Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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06BEIRUT334 | 2006-02-06 16:45:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Beirut |
VZCZCXRO7367 OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHMOS DE RUEHLB #0334/01 0371645 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 061645Z FEB 06 FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1842 INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0055 RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY |
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000334 |
1. (C) The EU Commission delegation in Beirut reported to us that the Danish Consulate and Austrian Embassy in Beirut suffered considerable damage from fire and rioting on February 5, but neither mission was physically entered. There were light attacks against the buildings that housed the Dutch Embassy and the honorary Slovak Consulate. The EU assesses that once the attack against the Danish Consulate took place, rioters fanned out to attack any other symbols of foreign presence in the area. EU heads of mission met for two hours on February 6 to coordinate an agreed statement and review security. The EU troika representatives in Beirut were to meet with Prime Minister Siniora to convey their concerns about the unchecked violence of February 5 and Vienna Convention obligations of the host country. Only the Dutch Embassy plans to revise its travel advisory. We understand that as of February 6, only six of 400 Danish nationals in Lebanon had chosen to depart the country. End summary. EU Heads of Mission Convene -------------------------- 2. (C) EU Commission Delegation DCM Francisco Acosta reported to DCM that EU heads of mission held a lengthy meeting the morning of February 6 to review the previous day's events that included an attack against the building housing the Danish Consulate and the Austrian Embassy. Acosta said that the two missions were located in an eight-story building, and that the fires set in the building damaged all but the top two stories. Neither diplomatic mission was entered physically, however, in light of the secure doors and reinforced walls and windows. In addition, he said, the Lebanese Internal Security Forces made efforts to prevent anyone from entering the diplomatic premises. Acosta added that less well-protected commercial offices in the building were entered. Several EU contacts have commented to us that the rioting which spread throughout the predominantly Christian neighborhood of Achrafiyah, where the Danish and Austrian missions were located, involved marauding demonstrators who were looking for any indications of a foreign, and for that matter, Christian, presence. 3. (C) The Danish Consulate, the ostensible object of the demonstration in light of the caricatures which had appeared in the Danish press, is run by locally engaged staff, including a Danish national resident in Lebanon. One of the Consulate's staff members told us late February 6 that they had not re-entered their premises since the February 5 rioting. A Danish MFA official who is traveling to Beirut will meet with DCM on the morning of February 7. In the meantime, we have conveyed the Department's informal offer of assistance to the Danes in addressing the needs of the Danish Consulate and the Danish community in Lebanon. We understand that as of midday February 6, only six of the 400 Danish nationals resident in Lebanon have departed the country in response to the Embassy attack. 4. (C) Acosta of the EU Commission delegation said that EU heads of mission met at length the morning of February 6 to assess the situation. Acosta, like our other EU contacts, indicated an EU sense that once the attack against the Danish Embassy had been launched, rioters fanned out through the Achrafiyah neighborhood to attack any nearby symbols of foreign presence, in addition to the violence against local stores and the St. Maroun church. UK DCM Chris Poole said that rioters observed the Slovak flag displayed on the balcony of the Slovak honorary consul's residence. The flag prompted the rioters to enter the apartment building and seek out the honorary consul's private residence. According to Dutch Charge Kees Sibinga, the rioters engaged the Slovak honorary consul in an unpleasant exchange of accusations and threats. Poole himself resides in a building in Achrafiyah that houses the Argentine residence; rioters saw the Argentine plaque on his building and threw stones at it. 5. (C) EU heads of mission sought to draft a consensus statement, to be issued in Beirut, condemning the attacks against the Danish and Austrian missions and related violence. As of late February 6, there was still no consensus on the text, given differing member state attitudes BEIRUT 00000334 002 OF 002 about how toughly the statement should read. Dutch Charge Sibinga said the Austrian EU Presidency will recommend that the EU also issue a statement out of Brussels. Acosta said the Dutch are the only EU member state embassy contemplating a change in their travel advisory. 6. (C) Acosta reported that the EU Troika representatives in Beirut (Austria, Germany, EU Commission) would see Prime Minister Siniora late afternoon on February 6. Their message would be straightforward: extreme concern about the violence, and the need for Lebanon to adhere to its obligations under the Vienna Convention with respect to protection of diplomatic premises. Dutch Charge Sibinga characterized the meeting of heads of mission as "not too alarmist," and noted that he expected the Dutch to be the only mission to advise strengthening its travel advisory for Lebanon. Directed Efforts against the Dutch -------------------------- 7. (C) Sibinga also provided an interesting account of an attempt to attack the building housing the Dutch Embassy. Rioters approached the high rise building where the Dutch Embassy occupies the 9th and 10th floors. They made no progress in entering the building, given that the ground floor tenants were a well-protected bank and equally well-protected jewelry store. Sibinga said that according to his Embassy's contract security guards who were on site at the time, it had become clear after some effort by the demonstrators that the building would be difficult to enter, and evident "leaders" of the demonstration called off the attack, with the rest of crowd immediately obeying these leaders. Those attacking the Dutch Embassy's building used mainly sticks, and a few others tried to climb an adjacent wall to obtain entry. Sibinga said that according to his contract guards, there was no question that the attack was led and directed by specific individuals. 8. (C) Sibinga also commented wryly on what he considered poor responsiveness from the Lebanese security services. He said that on Friday, February 3, an ISF General had visited the Dutch Embassy to tell him that a peaceful demonstration would be taking place on Sunday, February 5. The security services would have the events well under control by maintaining a "cordon sanitaire" around the demonstrators. When events went out of control on February 5, Sibinga said he tried repeatedly and vainly to get a response from both the Internal Security Services and the Lebanese Armed Forces, but no one replied. He said he was also surprised that the security services had done nothing to control, through checkpoints or otherwise, the vehicles and people who converged for the demonstration. Finally, he said that he would be recommending a stiffening of the Dutch travel advisory for Lebanon, up to advising against non-essential travel to Lebanon. He said he was not only concerned about the anti-European violence, but also about the threat of indigenous sectarian tensions in Lebanese, which he considers especially high for the next couple of weeks. FELTMAN |