammar al-Qadhafi's coup. Mismari asserted that he had "made the Leader [Qadhafi] understand that Secretary Clinton not attending is not an insult, but please do not send just some low-level representative, as he will take that badly." Striking a conspiratorial tone, Mismari advised that the U.S. should send "at least an assistant secretary or deputy" in order to "keep things on the right footing." A/DCM replied that the issue of USG representation was currently being discussed in Washington. [Note: We had transmitted the Department's letter to FM Kusa, declining the Secretary's invitation to the September 1 festivities, in an August 12 meeting with A/S-equivalent Ahmed Fituri. At that time, Fituri told us that he understood the Secretary's decision and commented that it would be better for senior officials to come at a different time, when there would be greater opportunities for substantive talks.]

2.(C) Mismari, raising the topic himself, noted that he was "fairly confident" that convicted Pan Am 103 bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi would not be in attendance at the September 1 celebrations. "I think we have taken care of that issue," he said. Mismari also raised Qadhafi's accommodations during his upcoming visit to the US. Commenting that, "we fully understand that New Jersey is unworkable," he said the problem was now finding "appropriate" lodging in Manhattan, as Qadhafi "will not use elevators, and cannot walk up more than 35 stairs, so we must find a hotel that has a suite on the first floor."

3.(SBU) Mismari provided an Arabic copy of the official GOL schedule of events for September 1; Embassy's translation has been sent via unclassified e-mail to NEA/MAG. POLASCHIK