Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BEIRUT1297
2006-04-26 15:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

MGLE01: SHIA POLITICIANS VIEW HIZBALLAH'S

Tags:  KISL LE PGOV PTER 
pdf how-to read a cable
P 261515Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3225
INFO ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 001297 


SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WERNER/SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2016
TAGS: KISL LE PGOV PTER
SUBJECT: MGLE01: SHIA POLITICIANS VIEW HIZBALLAH'S
MINISTERS

REF: A. 05 BEIRUT 2396

B. 05 BEIRUT 2872

C. 05 BEIRUT 3256

Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman. Reason: Section 1.4(d).

SUMMARY
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 001297


SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WERNER/SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2016
TAGS: KISL LE PGOV PTER
SUBJECT: MGLE01: SHIA POLITICIANS VIEW HIZBALLAH'S
MINISTERS

REF: A. 05 BEIRUT 2396

B. 05 BEIRUT 2872

C. 05 BEIRUT 3256

Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman. Reason: Section 1.4(d).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) Former MP Salah Harake provided econoff with
impressions of the two Hizballah-nominated ministers in the
cabinet within the Shia community. Harake described Minister
of Energy and Water Mohammad Fneish as a "good guy" who has
run his ministry well. Fneish, "competent and rational," is
ready to reform the costly electricity sector, according to
Harake. Minster of Labor Trad Hamadeh, on the other hand, is
a "joke" who pretends to know more than he does. Hamadeh
does not have good access to Hizballah's senior leadership
despite his pretenses, according to Harake. Hamadeh's
cousin, independent Shia politician Ali Sabra Hamadeh, told
econoff in a separate meeting that Trad Hamadeh was surprised
at his nomination and is not a hard-core Hizballah supporter.
End summary.

FNEISH A "GOOD GUY"
--------------


2. (C) In a mid-April meeting with econoff, former MP Salah
Harake gave his views on the reputations of
Hizballah-nominated cabinet ministers within the Shia
community. Harake, who held a Shia seat from Baabda-Aley in
1996-2000, said he had worked with current Minister of Energy
and Water Mohammad Fneish on a number of issues. Harake
described Fneish as a "good guy" who is competent and
rational. Fneish's tenure as minister has been seen in the
Shia community as "above standard," according to Harake.
Fneish's reputation is helped because he is not wealthy,
unlike most Lebanese ministers.


3. (C) Harake claimed that Fneish is in favor of reforming
the electricity sector. When econoff expressed disbelief,
Harake explained that even the Shia community understands
that saving money on electricity could be the key to
balancing the budget. Harake quoted oft-cited figures that
the state-run Electricite du Liban (EDL) loses USD 800
million to USD 1 billion annually. If this leak could be
plugged by reform, Harake reasoned, then perhaps taxes would
not have to be raised. Therefore, Fneish has the support of
the Shia community on electricity reform. Harake continued

that Prime Minister Fouad Siniora should work with Fneish on
electricity reform. Fneish is capable of making it happen
because his status as a Hizballah member would defuse any
possible Shia objections. Hizballah is already helping
Fneish improve electricity fee collection in the mostly Shia
southern suburbs of Beirut, an area notorious for payment
delinquency. Harake said that fee collection in south Beirut
is progressing slowly, but is moving forward thanks to
Hizballah.

HAMADEH A "JOKE"
--------------


4. (C) Regarding the other Hizballah-nominated minister,
Labor Minister Trad Hamadeh, Harake described him as "a joke"
in the Shia community. (Note: Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh
was a joint Amal-Hizballah selection. End note.) Hamadeh,
an ally but not member of Hizballah, is uncivilized,
illogical, and unqualified, according to Harake. "He
pretends to know more then others when the opposite is often
true," explained Harake. He added that Hamadeh tries to
portray himself as close to the senior leadership of
Hizballah, but really does not have much access. Fneish, on
the other hand, is very close to Hizballah's leadership and
has full access to them.


5. (C) For more background on Hamadeh, econoff met his
cousin Ali Sabra Hamadeh on April 26. Ali Hamadeh is from
the other side of the political spectrum from Trad Hamadeh,
having run unsuccessfully in the 2005 parliamentary elections
as an independent opposed to Hizballah. Ali said that Trad
had been surprised by his nomination to the cabinet. Trad, a
professor by training, was attending a conference in Morocco
when he found out. Ali described Trad as lower middle class,
residing in a small apartment in the southern suburbs of
Beirut. He said that Trad is an ally of Hizballah only
because of his revolutionary roots as a Fatah paymaster in
the 1970s. In his heart, Trad is not a hard-core supporter
of Hizballah, insisted Ali who had met with Trad the previous
week. In fact, Trad had told Ali that after he described PM
Siniora as a moderate to the press, he had received numerous
phone calls from Hizballah harshly rebuking him.

COMMENT
--------------


6. (C) Harake is a moderate, secular Shia politician who
opposes Hizballah's agenda, but also interacts freely with
Hizballah, Amal, and Iranians. His praise of Fneish is not
surprising, considering that multiple other sources have told
us that Fneish is generally highly regarded and respected
(refs A-B). Ministry of Energy and Water Director General
Fadi Comair was the lone exception (ref C). We have heard
anecdotally that many observers were surprised when Hamadeh
was nominated since he was widely seen as an intellectual
lightweight. End comment.


FELTMAN