Excerpt from document
(S/NF) OSC Chief delivered reftel request for EP-3
overflight permission to the Algerian Defense Ministry's
Office of External Relations and Cooperation (DREC) on
December 29. There was no immediate response, but the DREC
summoned OSC Chief for a follow-up meeting December 30 to
state that (1) no decision was possible before next week and
(2) overflight requests generally require two-weeks advance
notice before they can be approved.

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DE RUEHAS #1162 3641633
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 301633Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8283
INFO RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO PRIORITY 1060
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT PRIORITY 6822
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 2813
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
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S E C R E T ALGIERS 001162

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2024
TAGS: PREL, PINR, MOPS, KCOM, AG, US
SUBJECT: OVER-FLIGHT CLEARANCE FOR AFRICOM EP-3 MISSIONS:
PRELIMINARY ALGERIAN RESPONSE

REF: SECSTATE 130969

Classified By: DCM William Jordan for reasons 1.4. (b), (d).

1. (S/NF) OSC Chief delivered reftel request for EP-3
overflight permission to the Algerian Defense Ministry's
Office of External Relations and Cooperation (DREC) on
December 29. There was no immediate response, but the DREC
summoned OSC Chief for a follow-up meeting December 30 to
state that (1) no decision was possible before next week and
(2) overflight requests generally require two-weeks advance
notice before they can be approved.

2. (S/NF) DCM, on December 30, double-tracked the request
with Algerian MFA DG for the Americas Sabri Boukadoum. In
presenting the message, DCM stressed (1) that the request was
intended to survey the SIGINT environment in areas of
Mauritania and Mali where AQIM operates, (2) that, without
knowing what that survey would yield, the USG could not make
any commitments ahead of time as to what data it might share
with the GOA, and (3) that the request should be regarded in
large measure as a follow-up to the recent visit by AFRICOM
Commander General Ward and a demonstration of the enhanced
security cooperation we want to support in the face of the
AQIM threat in the trans-Sahara region. He further explained
that we had made the same request to other governments in the
region and were awaiting their responses.

3. (S/NF) Boukadoum asked for information on the expected
flight path of the EP-3 over Algerian airspace (DCM confirmed
that, departing from Rota, the flights would likely overfly
the southwestern corner near Tindouf), whether the aircraft
would seek to overfly Mauritania and Mali on each mission
(DCM responded that the missions would be divided between
those principally flying over Mali or Mauritania but not
both), and whether collection would occur inside Algerian
airspace (DCM reiterated the notation in reftel that the
aircraft would not collect on AQIM in Algeria unless the GOA
specifically requested it).

4. (S/NF) As with the DREC, Boukadoum indicated that we
should not expect a definitive answer before next week. He
agreed, however, to forward our request up his hierarchy
immediately. Boukadoum expected that the highest levels of
the GOA would consider the request.

5. (S/NF) Comment: Although post will be closed for the
New Year holiday from COB December 30, our interlocutors know
how to reach key Embassy POCs if and as necessary before we
reopen on Sunday, January 3. In the meantime, and given the
DREC's stress on the longstanding requirement for two-weeksQ,
notice prior to any overflight, operational planners for this
mission should be prepared to provide at least a notional
schedule for flights should we get indications that the GOA
and neighboring countries are prepared to provide clearance.
We stressed the number of sorties and timeframe envisaged
under this concept of operations, but we should not expect to
receive blanket clearance for all overflights. Having as
much advance information on the flights as possible to share
with the GOA would minimize the potential need to have to
clear each and every mission with 14-days advance notice.

PEARCE