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
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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
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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
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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
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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

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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
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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