Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BEIRUT2852
2006-09-04 15:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL DEMARCHE DELIVERED

Tags:  PREL LE IS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4210
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHLB #2852 2471530
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 041530Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5397
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0391
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1077
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 002852 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARCHESE/HARDING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2026
TAGS: PREL LE IS
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL DEMARCHE DELIVERED

REF: STATE 145279

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 002852

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARCHESE/HARDING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2026
TAGS: PREL LE IS
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL DEMARCHE DELIVERED

REF: STATE 145279

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


1. (C) On 9/2, the Ambassador delivered reftel demarche to
Ambassador Mohamed Chatah, senior advisor to Lebanese Prime
Minister Siniora. Chatah agreed with the points and focused
in particular on the part dealing with UNSC membership.
Chatah said that he fully understood the negative
implications for Lebanon if Venezuela were to elected to the
Security Council. Given Venezuela's currently close
relations with Syria, Chatah said, he worried about any
needed UNSC action on the special tribunal of international
character needed to try suspects in the Rafiq Hariri
assassination. At the same time, Chatah claimed that
Guatemala is traditionally a problem for Arab League members
because of Guatemala's relationship with Israel. Promising
to discuss the issue with PM Siniora, Chatah advised against
raising the issue with Foreign Minister Salloukh, who will
represent Lebanon at the AL ministerial meeting.


2. (C) Advised by Chatah that Lebanon in the end is
unlikely to break Arab League consensus on UNSC membership,
the Ambassador also delivered the UNSC points in reftel to MP
Saad Hariri. Hariri, the Ambassador argued, has a personal
interest in the special tribunal and other Lebanon-related
UNSC action. Thus, Hariri should be very concerned with the
Venezuela-Syrian relationship and what that means for Lebanon
if Venezuela is elected over Guatemala. Agreeing, Hariri
said that he would talk with both Egyptian and Saudi Arabian
officials in advance of the Arab League ministerial, in hopes
of thwarting what Hariri predicted would be a Syrian push for
Venezuelan membership on the UNSC.
FELTMAN