TFIZO1: LEBANESE, PALESTINIAN FACTIONS UNITED IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000795

D FOR BARRY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2013
TAGS: PGOV PTER LE IZ
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: LEBANESE, PALESTINIAN FACTIONS UNITED IN
OPPOSITION TO IRAQ WAR

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR VINCENT M. BATTLE; REASONS 1.5 (B),(D).


1. (C) SUMMARY. THE LEADERS OF 34 LEBANESE POLITICAL
PARTIES AND 11 PALESTINIAN FACTIONS, A GROUPING THAT MEETS
SEVERAL TIMES ANNUALLY, HELD AN "EXCEPTIONAL AND URGENT"
MEETING MARCH 19. THE GROUP ISSUED A COMMUNIQUE CALLING FOR
BOYCOTTING U.S. PRODUCTS, "ENCIRCLING" U.S. AND COALITION
EMBASSIES, AND DENOUNCING THE SYRIAN ACCOUNTABILITY ACT. THE
STATEMENT ALSO PRAISED THE PALESTINIAN INTIFADA AS THE BEST
"ROAD" FOR THE PALESTINIANS VICE THE "SO-CALLED ROADMAP," AND
REASSERTED THE RIGHT OF THE "RESISTANCE" TO CONFRONT ANY
ISRAELI AGGRESSION. SOLIDARITY ACROSS FACTIONS HAS BEEN
BUILDING THROUGHOUT THE BREWING REGIONAL CRISIS. HIZBALLAH
SECRETARY GENERAL HASSAN NASRALLAH EMERGED AS THE GATHERING'S
SPOKESPERSON, SUGGESTING THAT THE OTHER LEADERS CONSIDER HIM
TO BE THE ACTOR BEST ABLE TO RALLY NATIONAL UNITY DURING THIS
CRISIS. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) THE LEADERS OF MANY OF LEBANON'S DIVERSE,
CONFESSIONALLY-BASED POLITICAL PARTIES AND 11 PALESTINIAN
FACTIONS HELD AN EMERGENCY MEETING MARCH 19 TO DEVISE A
"NATIONAL" APPROACH TO THE WAR IN IRAQ. FOLLOWING THE CLOSED
SESSION, HIZBALLAH SYG NASRALLAH HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE.
NASRALLAH SAID POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS WERE UNITED IN THEIR
OPPOSITION TO THE U.S. WAR AGAINST IRAQ. HE CALLED ON ALL
ARABS TO CONTINUE TO REJECT WAR, TO BOYCOTT U.S. PRODUCTS AND
THE U.S. DOLLAR, AND TO "ENCIRCLE" U.S. AND COALITION
EMBASSIES WORLDWIDE. NASRALLAH STRESSED THE "READINESS OF
THE RESISTANCE TO MEET ANY ISRAELI AGGRESSION," AND WARNED
THAT EVENTS IN IRAQ WOULD LEAD TO A REDRAWING OF THE REGIONAL
MAP WITH INTERNATIONAL REPERCUSSIONS. HE ANNOUNCED THAT A
NATIONAL EMERGENCY COMMITTEE WOULD BE FORMED TO COORDINATE
PLANS AND THAT ANTI-SYRIAN CHRISTIAN OPPOSITION GROUP QORNET
SHEHWAN WOULD BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE. DRUZE LEADER WALID
JUMBLATT APPLAUDED THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT LAHOUD AND THE
MARONITE PATRIARCH FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF SYRIAN PRESIDENT
ASAD, AND STATED THAT WHILE NO ONE SUPPORTS SADDAM HUSSEIN,
"DEMOCRACY CANNOT BE BROUGHT IN ON AN AMERICAN TANK." A
WORKING LEVEL MEETING OF THE SAME FACTIONS IS SCHEDULED FOR
MARCH 20 TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS.


3. (C) COMMENT: POLITICAL LEADERS' EXPRESSION OF UNITY IN
OPPOSITION TO WAR IN IRAQ APPEARS PREDOMINANTLY AIMED AT
PROVIDING POLITICAL COVER, GIVEN SYRIAN PRESSURE TO KEEP A
LID ON LEBANON DURING THE CONFLICT. AMBASSADOR SPOKE WITH
PRIME MINISTER HARIRI AND DRUZE MINISTER OF THE DISPLACED
MARWAN HAMADEH ON MARCH 20, BOTH OF WHOM USED THE PHRASE
"SIT-IN" TO DESCRIBE PLANS FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES DIRECTED
AT COALITION EMBASSIES IN BEIRUT. FORMER MP MARWAN ABU FADEL
TOLD US THE MEETING AND RESULTING COMMUNIQUE WERE NECESSARY
IN ORDER TO DEFLATE TENSION IN THE STREET BY EXPRESSING
CONDEMNATION OF THE WAR.


4. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: HIZBALLAH SYG NASRALLAH'S
EMERGENCE AS THE GATHERING'S KEY SPOKESMAN MAY BE
SIGNIFICANT. THERE APPEARS TO BE TACIT, IF BEGRUDGING,
AGREEMENT AMONG CONFESSIONAL LEADERS THAT NASRALLAH IS THE
ONLY FIGURE WHO CAN PUT SUBSTANCE BEHIND THEIR CALL FOR A
UNIFIED POSITION. NASRALLAH'S CREDENTIALS AS LIBERATOR OF
SOUTH LEBANON ARE WIDELY ACCEPTED BY LEBANESE OF ALL
FACTIONS, HE LEADS A FORCE WHICH IS WELL PLACED TO THREATEN
TO RESPOND TO ISRAELI ACTIONS DIRECTED AT LEBANON; AND HE IS
COMFORTABLY UNDER THE ULTIMATE CONTROL OF BROTHER SYRIA.
NASRALLAH, WHOSE ACTIONS IN PAST MONTHS SUGGEST AN INCREASING
DESIRE TO PLAY A MORE ESTABLISHMENT ROLE, MAY BE CAPITALIZING
ON THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE HIS TWO-PRONGED PUBLIC
RELATIONS CAMPAIGN -- ONE FOR THE WEST AND ONE FOR THE
REGION. (SEPTEL). END COMMENT.


BATTLE