LEBANON: PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION ASKS FOR U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 002853 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARCHESE/HARDING E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER EAIR LE SY SUBJECT: LEBANON: PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION ASKS FOR U.S. SUPPORT TO LIFT BLOCKADE Classified By: Jeffrey D. Feltman, Ambassador. Reason 1.4(b) and (d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) On September 2, the Ambassador and poloff received a cross-confessional, multi-party delegation of Lebanese MPs -- one of several sent to foreign embassies -- despatched to deliver a message from the protesting Lebanese Chamber of Deputies imploring the United States to put all pressure it can on Israel to lift the air and sea blockade of Lebanon immediately. The delegation advised the Ambassador that the U.S. image is suffering greatly amongst the Lebanese due to its perceived backing of the 52 day-old "siege", but that there is still time to reverse this trend if the U.S. is seen to work in favor of lifting the blockade. They added that since the recent conflict with Israel, there has been a deep psychological shift among the majority of Lebanese so that they no longer will stand by as arms are smuggled in to Lebanon. The Ambassador advised the Lebanese to do more to convince the international community of the seriousness of GOL measures against arms smuggling. END SUMMARY. THE DELEGATION: MIXED BAG, SAME MESSAGE -------------- ¶2. (C) On the afternoon of September 2, parliamentary delegations were sent out to the embassies of the P-5 nations, the Arab League, Qatar, and the UAE. (During an Arab League meeting in Beirut in July, the UAE and Qatar were assigned to work with the League on following up the Hizballah-Israel crisis.) The compositions of the various delegations were decided between Speaker Nabih Berri and Joumblatt-allied Minister of Information Marwan Hamadeh. The delegation to the U.S. Embassy included Boutros Harb (March 14 Maronite MP),Selim Aoun (Aounist Maronite MP),General Antoine Saad (Future bloc Greek Orthodox MP),Ghanwa Jalloul (Future bloc Sunni MP),and Hagop Pakradounian (Tashnag member and Aounist bloc Armenian MP). Two other MPs had been selected for the delegation but did not show up at the Ambassador's residence: Anwar Khalil (Berri bloc Druze MP) and Samir Frangieh (March 14 Maronite MP). The MPs stressed that despite their political differences, they carried a unified message - "representing the whole Parliament" -- regarding the need for U.S. pressure on Israel to lift the blockade. PARLIAMENT SIT-IN -------------- ¶3. (C) The MPs said that 100 parliamentarians - over 75 per cent of MPs - had shown up for a sit-in that began on September 2 in the Chamber of Deputies at the behest of Speaker Nabih Berri to protest the continuing blockade. (Note. Lebanese media coverage showed a full Chamber of Deputies, including many prominent March 14 members such as Nayla Mouawad and Marwan Hamadeh, along with PM Siniora and Speaker Berri -- who appeared very chummy together. End Note). Parliament agreed that each night ten different MPs will stay overnight in the parliament building (in what appeared from TV images to be not entirely uncomfortable circumstances). Harb said that he had volunteered to be one of the ten to take the first night's shift on 9/2. A PLEA FOR U.S. HELP -------------- ¶4. (C) Assuming the role of delegation spokesman, Harb said that the delegation had come to the Embassy to "visit a friend, not a foreign country," adding that whatever the anti-American tenor of some of the speeches given that day in Parliament, particularly that of Hizballah MP Ali Ammar, the official GOL position is to remain close to the United States and reliant on its support. Harb said that Israel, by continuing the air and sea blockade, is in breach of UNSCR 1701 and is committing an "act of war". While the resolution places obligations on Lebanon to secure its borders, UNSCR 1701 does not give Israel the unilateral right to decide to continue the embargo. During the meeting, each member of the delegation reiterated to the Ambassador the Parliament's central plea: "We are counting on the U.S. to put pressure on BEIRUT 00002853 002 OF 002 Israel to lift the blockade." ¶5. (C) The United States is angrily viewed by many Lebanese as complicit in this blockade, remarked Harb, and Hizballah is exploiting this emotion to direct vitriol at the United States (and to divert national attention away from the piles of rubble in the southern suburbs and the South, the result of Hizballah's ill-advised kidnapping of two IDF soldiers). Speaking of Israel, Harb asked, "Why are they helping Hizballah? The Israeli position is against us. Hizballah doesn't want this to end!" Berri, on the other hand, is hoping to strengthen the GOL by rallying the Parliament to get the blockade lifted. ¶6. (C) The Ambassador said that while he fully appreciates the economic, emotional, psychological, and political impact of the blockade of Lebanon, there is as yet little confidence that the Lebanese security, customs, and immigration organizations can effectively and credibly secure all points of entry. Furthermore, the GOL seems reluctant to ask for international assistance on border security, seeming to bow to political pressure from Hizballah and Syria. No one in the international community understands this reluctance. Jalloul asked though if there is any real purpose in blocking the ports and airport, when everyone knows that the majority of weapons' smuggling takes place over the frontier with Syria. The Ambassador noted that there is plenty of evidence proving that the airport and ports have been used for nefarious activities. ¶7. (C) Harb assured the Ambassador that the GOL is well aware of the scope of the problem but is fully committed to stopping arms resupply of militias in Lebanon, especially after the devastation of the recent conflict. Changes have been made in airport security procedures. Many Lebanese are themselves worried about attempts to smuggle in weapons and explosives to be used in destabilizing Lebanon internally. "Most Lebanese today know that arms must not be smuggled back into Lebanon," stressed Harb, "We have had a deep psychological change from this conflict." He claimed that the GOL has requested assistance from Germany for monitoring the border, but that this would need to be approved by the German Cabinet and the Bundestag, which means a delay. In the meantime, the GOL has entrusted the LAF with the mission of securing the border. "The LAF knows that we are counting on it." ¶8. (C) The Ambassador suggested the GOL do more to help its case in convincing the international community that it has taken serious measures against arms smuggling. For example, the LAF could organize a helicopter tour of positions along the Syrian border for UNIFIL commander Alain Pelligrini, share maps with the IDF via UNIFIL in Naqoura, and organize comprehensive briefings for foreign embassy military attaches. The Ambassador said it also might help if the Lebanese parliament were to send an armed services committee out to inspect the border posts. Any of these would increase international confidence in the GOL's commitment. The parliamentary delegation said they would consider the Ambassador's ideas and report his comments to Speaker Berri. COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) This is a deeply important -- if largely symbolic -- initiative by the Lebanese Parliament. Largely absent during the recent conflict, the Parliament has convened informally in an extraordinary session crossing confessional and party lines to advocate on behalf of the Lebanese people to get the blockade lifted. We can imagine Hassan Nasrallah looking on with concern at the images of Fuad Siniora and Nabih Berri presiding side-by-side over Parliament, a constitutional Lebanese institution. This is Berri's moment; fresh from addressing a crowd of 100,000 people in the southern city of Tyre on August 31, he is now the primary public advocate for the lifting of the blockade. Were he to succeed, it would provide an important boost for him -- a secular Shi'ite -- and for the Lebanese government at a time when Michel Aoun and Hizballah are sniping that the GOL is ineffective and unrepresentative. FELTMAN