MGLE01: SPEAKER BERRI ASKS FOR US, SAUDI, AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000895

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WERNER/SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2016
TAGS: CVIS EG KISL LE PGOV SA SY
SUBJECT: MGLE01: SPEAKER BERRI ASKS FOR US, SAUDI, AND
EGYPTIAN HELP IN PRESSURING SYRIA ON PRESIDENCY

Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman. Reason: Section 1.4 (d).

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


1. (C) In a March 21 meeting with the Ambassador and
econoff, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri was upbeat about
the success of the national dialogue he has brokered. He was
confident of a solution to Hizballah's arms when the national
dialogue resumes on March 22. The difficult issue, according
to Berri, will be the presidency. There are too many
candidates. To break the impasse, Berri urged the USG to ask
Saudi Arabia and Egypt to pressure Syria to ask President
Emile Lahoud to resign. Saudi Arabia is doing nothing now
because it is angry with the March 14 coalition for rejecting
its January initiative, according to Berri. Berri dismissed
rumors of Syrian-proposed "compromise" candidates for the
presidency as lies. He vowed to continue the national
dialogue for as long as it takes, even if Syrian and
President Lahoud oppose it. Responding to a congressional
letter delivered by the Ambassador, Berri in principle agreed
to an invitation by the House Democratic Assistance Committee
for exchanges. End summary.

UP NEXT: ARMS AND LAHOUD
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2. (C) On March 21, the Ambassador and econoff met with
Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and his foreign affairs
adviser Ali Hamdan at his heavily defended official home in
Ayn el-Tinneh. Despite the rumors in Beirut that the
national dialogue is about to collapse, Berri was upbeat,
expressing satisfaction at what has already been accomplished
at the national dialogue under his auspices. He said that
when the national dialogue resumes on March 22, the remaining
two issues will be discussed: Hizballah's arms and the
presidency. While not explaining his reasoning, Berri saw
the arms issue as much easier to resolve than the presidency.
Berri expressed confidence on his strategy to deal with
Hizballah's arms. "I have prepared many exits...I am not
afraid at all (of this issue)," he said cryptically. Berri
claimed that if only the issue of Hizballah's arms remained,
he could wrap up the dialogue quickly.

BERRI ASKS FOR PRESSURE
ON SYRIA OVER LAHOUD
--------------


3. (C) The presidency, on the hand, concerned Berri. There
were too many people that wanted the job. And at least three
would be sitting at the conference table: MP Michel Aoun, MP
Boutros Harb, and former President Amine Gemayel. Berri said
that Gemayel told him he was not a candidate, but Berri did
not believe him. Berri said that he had been talking
privately with MP Saad Hariri, Gemayel, and Harb to resolve
the presidency issue, but outside help would be needed to
break the impasse. "I need help," Berri stated frankly. The
US, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt must pressure the Syrian
regime to ask President Emile Lahoud to resign, said Berri
repeatedly for emphasis. The region must push Lahoud to
resign. We need Arab pressure on Syria, Berri explained, but
Saudi Arabia is still angry at Hariri and Walid Jumblatt for
rejecting its January initiative to lower Syrian-Lebanese
tensions. The Saudis are not doing anything, said Berri.


4. (C) Berri, bragging that he had not met with a Syrian
official in six months (with the exception of a meaningless
encounter with the Syrian speaker of parliament in Jordan),
urged the Ambassador that the USG talk to Damascus. The
Ambassador replied that, with US diplomatic relations with
Syria not good right now, a US-Syrian dialogue is unlikely.
Berri replied: "If you can't talk to the Syrians, then talk
to the Egyptians and Saudis into pressuring the Syrians."

RUMOR MILL GENERATES
PRESIDENTIAL NAMES
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5. (C) Reciting the most recent rumors of the presidential
race, Berri dismissed them as lies. In particular, he denied
that the SARG is issuing orders to support one of three
candidates acceptable to Damascus: social butterfly Michel
Edde, Justice Minister Charles Rizk, and Central Bank
Governor Riad Salameh. "It is a big lie," Berri cheerfully
asserted. "The Syrians never contacted me," he claimed.
Berri joked about Edde as president, saying that he would
stay for 12 years, because it would take him 6 years to issue

BEIRUT 00000895 002 OF 002


his statements and 6 years for everyone else to answer.
Berri then spread his own rumor, telling the Ambassador that
Saad Hariri, not the Syrians, had mentioned Riad Salameh to
him.

NEITHER SYRIA NOR LAHOUD
CAN DERAIL DIALOGUE
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6. (C) Berri promised that he would continue the national
dialogue as long as it takes. The national dialogue could
continue for two months or more. Berri believed Syrian
President Bashar al-Asad to be opposed to the dialogue based
on statements made before the dialogue began. "I don't
care," blustered Berri about Syrian opposition to the
dialogue. Berri acknowledged that Syria does not have to
cooperate with Lebanon on resolving sovereignty over the
area. He suggested that the UN could pressure Syria to
answer Lebanese claims.


7. (C) When asked about President Lahoud's fiery 3/18
interview on Aljazeera, Berri did not conceal his disdain for
Lahoud. "He repeats the same thing for five years," chuckled
Berri. He saw Lahoud's statements as trying to divide those
participating in the dialogue. Recent statements by
Hizballah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, including his
3/20 Al-Manar interview, were more reasonable. Explaining
that he did not want to defend Nasrallah, Berri said that
Nasrallah was only responding to Druze leader Walid
Jumblatt's statements outside of the dialogue. No one should
be making public statements outside of the dialogue, and
Jumblatt violated that unwritten rule, according to Berri.
Berri boasted that he has been able to bring Nasrallah and
Jumblatt to the conference table. Thus far, the discussion
between Nasrallah and Jumblatt has been cordial, with even a
few jokes told, said Berri.

AMBASSADOR DELIVERS
CONGRESSIONAL INVITATION
--------------


8. (SBU) The Ambassador delivered an invitation by the
House Democratic Assistance Committee for an exchange this
summer and fall. Berri replied that, in principle, his
answer is yes. He warmly recalled his visit to the US in
1963 on a visitor program when he visited more than 20
states. California and Colorado were his favorite.

COMMENT
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9. (C) Many Lebanese are predicting that tomorrow's
national dialogue will be difficult and inconclusive, given
the controversial issues to be discussed. Skeptics believe
that, with the Syrians supposedly angry at the dialogue's
heretofore unprecedented success, Syria has passed messages
to its allies -- including Berri -- to prevent any further
progress. Yet Berri was beaming and optimistic at this
meeting, undoubtedly a result of the unexpected success of
the national dialogue he organized. His good spirits may
also be linked to what he sees as improved relations with the
USG, now that he is actually playing a positive role. Berri,
a long-time Syrian ally, was also unusually dismissive of
Damascus. The old Berri surfaced briefly, however, with an
impromptu (and unwanted) history lesson on the Shebaa Farms.
End comment.
FELTMAN