NORWEGIAN FM'S VISIT TO SYRIA, LEBANON, GAZA STRIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 001416

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016
TAGS: EAID LE MOPS NO PGOV PREL PTER IS
SUBJECT: NORWEGIAN FM'S VISIT TO SYRIA, LEBANON, GAZA STRIP
AND ISRAEL


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REF: STATE 172274

CLASSIFIED BY: DCM KEVIN M. JOHNSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B),(D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: NORWEGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER JONAS GAHR STOERE
RETURNED 8 NOVEMBER FROM A SCHEDULED VISIT TO DAMASCUS AND
BEIRUT THAT INCLUDED A SURPRISE STOP IN THE GAZA STRIP AND
ISRAEL. DURING HIS MEETING WITH STOERE, SYRIAN PRESIDENT
AL-ASSAD EMPHASIZED HIS INTEREST IN DIALOGUE WITH THE U.S.
AND NOTED THAT EUROPE CAN PLAY A ROLE IN ARRANGING THIS. PM
SINIORA IN BEIRUT DISMISSED SHI,A CLAIMS FOR MORE POLITICAL
POWER, ASKED FOR STOERE,S INTERVENTION WITH ISRAEL ON
OVERFLIGHTS AND THANKED THE NORWEGIANS FOR ADDING LEBANON TO
THEIR LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT AID PROGRAM. STOERE,S SURPRISE
STOP IN THE GAZA STRIP AND ISRAEL FOCUSED ON HELPING
PRESIDENT ABBAS TO SELL HIS UNITY GOVERNMENT PACKAGE TO THE
ISRAELIS. END SUMMARY.

FIRST TO DAMASCUS



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2. (C) SYRIAN AND LEBANON DESK OFFICER KJETIL HALVORSEN, WHO
ACCOMPANIED STOERE ON HIS VISIT AND ATTENDED THE MEETINGS IN
DAMASCUS AND BEIRUT, MET WITH POLOFF ON 14 NOVEMBER TO GIVE A
DETAILED ACCOUNTING OF THE FM'S MID-EAST VISIT. ON MONDAY 6
NOVEMBER, STOERE MET WITH PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD AND THEN
WITH FOREIGN MINISTER WALID AL-MUALLIM TO DISCUSS THE
REGION'S CONFLICTS AND BILATERAL ISSUES. HALVORSEN
CHARACTERIZES THE MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT AS VERY PERSONAL
AND UNSCRIPTED, AS AL-ASSAD ATTENDED WITHOUT ANY 'RETINUE
AND SPOKE WITHOUT NOTES. THE FIRST ITEM DISCUSSED WAS THE
UNITED STATES, AS AL-ASSAD SAID THAT HE WANTS DIALOGUE AND
THAT EUROPE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN CONVINCING THE USG TO TAKE
PART IN DIALOGUE. STOERE SAID THAT DIALOGUE IS THE WAY
FORWARD, AND OFFERED TO DO HIS PART TO ENCOURAGE USG
PARTICIPATION IN DIALOGUE. STOERE ALSO URGED AL-ASSAD TO
ENGAGE SURROUNDING COUNTRIES IN THE PEACE PROCESS AND SHOW
THAT IT IS A COMMITTED PARTNER. 'DEEDS, NOT WORDS', STOERE
SAID, ARE WHAT SYRIA WILL BE JUDGED ON.




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3. (C) REGARDING THE REGION, AL-ASSAD STATED THE SYRIA WOULD
SUPPORT A PALESTINIAN NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT AND STATED
THAT IRAQ IS ON THE VERGE OF CIVIL WAR, WHICH THREATENS
SYRIAN STABILITY. HE SAID THAT HIS FM WILL BE TRAVELING TO
BAGHDAD AND THAT THEY MAY ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN
THE NEAR FUTURE. STOERE MENTIONED THAT HE SEES NO 'ACTIVE'
ROLE FOR NORWAY IN IRAQ.


4. (C) STOERE THEN MET WITH AL-MUALLIM, WHO NOTED THAT
ALTHOUGH SYRIA WAS WILLING TO PAY REPARATIONS FOR THE
NORWEGIAN EMBASSY THAT WAS DESTROYED IN RIOTS THIS YEAR THE
AMERICAN SANCTIONS MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO PAY YOU FOR
IT.' DESPITE SEVERAL DEMARCHES FROM POST ON THE PURPORTED
SYRIAN THREAT TO THE SINIORA GOVERNMENT OF LEBANON (REFTEL
A),STOERE DID NOT MENTION IT TO EITHER AL-ASSAD OR
AL-MUALLIM. NOTE: HALVORSEN, AND ONE CAN ASSUME STOERE,
ASSESSES AL-ASSAD AS A CARD PLAYER WHO WANTS TO KNOW 'WHAT'S
IN IT FOR ME?' AND THAT HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THERE IS NO
POINT IN CHANGING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAN BECAUSE IT
BENEFITS HIS GOVERNMENT, SUGGESTING FINANCIAL SUPPORT.



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THEN TO BEIRUT


5. (C) IN LEBANON, STOERE VISITED NORWEGIAN TROOPS AND
SAILORS PARTICIPATING IN THE UNIFIL MISSION, AND THEN MEET
WITH PM SINIORA. STOERE DISCUSSED HIS VISIT TO SYRIA, AND
SINIORA STATED THAT EUROPE SHOULD COORDINATE ITS APPROACH TO
SYRIA AS IT SEEMS DISJOINTED. SINIORA FURTHER NOTED THAT THE
SHI'A DEMANDS FOR ONE-THIRD OF THE GOVERNMENT IS A
FRIGHTENING REMINDER OF 'THE OLD DAYS UNDER SYRIAN RULE AND
THAT HE ABSOLUTELY OPPOSES IT. SINIORA COMPLAINED THAT
ISRAEL OVERFLIGHTS WERE THREATENING STABILITY IN LEBANON AND
ASKED FOR NORWEGIAN ASSISTANCE TO PUT A STOP TO THEM AND TO
HELP WITH THE REMOVAL OF CLUSTER BOMBS LEFT IN THE WAKE OF
THE SUMMER'S CONFLICT. HE ALSO SAID THAT THERE ARE 8,000
LEBANESE SOLDIERS ON THE SYRIAN BORDER, AND THAT UN CLAIMS OF
SMUGGLING ARE SIMPLY NOT TRUE. STOERE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY
OF THE VISIT TO ANNOUNCE THAT LEBANON WILL BE ADDED TO
NORWAYS LONG-TERM FOREIGN ASSISTANCE LIST, AND THAT IN 2007
THEY WILL RECEIVE NORWEGIAN AID (NON-DISASTER/HUMANITARIAN)



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FOR THE FIRST TIME.

AND A SURPISE TRIP TO GAZA AND ISRAEL


6. (C) HALVORSEN SAID THAT HE DID NOT KNOW IF IT WAS THE




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RESULT OF AN INVITATION OR AN INITIATIVE OF STOERE, BUT AFTER
DEPARTING BEIRUT, THEY TRAVELED TO TEL AVIV ON TUESDAY THE
7TH AND STOERE WENT TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT ABBAS IN THE GAZA
STRIP. ABBAS TOLD STOERE THAT HE WAS THE FIRST FM TO VISIT
GAZA IN SEVEN MONTHS, AND HE ASKED FOR STOERES ASSISTANCE IN
SELLING THE UNITY GOVERNMENT THAT HE HOPED TO PUT TOGETHER
IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. THE NEXT MORNING, 8 NOVEMBER,
STOERE HAD A PRIVATE ONE-HOUR MEETING WITH TZIPI LIVNI. THE
ATTACK ON BEIT HANOUN OCCURRED IN THE NIGHT BETWEEN HIS
MEETINGS, AND STOERE'S LAST WORDS AS HE BOARDED THE PLANE TO
RETURN TO OSLO WERE THAT ISRAEL HAD THE RIGHT TO DEFEND
ITSELF, BUT THAT HE CONDEMNED THE ATTACK.

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?


7. (C) COMMENT: NORWAY HAS BEEN A HEAVY-HITTER IN PROVIDING
AID TO THE PALESTINIANS AND IS NOW UPGRADING LEBANON TO THEIR
LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT AID PROGRAM. THIS IS IN KEEPING WITH
APPARENT INTEREST IN THE FM'S OFFICE TO FOCUS GON FOREIGN



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POLICY ON THE MIDDLE EAST IN A BID TO STRENGTHEN THEIR
POSITION AS NEGOTIATORS. STOERE HAS MENTIONED IN INTERNAL
MFA MEETINGS THAT HIS LIST OF PRIORITIES IS "NUMBER ONE: THE
MIDDLE EAST. THERE IS NO NUMBER TWO." HE PLANS TO DOUBLE THE
SIZE OF HIS MID-EAST SECTION IN THE MFA, AND HAS ALREADY
ARRANGED FOR TWO NEW OFFICERS TO COME IN BY THE END OF THIS
YEAR TO HELP THE OVER-BURDENED EIGHT OFFICERS WHO WORK THERE.
END COMMENT.
WHITNEY