SYRIA/LEBANON: ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL

S E C R E T CAIRO 009468

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KPAL EG LE SY UNSC
SUBJECT: SYRIA/LEBANON: ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL
MOUSSA DESCRIBES RECENT INITIATIVES


Classified by Ambassador Francis Ricciardone for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (S) During a December 22 meeting with the Ambassador,
Arab League Secretary General Moussa discussed recent Arab
League and GOE interactions with Syrian and Lebanese leaders.
Clearly working hand-in-hand with the GOE, Moussa said that
AL and GOE aim to calm tensions between Damascus and Beirut.
Moussa said the current degree of hostility between the two
states was untenable and that the "serial killings" in
Lebanon must stop. The message both he and President Mubarak
delivered to Bashar, Moussa said, was:

-- Syria must cooperate fully with the Hariri murder
investigation, per UNSC resolutions;

-- Syria and Lebanon must address tensions constructively, by
tackling border delineation issues and GOL security concerns,
resolving economic disputes, and toning down media assaults.


2. (S) Moussa said both he and Mubarak warned Asad in their
latest meetings (Moussa said he joined the Mubarak-Asad
meeting in Cairo December 20) that Syria must cooperate
completely with the UN investigation. According to Moussa,
Syrian Foreign Minister Shara'a assured Mubarak that Syria
was ready to work with Mehlis's successor. The latest UNSCR,
Moussa said, contained language "acceptable to both Beirut
and Damascus," and would pave the way for expanded assistance
to Lebanon to pursue the investigation.


3. (S) On repairing the "broken relationship" between
Lebanon and Syria, Moussa said, the League and the Egyptians
were attempting to reduce tensions, particularly with respect
to Lebanon's internal situation. The GOE and AL suggested
that Syria work with Beirut to demarcate the bilateral border
(including the issue of Shabaa Farms). These disputes,
Moussa noted, included access to a number of villages mostly
straddling the northern Lebanese-Syrian border. An agreement
on Shabaa, Moussa speculated in front of AL staff (including
a Lebanese),was only in the preliminary stage of
consideration ("no commitment by Syria") and had to involve
considerable UN participation due to the legal issues and
history of the area. On border demarcation, Moussa said that
while it was no simple matter, Shara'a told the Lebanese PM
in Barcelona that it "could be done," and that Asad told
Mubarak the issue could be worked out. On the issue of
exchanging embassies, Moussa admitted that the subject was
"in the mix" - but not necessarily a priority.


4. (S) In a short, private word with the Ambassador after
the meeting with AL staff, Moussa clarified that Bashar had
in fact agreed to begin the demarcation process, including
requesting the UN's help in grappling with Shabaa Farms, and
that Bashar also agreed to move to establish normal
diplomatic relations with Lebanon as the demarcation process
gets under way. Moussa had informed Lebanese PM Seniora of
"all of this" and was now awaiting further word from the two
parties.


5. (S) Describing his latest Washington consultations, the
Ambassador reconfirmed long-standing US policy on Syria:
the possibility that "normal" behavior by Syria could result
in "normal" relations with the USG. Fully changing its
behavior and acting like a normal state would mean stopping
support for Iraq's insurgency, ending meddling in the
Palestinian issue and support to terror groups, and stopping
murdering politicians in other Arab states. The Arabs can
help convince Damascus that its international and domestic
problems are of its own making - and can not be "bartered"
away. Moussa replied that the Arab League and Egypt's main
focus is finding constructive ways to reduce tensions, not to
make accusations against Syria. Moussa added that he and the
Egyptians were consulting closely with the Saudis, and that
he was openly briefing both the Lebanese and Syrians on each
of his meetings with the other. Foreign Ministers of the
Arab League states, he concluded, may also address the
Syria/Lebanon issue when they meet in Cairo December 27 at an
extraordinary ministerial session at the League.

RICCIARDONE