LEBANON: SPEAKER BERRI AND SHEIKH QABALAN ON IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 001108 E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2014 TAGS: PTER PREL LE IZ SUBJECT: LEBANON: SPEAKER BERRI AND SHEIKH QABALAN ON IRAQ TERRORIST ATTACKS REF: A. STATE 47118 ¶B. BEIRUT 1036 CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR VINCENT M. BATTLE FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) AMBASSADOR CONVEYED POINTS IN REF A ON THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN IRAQ TO PARLIAMENT SPEAKER (AND SHI'ITE LEADER) NABIH BERRI MARCH 4. BERRI, WHO PUBLICLY DENOUNCED THE ATTACKS FROM DAMASCUS ON MARCH 2 (REF B),SAID THAT "INSIDE THE ROOMS" OF INFLUENTIAL SHI'A LEADERS, THERE IS AGREEMENT THAT THE ATTACKS IN IRAQ CAME FROM OUTSIDE. BERRI MENTIONED THE TALIBAN AND AL-QAEDA SPECIFICALLY. HE NOTED THAT IRAQI SHI'ITE LEADER SISTANI DID NOT BLAME THE AMERICANS FOR THE ATTACKS, BUT "FOR THEIR FAILURE TO CLOSE THE BORDERS SOONER." ¶2. (C) BERRI SAID THAT SISTANI IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF REVENGE ATTACKS AND ESCALATING SUNNI/SHI'A SECTARIAN VIOLENCE. BERRI EMPHASIZED THAT CONFLICT BETWEEN IRAQ'S SUNNI AND SHI'A COMMUNITIES WOULD NOT REMAIN CONFINED TO IRAQ, BUT THAT IT WOULD SPREAD "TO LEBANON, SYRIA, FOR SURE TO SAUDI ARABIA, OF COURSE IN BAHRAIN, EVEN IN KUWAIT, AND IT HAS ALREADY STARTED IN PAKISTAN." ¶3. (C) BERRI STRESSED THAT THOSE WHO CARRIED OUT THE ATTACKS ARE "MUSLIM IN FORM ONLY," SAYING THAT "THEY WANT TO DO NOTHING BUT KILL." HE COMPARED ASHURA TO GOOD FRIDAY FOR CATHOLICS AND SAID THAT ASHURA IS SOMETHING SACRED THAT EVEN SUNNIS ACCEPT IN CONCEPT, IF NOT IN FORM. BERRI CLAIMED THAT THE TIMING OF THE INCIDENT, SHORTLY AFTER SISTANI AGREED TO DELAYED ELECTIONS AND THE CREATION OF AN IRAQI GOVERNING DOCUMENT, WAS AN ATTEMPT "TO KILL THAT PROGRESS." BERRI URGED THE USG TO WORK HARDER TO RECREATE AND REBUILD THE IRAQI ARMY AND SECURITY FORCES, REITERATING HIS CRITICISM OF THE DECISION TO DISBAND THE IRAQI ARMY AS PREMATURE. ¶4. (C) AFTER VISITING BERRI, AMBASSADOR WENT TO SEE SHEIK ABDUL AMIR QABALAN, ACTING HEAD OF THE HIGHER SHI'ITE COUNCIL IN LEBANON, WHO WAS RECEIVING CONDOLENCES FOR THE IRAQ ATTACKS. QABALAN SAID THAT THE MASSACRE IN KERBALA WAS REALLY AIMED AGAINST THE CPA; "THEY CANNOT GET YOU, SO THEY ATTACK US." HE STRESSED THAT THE U.S. MUST NOT BE LENIENT WITH THE PERPETRATORS AND ARGUED THAT STRONG SECURITY IN IRAQ WAS ESSENTIAL. BATTLE