LEBANON: INTERIOR MINISTER MURR DISCUSSES

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 004629


E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2013
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: INTERIOR MINISTER MURR DISCUSSES
SECURITY, ELECTORAL ISSUES

Classified By: Ambassador Vincent M. Battle; reasons 1.5 (b),(d).


1. (C) Summary: Ambassador met with Interior Minister
Elias Murr October 31 to discuss Hizballah interference with
an embassy motorcade, progress on the McDonalds bombing
investigation, and the preparation of
municipalities/electoral laws. Murr comprehends the
seriousness of Hizballah interference with an embassy
motorcade, especially since the convoy was being escorted by
officers from his Ministry. Murr said Hizballah officials
told him the incident resulted from "misbehavior" by its
personnel -- not Hizballah policy. With the arrest of a
Yemeni thought to be the mastermind of the April 5 McDonalds
bombing, GOL authorities are looking into possible
al-Qaida/UBL links, including funding connections. The
Minister is planning to introduce sweeping changes in a new
electoral law and to implement electronic voting for the 2005
parliamentary elections. End summary.

Hizballah motorcade incident
--------------


2. (C) Ambassador reviewed with Minister Murr the incidents
of interference with an embassy motorcade in south Lebanon
October 17, thanking the Minister for provision of an
Internal Security Forces (ISF) escort for the trip. He
expressed Washington and the Embassy's concern and noted that
we are still awaiting the GOL's official report.


3. (C) Minister Murr seemed to grasp, more than any of our
other GOL interlocutors, the potential danger stemming from
the second incident in particular, when two Hizballah
vehicles intercepted the motorcade. Murr said he spoke
directly with the ISF officer who serves as liaison officer
with Hizballah to inform the organization that its actions
contravened "the strategic position of Lebanon." Hizballah
officials later responded to the Minister that the incident
was the result of "misbehavior" by its operatives on the
ground, and not any political decision by the organization.
The Minister conveyed to Ambassador his confidence that there
will be no similar incidents in the future. He said he will
be personally involved in every future request from the
embassy for security support for embassy travel.

Counter-terrorism: Arrest of UBL associate?
--------------


4. (C) The Minister discussed progress on the McDonalds
bombing investigation, principally related to the recent
arrest of a Yemeni national, Muammar Abdallah al-Awama (also
known as Ibn al-Shadid). He said al-Shadid is still being
interrogated by Lebanese Armed Forces G-2, and that he does
not expect al-Awama to be handed over to the military
tribunal for approximately two months. (Note: This will
delay the tribunal that is hearing the cases of the other
suspects, which was suspended last week due to al-Awama's
arrest. End note.)


5. (C) Murr said al-Shadid has links to al-Qaeda associates
in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Lebanese security services are
investigating the extent of those links, and also will be
looking into the financing, including from abroad, of the
McDonalds and other attacks on U.S. franchises. Murr said
the GOL believes al-Shadid is the mastermind of all
organizations linked to UBL in Lebanon, and it will be
important to see whether, with al-Shadid's arrest, any
"dormant" al-Qaida operatives take over. The MOI has at
least three more names of al-Shadid's associates, who are
believed to be hiding in the Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp.
Murr said they GOL would be trying to lure them out in order
to arrest them.


6. (C) Murr noted that attacks on foreign interests in
Lebanon are generally carried out during the winter months.
He believes this is because of the large numbers of Gulf
Arabs visiting Lebanon for tourism during the summer. In
addition to plots uncovered that were directed at the
Ambassador, the Minister said there were plans to target him,
too, -- at the Ministry, at his private office, and at his
home.

MOI security plan, prison conditions
--------------


7. (C) Murr said the Ministry was putting the finishing
touches on a tough six-month internal security plan to
address terrorism, organized crime, money laundering and
narcotics. He undertook to provide a copy to the Ambassador
upon completion. He cited 26,000 arrests since he took
office in 2000, compared to only 3,000 arrests during the
period 1990-2000. Murr admitted that prisons were crowded
and that prison conditions were not good. He asserted that
the International Committee of the Red Cross was welcome to
visit any MOI prisons at any time, per an MOI decree. He
explained that the ICRC had postponed a visit to Roumieh
prison as part of a protest against the Ministry of Defense's
refusal to allow the organization to visit military prison
facilities.

Municipalities, decentralization, and electoral laws
-------------- --------------


8. (C) The Minister discussed three laws being prepared
under his supervision: the municipalities, decentralization,
and electoral laws. The municipalities law is currently
being debated in parliament and should pass in about two
months. The decentralization law should be submitted to the
government for approval in about three weeks. This law would
abolish the "caza" level between governorates and
municipalities. Under the law, there would be 5-6 governors
in the south, 5-6 governors in the north, four in Mount
Lebanon, three in the Biq'a, and one in Beirut. There also
would be a governing council comprised of governors and
mayors, each with one vote. (Note: The decentralization law
basically renames the cazas as governorates, breaking up the
power of the current, smaller number of governors and
providing greater voice for municipal leaders. End note.)


9. (C) The Minister emphasized that the decentralization
law is not linked to the parliamentary elections law. He
claimed the parliamentary election law being prepared will
create "an atomic bomb" in Lebanon. He did not elaborate,
but said he was "changing everything." Murr plans to submit
the law (through the Council of Minister) to parliament and
"let parliament refuse it," which he said will be difficult
for the parliamentarians, who are accountable to the people,
"and the people want change."


10. (C) Murr revealed that he is planning for electronic
"e-voting" for the parliamentary elections. With electronic
voting, he said, election results will be available as soon
as the polls close. This will help preclude allegations of
tampering, because there will be no time lag between the
election and the announcement of results.

BATTLE