EGYPT AND ARAB LEAGUE PRIVATELY PRESSING SYRIA TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 005746

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON ETRD EG SY LE
SUBJECT: EGYPT AND ARAB LEAGUE PRIVATELY PRESSING SYRIA TO
END BORDER BLOCKADE OF LEBANON

REF: A. STATE 136239 (NOTAL)


B. STATE 136754 (NOTAL)

Classified by Charge Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) The Charge raised the issues of Syria's blockade of
Lebanon's border and prevention of terrorist transit to Iraq
(refs A and B) July 26 with Presidential Spokesman and Senior
Advisor Soliman Awad. Awad said that the GOE took the
respective issues seriously and said that President Mubarak
continued to press President Asad hard on Syria's behavior.
The Syrian President was expected soon in Egypt, at which
time the Lebanon and Iraq issues would again be discussed.
In separate conversations, senior GOE and Arab League
contacts confided that the GOE and Arab League were quietly
and forcefully pressing the Syrian government to curtail its
border blockade and other harrassment of Lebanon. President
Mubarak called President Asad July 17 to stress the need for
Syria to avoid raising tensions over Lebanon. Amre Moussa
reportedly warned the Syrian President and Foreign Minister
during a July 17-18 trip to Damascus to avoid causing
problems with Lebanon. End summary.

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Presidency on Syria-Lebanon Border and Insurgency
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2. (C) In a meeting with Senior Presidential Advisor and
Spokesman Ambassador Soliman Awad July 26, the Charge raised
Syria, asking for Egypt's assistance on the issue of Syria's
closure of its border with Lebanon and on pressing Syria to
do more to prevent foreigners from entering Iraq to engage in
terrorism (refs A and B). Awad said that President Mubarak
was continually pressing Bashar. In a July 17 phone call,
Awad said Mubarak had sternly told Bashar that Bashar was
"wading into problems" by creating issues for the Lebanese.
Mubarak said that even though Syrian troops and "most" of the
intelligence personnel had been withdrawn from Syria, Bashar
should realize that the Lebanese people would never accept
continued meddling by Syria. Mubarak had raised a package of
issues with Bashar including Syrian interference in Lebanese
goverment formation, detention of Lebanese fishermen,
demanding exorbitant compensation for Syrian civilian deaths
in Lebanon, and the border blockade issue. Awad said that he
was personally in touch with UN Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen on
the subject and said that every time that Awad gave Mubarak a
read-out indicating Syria was causing problems, Mubarak
immediately called Bashar.


3. (C) Awad said that Mubarak had been expecting Bashar to
come to Egypt "this week" and said that this would have been
another opportunity for Mubarak to counsel the Syrian.
Bashar, however, sought a visit by Mubarak to Damascus
instead - an offer rejected by Mubarak. Awad said Mubarak
told him (Awad) that he had rejected the offer since "any
visit to Damascus now would be seen as a sign of support for
the Syrians." Bashar was not expected to visit Cairo this
week, Awad continued, since he was working on a government
"reshuffle." Nevertheless, he noted, Asad was expected soon.



4. (C) On the issue of infiltration of extremists through
Syria (ref B),Awad said Mubarak had raised the issue with
Bashar forcefully and that Bashar had claimed to be taking
some actions including fortifying parts of the border with
"barbed wire and sand ditches." Although Awad agreed that
Bashar could do more he noted that the problems in Iraq would
not be solved even if the border was sealed. Finally, Awad
reiterated President Mubarak's message to the Secretary that
the U.S. should establish a back channel with Syria to
directly communicate our requirements. He assured the Charge
that President Mubarak nonetheless would continue to press
Bashar on these issues.

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Demarches to MFA and Arab League
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5. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche on the Syria/Lebanon
border issue July 25 to MFA cabinet staff member Amr
Sherbiny. Sherbiny noted that the GOE was very concerned by
Syrian actions and noted that President Mubarak called Asad
July 17 to discuss the issue. Sherbiny said Mubarak told
Asad "not to create problems," not to blockade Lebanon's
borders, and to help Lebanon form a new government. Sherbiny
was unaware of the Syrian response to Mubarak's intervention
but noted that a Lebanese Government was formed the following
day, hinting that Mubarak's call had had a positive impact.
Sherbiny added that the Egyptian Embassy in Damascus reported
to Cairo its observation that the Syrian Government's
seemingly punitive actions toward Lebanon were popular among
Syria's elite and general populace. Poloff stressed that the
Syrian actions were troubling and inconsistent with the
development of peace and stability in the region.

6. (C) During a separate meeting July 25 with a senior Arab
League Secretariat official, poloff pressed reftel points on
the Syrian blockade of Lebanese borders and requested the
League to do all it could to pressure Syria to end its
economic harassment of Lebanon and bring the current crisis
to a close. The official, after assuring poloff that the
message would be conveyed to the Arab League Secretary
General upon the latter's return from New York, said that
Secretary Moussa took the situation seriously and had already

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been actively engaged on the subject directly with senior
Syrian and Lebanese leaders. Moussa reportedly met with
Syrian President Asad July 17 and with the Syrian Foreign
Minister July 18, during which the Arab League Secretary
General was "very forceful" on the topic. He said that the
Secretary General considered the issue to be important and

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that the latter would continue to follow up. Responding to a
question on whether Moussa's intervention had any positive
impact, he suggested that the nine Lebanese fishermen briefly
detained by the Syrians were released after Moussa made a
phone call to the Syrian Foreign Minister urging their
release.


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