MGLE01: A/S HILLEN MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001461

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR WERNER/ABRAM/DORAN/SINGH
PARIS FOR ZEYA
LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2016
TAGS: PREL MASS ASEC SNAR PTER LE
SUBJECT: MGLE01: A/S HILLEN MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER
SALLOUKH

REF: BEIRUT 1380

BEIRUT 00001461 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Jeffrey Feltman, Ambassador. Reason: Sections 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) Summary: The normally taciturn Lebanese Foreign
Minister Fawzi Salloukh was almost buoyant in his May 5
meeting with PM A/S Hillen. A/S Hillen accompanied by the
Ambassador spoke with Salloukh about U.S. assistance to
Lebanon, and U.S. commitment to Lebanon in the wake of PM
Sinora's April visit to Washington. Salloukh made a plea for
more security assistance, and for a donors meeting for
Lebanon. Salloukh assured A/S Hillen that Lebanon was
prepared to play its role in directing foreign assistance to
the most useful ends. Salloukh also expressed his pleasure
at the Lebanese reception in Washington during PM Siniora's
April trip. He said that after his discussions in
Washington, he understood that the USG's commitment to
Lebanon was strong. End summary.


2. (C) On May 5, PM A/S Hillen, accompanied by the
Ambassador and PolChief, called on Foreign Minister Fawzi
Salloukh. Salloukh was clearly in a good mood as he greeted
A/S Hillen, joking that he had good relations with the
Embassy even if he often had tough words for the Ambassador.
The Foreign Minister continued with complimentary remarks
about his trip to the U.S. as part of the Lebanese delegation
for the PM's visit. Salloukh pointed out that he had sent a
thank you note to the White House for the visit. "We really
enjoyed these two hours," Salloukh said, beaming. He was
impressed, he said, with the reception and with the
President's personal interest in Lebanon. The Foreign
Minister said he hoped USG interest would take a practical,
material form.


3. (C) Salloukh said he had recently returned from the Gulf
where the governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar had
all promised to assist Lebanon in the reform of its security
forces. He added that Jordan had also promised assistance to
the military, and to the intelligence services. Salloukh
acknowledged that the USG had promised spare parts to keep
Lebanon's U.S.-origin equipment running. He exclaimed "We
want more than that!" Salloukh promised that the Ministers
of Defense and the Interior would travel to the U.S. prepared
to discuss the real needs of their respective services. When
the Ambassador asked if Salloukh was confident that the
Ministers were prepared to do their part, Salloukh, showing
enthusiasm, offered to "pick up the phone and tell them to
put pen to paper."


4. (C) A/S Hillen told Salloukh that the USG wanted to take
a comprehensive approach to security sector reform and would
include work done by other donors as a foundation for our
assistance. Our goal, A/S Hillen said, would be to work with
all security services to build teams across services.
Salloukh said that teamwork was an important part of Lebanese
planning.


5. (C) A/S Hillen thanked the Foreign Minister for Lebanese
action on the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)
(reftel). He said the initiative was more practical than
other arrangements of its kind and offered a real direction
for non-proliferation policy. Salloukh said that it had long
been a goal of his to see the Middle East region become a
WMD-free zone. "More weapons are not in our interest,"
Salloukh said. He added that Lebanon's Ambassador to Poland
would represent the GOL at the upcoming Warsaw meeting on PSI.


6. (C) In response to the Ambassador's question about a
recent incident in which Syrian border troops crossed into
Lebanon, Salloukh said, "We must sit together and discuss
these things." He said there were many spots along the
border where Syria and Lebanon have territorial disputes.
The disagreements usually only inconvenience farmers and
smugglers who use the gaps in border posts to move contraband
back and forth. A bilateral committee looks after these
issues and settles them at the grassroots level. The Foreign
Minister said he did not know why Syria would pick this
particular time to improve border posts.


7. (C) When A/S Hillen asked the Foreign Minister how the
USG might help Lebanon, Salloukh was direct in his response.
He said Lebanon needs financial support from the
international community. The proposed Beirut donors'

BEIRUT 00001461 002.2 OF 002


conference on Lebanon's economic reform agenda will be an
important event for Lebanon, he said. The Minister was
uncertain as to the timing of the donors' conference. He
said the economic reform measures had to be submitted to the
Council of Ministers, and then sent to parliament for
technical discussions before being considered by the full
parliament. Salloukh said it was important for the ministers
to discuss the plan broadly before it became an issue on the
streets. In an effort to win popular support, Salloukh said,
the ministers were traveling around the country, speaking
with the press, and communicating with foreign capitals to
explain the reform program. The Ambassador raised the threat
of anti-reform demonstrations being discussed for May 10.
Salloukh said he did not know how the labor demonstrations
might proceed, but the PM was in contact with labor leaders
to head off street confrontations.


8. (C) A/S Hillen said the USG had high hopes that the
national dialogue preprocess would have some positive results
on the local political scene. The Ambassador added that the
dialogue had made laudable progress on Palestinian arms, but
asked what the next steps would be. Salloukh said he had
brought the Palestinian issue to the PM's attention. This
issue, he said, was the root of all troubles in the region
and must be solved by the international community. First,
Salloukh pointed out, it would be necessary to stop the
Israeli "incursions" into Lebanese airspace. The Foreign
Minister noted that the recent increase in Israeli
overflights of Lebanese territory was not warranted by
Hizballah actions along the common border. Hizballah, he
said, has been quiet for months. The Israelis must consider
the available, alternative peace plans. Salloukh claimed
that the Arab initiative from the April 2002 Arab Summit in
Beirut offered Israeli peace on a "diamond platter"


9. (C) Comment: Salloukh, while claiming to be
non-partisan, owes his position to a green light from
Hizballah. Whatever his Shia loyalities, in this meeting he
showed no reticence to accept assistance from the USG. On
this occasion, Salloukh was more positively disposed toward
U.S. officials than we have seen since he took office. End
Comment.


10. (U) This message has been cleared by A/S Hillen.
FELTMAN