Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BEIRUT3002
2006-09-15 12:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:
LEBANON: MISSING U.S.-ORIGIN WEAPONRY POSSIBLY
how-toVZCZCXRO8437 OO RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK DE RUEHLB #3002 2581245 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 151245Z SEP 06 ZDS FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5617 INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5618 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0287 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1158
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 003002
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA 7 RENUMBERED PARA 5
SIPDIS
STATE NEA/ELA FOR ABERCROMBIE-WINSTANLEY/WILLIAMS/DONICK
STATE PM/RSAT FOR IRWIN
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARCHESE/HARDING
OSD FOR KARLIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2026
TAGS: MASS PARM LE IS
SUBJECT: LEBANON: MISSING U.S.-ORIGIN WEAPONRY POSSIBLY
WITH ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES
REF: BEIRUT 2912
Classified By: Jeffrey D. Feltman, Ambassador. Reason 1.4(b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 003002
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA 7 RENUMBERED PARA 5
SIPDIS
STATE NEA/ELA FOR ABERCROMBIE-WINSTANLEY/WILLIAMS/DONICK
STATE PM/RSAT FOR IRWIN
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARCHESE/HARDING
OSD FOR KARLIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2026
TAGS: MASS PARM LE IS
SUBJECT: LEBANON: MISSING U.S.-ORIGIN WEAPONRY POSSIBLY
WITH ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES
REF: BEIRUT 2912
Classified By: Jeffrey D. Feltman, Ambassador. Reason 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (C) The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have a demonstrated
good record of maintaining controls over U.S.-origin weapons
and ammunition. The Department of Defense has conducted
several assessments over the years, and found that there have
been only a few instances -- all during the chaotic years of
the Lebanese civil war -- when U.S. origin weapons provided
to the LAF in fact ended up in the hands of other end users.
2. (C) However, LAF contacts recently informed Embassy
Beirut that the following U.S.-origin items went missing from
the Joint Security Forces (JSF) barracks in Marjayoun, South
Lebanon during the conflict with Israel: 163 M16 rifles, four
.50-caliber machine guns (M2),and 79,703 rounds of 5.56 mm
cartridge. This represents the largest ever breach of LAF
controls over U.S.-origin weapons. The LAF has provided us
with the serial numbers of the missing items.
3. (C) Our LAF contacts claim that these weapons and
ammunition were seized by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
during the recent conflict with Hizballah militants. Since
the JSF -- a combined LAF and Internal Security Forces (ISF)
organization -- was considered a non-combatant in the
conflict, there is little basis for the seizure (if it is
true).
4. (C) If the IDF has these items, we should recommend they
be returned expediently to the LAF via UNIFIL. The LAF is in
desperate need of effective weaponry as a deterrent against
Hizballah and other militias in Lebanon (reftel). The LAF is
also supplying lists of missing weaponry and ammunition to
UNIFIL to request their return by the IDF, so it is in the
interest of the Israelis to resolve the issue now --
particularly in the case of U.S.-origin items -- before this
becomes a public issue. If, by contrast, there is evidence
that these weapons passed into Hizballah rather than Israeli
hands, we would like that information as well.
5. (C) Embassy Beirut has passed the information on the
missing items through our Defense Attache to Embassy Tel Aviv
and hopes for an IDF response in the very near term.
FELTMAN
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA 7 RENUMBERED PARA 5
SIPDIS
STATE NEA/ELA FOR ABERCROMBIE-WINSTANLEY/WILLIAMS/DONICK
STATE PM/RSAT FOR IRWIN
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARCHESE/HARDING
OSD FOR KARLIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2026
TAGS: MASS PARM LE IS
SUBJECT: LEBANON: MISSING U.S.-ORIGIN WEAPONRY POSSIBLY
WITH ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES
REF: BEIRUT 2912
Classified By: Jeffrey D. Feltman, Ambassador. Reason 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (C) The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have a demonstrated
good record of maintaining controls over U.S.-origin weapons
and ammunition. The Department of Defense has conducted
several assessments over the years, and found that there have
been only a few instances -- all during the chaotic years of
the Lebanese civil war -- when U.S. origin weapons provided
to the LAF in fact ended up in the hands of other end users.
2. (C) However, LAF contacts recently informed Embassy
Beirut that the following U.S.-origin items went missing from
the Joint Security Forces (JSF) barracks in Marjayoun, South
Lebanon during the conflict with Israel: 163 M16 rifles, four
.50-caliber machine guns (M2),and 79,703 rounds of 5.56 mm
cartridge. This represents the largest ever breach of LAF
controls over U.S.-origin weapons. The LAF has provided us
with the serial numbers of the missing items.
3. (C) Our LAF contacts claim that these weapons and
ammunition were seized by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
during the recent conflict with Hizballah militants. Since
the JSF -- a combined LAF and Internal Security Forces (ISF)
organization -- was considered a non-combatant in the
conflict, there is little basis for the seizure (if it is
true).
4. (C) If the IDF has these items, we should recommend they
be returned expediently to the LAF via UNIFIL. The LAF is in
desperate need of effective weaponry as a deterrent against
Hizballah and other militias in Lebanon (reftel). The LAF is
also supplying lists of missing weaponry and ammunition to
UNIFIL to request their return by the IDF, so it is in the
interest of the Israelis to resolve the issue now --
particularly in the case of U.S.-origin items -- before this
becomes a public issue. If, by contrast, there is evidence
that these weapons passed into Hizballah rather than Israeli
hands, we would like that information as well.
5. (C) Embassy Beirut has passed the information on the
missing items through our Defense Attache to Embassy Tel Aviv
and hopes for an IDF response in the very near term.
FELTMAN