Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BEIRUT2920
2006-09-11 06:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: PRESSING FOR GOL CLARITY ON RECONSTRUCTION

Tags:  EAID LE XF 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHLB #2920/01 2540657
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 110657Z SEP 06 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5503
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3391
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 2178
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA PRIORITY 2964
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 2784
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0399
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1111
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEADWD/ASD WASHDC PRIORITY
RHPHAXE/JTF LEBANON PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIRUT 002920 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PRM, NEA
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID
USAID FOR USAID/A, DCHA/AA, DCHA/OFDA, DCHA/FFP
USAID FOR DCHA/OTI, DCHA/DG, ANE/AA
USAID FOR LEBANON RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM
ROME FOR USUN ROME
USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH AND RMA
BRUSSELS FOR USAID PLERNER
NEW YORK FOR TMALY
NSC FOR TSHORTLEY AND JBRAUSE
NSC FOR ABRAMS, DORAN, MARCHESE, HARDING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2016
TAGS: EAID LE XF
SUBJECT: LEBANON: PRESSING FOR GOL CLARITY ON RECONSTRUCTION

REF: BEIRUT 2859

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

SUMMARY
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIRUT 002920

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PRM, NEA
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID
USAID FOR USAID/A, DCHA/AA, DCHA/OFDA, DCHA/FFP
USAID FOR DCHA/OTI, DCHA/DG, ANE/AA
USAID FOR LEBANON RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM
ROME FOR USUN ROME
USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH AND RMA
BRUSSELS FOR USAID PLERNER
NEW YORK FOR TMALY
NSC FOR TSHORTLEY AND JBRAUSE
NSC FOR ABRAMS, DORAN, MARCHESE, HARDING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2016
TAGS: EAID LE XF
SUBJECT: LEBANON: PRESSING FOR GOL CLARITY ON RECONSTRUCTION

REF: BEIRUT 2859

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

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


1. (SBU) Ambassador, DART Team coordinator, and poloff met
with the Council for Development and Reconstruction's (CDR)
new director Nabil Jisr -- a close Siniora confidante -- on
September 8 to discuss coordination of the reconstruction
effort and the reported GOL interest in using prefabricated
housing (prefab) to shelter those whose homes were detroyed
in the recent conflict. The Ambassador urged against a
shelter strategy based around prefabs, and also asked Jisr to
get PM Siniora to call all foreign donor country ambassadors
together in order to clearly explain to them the GOL
reconstruction hierarchy. Joining Jisr were CDR Vice
President Yasser Berri (brother of Nabih) and Environment
Minister Yaacoub Sarraf (ally of Emile Lahoud). (Comment.
This means that each of Lebanon's three presidents had a
representative -- one Sunni, one Shi'i, one Maronite -- at
the meeting. End Comment.) END SUMMARY.

WHO'S IN CHARGE?
--------------


2. (SBU) The Ambassador asked for sorely needed
clarification as to who is the primary GOL coordinator for
the reconstruction effort in Lebanon, since it seems as
though different ministries and NGOs are operating without
supervision, sometimes even at odds with one another. Jisr
said that he, as the CDR chief, is the ultimate GOL authority
on reconstruction. "He has the mandate," Sarraf confirmed.
While Jisr acknowledged that, left to their own devices,
certain politicized ministries might intentionally step on
each other's toes, it is his job to coordinate all major
projects among ministries and NGOs. The Ambassador urged
that Siniora convene a round table of donor country
ambassadors in order to convey this clearly, while DART Team
Coordinator asked that senior GOL representatives be

identified to participate in the UN "cluster" meetings.


3. (C) Jisr, who recently and controversially took over the
CDR from the ineffectual Fadl Challak, said that whereas
communication between the CDR and the Prime Minister had been
faulty in the past, that he is now "connected to them" and
spends half his time in the Grand Serail (where Siniora's
offices are located). "Now there is no cutoff between CDR
and the Grand Serail," stressed Jisr, "All the barricades
have been lifted." However, Jisr later made a telling
remark. Jisr was previously the reconstruction adviser to PM
Siniora, and was replaced by Ghassan Taher when Jisr moved
over to the CDR. Jisr implied that, whereas he had always
insisted on being the sole conduit for project proposals
coming from the ministers to the Prime Minister's office, his
replacement is not maintaining the same control, leading to
some confusion on that end.

DON'T GO THE PREFAB ROUTE
--------------


4. (SBU) The Ambassador raised USG concerns with the GOL's

BEIRUT 00002920 002 OF 004


plans to use prefab housing as temporary shelter for those
whose houses were destroyed during the recent conflict.
Prefab housing is a more expensive option than simply
building permanent structures and will divert needed
resources and attention from a permanent solution. The
prefab option itself invariably turns into a permanent fix as
priorities change -- people in Bosnia have been in prefabs
for 15 years. The Ambassador warned that this would result
in the creation of "camps", which the GOL has so strenuously
opposed as a shelter option.


5. (SBU) In sum, the Ambassador said that the USG would
find it difficult to participate in a shelter strategy
centered around prefab houses. He urged the GOL to move
forward with the UNHCR three-part shelter strategy approved
by the GOL: a) support to families hosting the homeless, b)
repair kits for light and major repairs, and (c) for homes
completely destroyed, a focus on "transitional housing," or
construction of an initial single room with kitchen and bath
before the winter (to later be expanded into a house, on the
site of the original home).


6. (SBU) Jisr said that the GOL's policy on shelter had not
"shifted to prefabs," but that they saw it as a necessary
option in certain circumstances. The GOL has identified
three zones of reconstruction -- rural, semi-rural, and
urban. In the case of rural homes which have been destroyed,
the GOL proposes putting in a 25 square-meter prefab unit on
the individual's land. Eventually, the person can build a
permanent structure, keeping the prefab unit for another use
(or perhaps the GOL will use them for housing the LAF). Jisr
said Speaker Berri had suggested the 25 square-meter size --
as opposed to the earlier suggestion for a roomier 40
square-meters -- since he doesn't want occupants to get "too
comfortable" in the prefab housing and never feel the need to
build a permanent home.


7. (C) Jisr said that the GOL estimates needing 10,000
prefab units "for the South" (he didn't mention other areas).
The Ambassador asked from where they planned to get these,
since the Embassy had heard -- perhaps not coincidentally --
that Saudi Arabia is desperately trying to off-load 10,000
units which had recently been turned away from Pakistan.
Jisr was clearly evasive on this issue, saying only that the
money to pay for the prefabs would not come from
reconstruction money, but from "private donations", such as
"business associations between Lebanon and Turkey." (Comment.
Obviously, Jisr wishes to avoid the topic of the prefabs'
source. We note that a Berri-allied company in the Biqa'
Valley also produces prefabs. End Comment.)


8. (SBU) In the semi-rural areas (10-15 homes per village),
Jisr said the three-pronged UNHCR proposal would be the main
template for reconstruction. He noted that the UNDP has
already begun working with the local municipalities on
identifying where light and major repairs are needed, and
that houses would be rebuilt on the basis of the UNHCR
concept of a single room with kitchen and bathroom (as the
nucleus for constructing a larger home).

EVEN MURKIER URBAN SITUATION
--------------


BEIRUT 00002920 003 OF 004



9. (SBU) The reconstruction situation in urban areas is a
lot more complicated, claimed Jisr, since many of the
destroyed residences were in high-rises, some of which had
been built illegally. "I don't want to legalize what was
illegal." Jisr noted that he will be receiving a report
early next week detailing what are considered licit and
illicit former residences, though Jisr indicated there would
be some degree of leniency on the part of the GOL. Jisr
indicated that the legal complexity of the urban situation
would slow down the reconstruction effort in the southern
suburbs.

33,000 DOLLAR DREAM HOME
--------------


10. (SBU) The Ambassador asked if the GOL was prepared to
make good on its pre-Stockholm promise of covering up to
$33,000 of the cost of rebuilding each home. (Note. The DART
learned from the UNHCR on Spetember 7 that the GOL has not a
penny to put toward cash assistance for housing, and that the
promise of compensation had nonetheless been made in an
attempt to "be seen to be doing something for the people and
also to occupy some of the political space monopolized by
Hizballah." End Note). Jisr explained to the Ambassador --
somewhat vaguely -- that the GOL is allowing donor countries
to adopt individual towns and pay directly for the rebuilding
of infrastructure, municipal buildings, hospitals, churches,
mosques, etc. They would also rebuild generic private homes
of approximately 150 square meters for those who asked.
Others could opt to build privately on their own, and the
donor country would recompense them up to $33,000 -- but no
more, Jisr stressed -- as the building progresses.


11. (SBU) The CDR would maintain overall supervision of the
process (Note. When the Ambassador asked whether Nabih
Berri's Council for the South in fact should have
jurisdiction over rebuilding in southern Lebanon, Jisr
replied bemusedly -- with Nabih's brother in the room --
that, "The Council for the South does not have legal
authority over the South". End Note). Jisr said this donor
arrangement is Siniora's preference since it would keep the
funds outside of the leaky GOL bureaucracy while ensuring an
element of GOL control (presumably in deciding which
construction companies are awarded contracts).

COMMENT
--------------


11. (C) While we appreciate Jisr's competence and somewhat
more global perspective on the reconstruction effort, we will
continue to focus on getting the GOL to clearly and quickly
define its organizational flow chart and overall strategy,
especially on urgent and longer term needs for shelter. We
sensed from Jisr, for instance, that the GOL is leaning
towards relying on prefabs despite advice to the contrary,
and this is something that we will continue to try to head
off. With rumors that the Hizballah handout tap is running
dry, that has not been as generous as publicized in many
cases, that some recipients of the Party of God's largesse
are in fact using the money to pay off debts that pre-date
the conflict, and with winter just round the corner, now more
than ever the GOL needs to come to the fore as the sole
authority capable of directing an effective reconstruction

BEIRUT 00002920 004 OF 004


effort.
FELTMAN