LEBANON: FRENCH VIEWS ON POLITICAL SITUATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 003235

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV LE FR
SUBJECT: LEBANON: FRENCH VIEWS ON POLITICAL SITUATION
FOLLOWING AOUN'S RETURN

REF: A. PARIS 3053

B. PARIS 2944

Classified By: CDA: Alejandro D. Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) MFA Political Director Stanislas de Laboulaye provided
Charge with French views on the situation in Lebanon during a
May 11 meeting on NATO's role in Darfur (septel). Laboulaye
reaffirmed that the GoF would have preferred that General
Aoun had stayed in Paris, and that FM Barnier had urged him
to do so during their meeting in Paris April 29 (ref B).
Aoun, he said, had a large ego and many of the people around
him were mediocre. Aoun's return, he continued, was making
the Christians uneasy.


2. (C) Laboulaye said that not all the Syrians were out of
Lebanon, and agreed that Syria is not in compliance with
UNSCR 1559. One of the problems, he said was that the
Syria-Lebanon border was not well-defined. It was important
for UNSYG Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen to know where the Syrians
were hiding.


3. (C) Laboulaye offered that a pleasant surprise had been
that PM Mikati was "not so bad." Despite (or because of)
being close to Syria, Mikati knew what the process was about,
and his leadership could be the best solution for now and
Mikati could also be useful in the future. By contrast,
Laboulaye continued, former PM Hariri's son S'ad was a
political novice.


4. (C) Laboulaye said that following the elections, Lahoud
would be weaker. He envisioned that Lebanon's May 29
elections would take place in accordance with the 2000
electoral law, notwithstanding that it was imposed by Syria.
The ideal solution, according to Laboulaye, would have been
for Lebanon to use the 200o law while allowing for smaller
districts in central Lebanon.
WOLFF