TFLE01: TUNISIAN FOREIGN MINISTER EXPRESSES

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 001847

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG (HARRIS); LONDON FOR TSOU; PARIS FOR
WALLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM LE IS TU
SUBJECT: TFLE01: TUNISIAN FOREIGN MINISTER EXPRESSES
CONCERN ABOUT SITUATION IN LEBANON; BEMOANS "EXPLOITATION"
OF THE ISSUE BY TUNISIAN GROUPS

Classified By: Ambassador William Hudson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) In a July 18 farewell call by the Ambassador, Foreign
Minister Abdallah expressed concern about the "grave"
humanitarian situation in Lebanon, noting his impression that
the violence was not going to end soon. As a jurist, he
said, he was "shocked" that an armed group could be allowed
to challenge the authority of the state. Turning to the
negative regional implications of the ongoing violence, he
lamented, "We did not need this -- it only complicates the
situation."


2. (C) Abdallah told the Ambassador that there are
approximately 700 Tunisians resident in Lebanon, the majority
of whom are dual nationals or Tunisians married to Lebanese
not seeking evacuation. He reported that Tunisia had
evacuated "less than 100" tourists. (Note: Embassy does not
have an exact count of Tunisian evacuees, but other MFA
contacts reported that 30 Tunisians had been evacuated by bus
to Syria on July 17, and another 20 on July 18. Local media
reported that the Tunisian Embassy in Beirut evacuated by bus
"about 30" Tunisians from Beirut to Syria, and that another
hundred Tunisian citizens had departed Lebanon by their own
means. End Note.) Abdallah said that so far, there had been
no Tunisian victims. He noted, however, that a bomb had
fallen approximately 500 meters from the Tunisian Embassy in
Beirut, but that Tunisian Embassy staff had retreated to a
shelter (NFI) in the Embassy basement.


3. (C) Commenting that Tunis had tried to play a moderating
role when the Arab League discussed this issue at last
weekend's meeting, he said that there had been problems
between the Saudis and the Syrians, the result of which was a
compromise text that "is not very serious." Abdallah ended
by noting that Tunisia faces its own public opinion challenge
on this issue. Probably referring to an attempted
pro-Nasrallah demonstration prevented by the police on July
17, Abdallah complained that, "Certain political parties and
NGO's are seeking to exploit the situation." He noted that
this phenomenon occurs whenever there is violence or tension
in the Israeli/Palestinian context. (Note: According to
media reports, the July 17 demonstration was called for by
eight labor unions belonging to the Union Generale Tunisienne
du Travail (UGTT). The Conseil National pour les Libertes en
Tunis (CNLT) and the media reported that 500 labor union
members -- a number we believe to be inflated -- gathered in
front of UGTT headquarters in downtown Tunis to express their
condemnation of Israel's "aggression" against Lebanon and
Gaza. Demonstrators chanted pro-Nasrallah slogans, including
"We offer our lives and blood as a sacrifice for you,
Nasrallah!" In addition to carrying Lebanese, Palestinian,
and Iraqi flags, they were holding banners which read, "Death
to Israel" and, "Death to America." Police prevented the
demonstrators from moving from Ali Zouaioui square, a closed
area generally used for UGTT gatherings, toward the Habib
Bourguiba Avenue thoroughfare. End Note.)
HUDSON