MGLE01--JA'JA' TO HARIRI CHRISTIANS NEED MORE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001336

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/SINGH/POUNDS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2016
TAGS: KDEM PHUM PGOV LE
SUBJECT: MGLE01--JA'JA' TO HARIRI CHRISTIANS NEED MORE
POWER, MORE CONFIDENCE AND MORE ATTENTION


Classified By: Jeffrey Feltman, Ambassador. Reason: Section 1.4(b)

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


1. (C) On April 28, just hours before the start of the
national dialogue, Samir Ja'ja' stopped by the embassy to
apply for a visa and to meet briefly with the Ambassador and
PolChief. Ja'ja' said the national dialogue will not reach a
conclusion on the presidency, but he hoped they might begin
the process to achieve a road map to disarm Hizballah, a
process he hoped would embarrass Michel Aoun. To reassure
Christians and break the status quo, Ja'ja' suggested the PM
shuffle the cabinet to bring politically powerful Christians
into the government. Ja'ja' also shared his concern that
Saad Hariri was running the March 14 alliance as a personal
tool for the benefit of his Sunni allies, without consulting
with Christians inside the alliance. Ja'ja' asked us to
raise the issue of consolations with Hariri to make him
understand that his methods fuel criticism from Michel Aoun
and other quarters that Hariri is imperious in efforts to
strengthen the Sunni in Lebanon.

DIALOGUE MAY REACH A SOLUTION
ON HIZBALLAH'S ARMS--EVENTUALLY
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2. (C) Lebanese forces leader Samir Ja'ja' came to the
Embassy to apply for a visa to the United States. After
making his application, Ja'ja' met with the Ambassador and
PolChief at the Ambassador's residence before driving to the
afternoon national dialogue session. Ja'ja' described the
general situation in Lebanon as stagnating, rather than
negative. Although he did not expect the dialogue to solve
the issue of the Lebanese presidency, he was hopeful that
today's session might begin the process of drafting a road
map for the disarmament of Hizballah. Admitting the
difficulty of arrive at such a roadmap, Ja'ja' said the arms
issue was less difficult than the issue of the presidency
because it did not involve personal agendas and ego. Later,
as he left the residence, he whispered that the subject of
Hizballah's arms might serve to embarrass Michel Aoun, who on
the one hand has an agreement with Hizballah but on the other
would not want to be seen as the protector of Hizballah's
arms.

SHUFFLE THE CABINET TO STRENGTHEN CHRISTIANS
AND GET THINGS MOVING
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3. (C) To reassure Christians, and break the present
deadlock in government, Ja'ja' said the majority should
shuffle the cabinet. Ja'ja' said it would be possible to
remove one minister and reshuffle portfolios in order to
place politically strong Christians in key ministries.
Musing, Ja'j'a said, "Imagine that the PM wanted to appoint
Boutros Harb and Nassib Lahoud and removed (Minister of
Economy and Trade) Sami Haddad and (Minister of Finance)
Jihaz Azour," technocrats who have no political power. He
could remove one minister and replace him with another in the
same decree without affecting the functioning of the cabinet.
Asked by the Ambassador how he would overcome a presidential
refusal to sign a cabinet decree, Ja'ja' responded, "even
better!" If President Lahoud rejected the changes when they
arrive at his desk, the public perception will be that the
majority is supporting Christian power in the cabinet and the
president is opposing it. Ja'ja' said, " If Lahoud does
object, Lebanon will continue with the status quo."

SAAD MUST CONSULT WITH HIS CHRISTIAN ALLIES
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4. (C) Ja'ja' said that March 14 leader Saad Hariri was not
consulting the Christians in his movement when making
decisions about appointments. As examples, Ja'ja' said the
Hariri had created an intelligence cell within the security
services and expanded their powers and jurisdiction. A
Sunni, Wissam al Hassan, heads the cell and all but seven of
30 officers within the powerful group were Sunni, he claimed.
Ja'ja cited other examples, including the Casino Du Liban,
and other institutions in which Hariri, filling the Christian
quotas, relied on people loyal to him without regard to
Christian advice or sensibilities. When Christians are
appointed, Ja'ja' said, they are usually those who have
been long-term employees of Hariri rather than people
identified by the Christians who have allied themselves with
Hariri.

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5. (C) Ja'ja' said Hariri should consult with all the
Christians of March 14 and ask them for suggestions for
appointments. Otherwise, Hariri will fuel complaints by
Michel Aoun that the Sunni have taken control of every aspect
of Lebanese public life. When Ja'ja' raised this issue with
Hariri, Hariri responded that the Sunni had suffered a great
deal to see the Syrians withdraw, and it was necessary to
give them some reward now. Ja'ja' was clearly exasperated
with his partner's response. "We are friends with Saad. But
we are the Christians of March 14, Boutros Harb, Nassib
Lahoud and the others. The Christians also suffered, "I went
to prison, Aoun went to France," they too deserve some
reward.
FELTMAN