LEBANON: VATICAN FAVORS MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000145 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/21/2016 TAGS: MOPS LE IS VT PHUM KIRF SUBJECT: LEBANON: VATICAN FAVORS MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE REF: VATICAN 134; VATICAN 142; VATICAN 143 VATICAN 00000145 001.4 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, CDA, Vatican, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Holy See Middle East Director Coppola told the Charge July 21 the Vatican supported the idea of a robust multi-national force in Lebanon. He said there were no current plans to make a specific public endorsement of such a plan, but that the pope would imply support for some type of international force when he spoke about the crisis July 23 (ref c). Benedict plans to repeat aspects of the Holy See's July 20 statement on Sunday, emphasizing the humanitarian concerns of the conflict, and calling for a cease-fire. On the pope's endorsement of the G-8 statement, Coppola said that while the pontiff supported the contents of the statement, the document itself only addressed part of the problem. Coppola found the statement "very unbalanced." Coppola indicated that the Holy See was not currently considering a more active mediation role in the conflict, despite entreaties by Lebanese officials that the Vatican do "all it could" to defuse the situation. The Lebanese Embassy to the Holy See is in close contact with the Vatican, and emphasized the destruction of Lebanese infrastructure and loss of civilian lives in conversations with us. While various voices around the Vatican may see eye-to-eye with some of our points (ref c),the most important voices at the Vatican MFA are firm. Continuing civilian casualties and humanitarian issues have strengthened their resolve that an immediate cease-fire is the top priority. End Summary. -------------- Multi-National Force -------------- ¶2. (C) Holy See MFA Director for the Middle East Franco Coppola told us July 21 the Vatican supported the idea of a multi-national force to stabilize Lebanon and "help the Lebanese government take control of its territory." He said a robust force with a much greater mandate and with greater numbers than UNIFIL (the UN Interim Force in Lebanon) might well be accepted by the Muslim world and help counteract the way in which many Muslims were rallying around Hezbollah. A multi-national force would also have the express purpose of helping to protect Israel, something the Israelis, he said, should appreciate. When asked if the Holy See planned to say anything publicly on the subject, Coppola said that the pope would not be too specific at this point, but when he spoke at the planned day of prayer for the conflict Sunday (July 23),he would call for steps from the international community to stabilize the situation. This, according to Coppola, would have a clear implication of support for such a multi-national force. -------------- Holy See Statements -------------- ¶3. (C) Speaking a stone's throw away from the office of Cardinal Secretary of State Sodano, Coppola stuck to the party line that Sodano's July 14 statement and the subsequent comments by the pope were not incompatible (reftels). While he would never contradict the pope, Coppola made it clear that the pontiff's statement in support of the G-8 declaration did not tell the whole story of the Vatican's position. He emphasized that it was a quick comment to reporters and that while the pontiff supported what was in the statement, the document only addressed part of the problem. The G-8 statement was valuable in that it contained some important concrete steps, but, according to Coppola, it was a very unbalanced document that didn't address "the suffering of the Lebanese people." It seems unlikely that the pope will repeat his support for the G-8 statement. Coppola said that, in addition to implying support for a multi-national force, Benedict would repeat aspects of the Holy See's July 20 statement on Sunday, emphasizing the humanitarian concerns of the conflict, and calling for a cease-fire. Charge pointed out that a cease-fire would be of VATICAN 00000145 002.4 OF 002 limited worth without a military and political defeat of Hezbollah, but Coppola was not swayed. -------------- Holy See Mediation -------------- ¶4. (C) Coppola, citing a close relationship between the Vatican and Lebanon, told us that PM Siniora and Saad Hariri had pressed the Holy See to do everything it could to halt the violence. When asked what other measures that might include beyond official statements, Coppola indicated that a more active mediation role was not currently on the table. "We don't want to go over there and get in front of the TV cameras," he said. "There are people who have much better technical expertise than we do who could fill that role," he added. Still, Coppola did not preclude some more active role for the Holy See, particularly after a cease-fire. In a separate conversation with Charge, Lebanese DCM Hala Keyrouz volunteered that Lebanon would welcome such a contribution by the Vatican. -------------- Lebanese in "Close Contact" -------------- ¶5. (C) Keyrouz and the Lebanese Ambassador to the Holy See remain in "close contact" with the Vatican MFA. DCM Keyrouz told the Charge July 21 that her government was pleased with Wednesday's "more concrete" papal statement. Keyrouz, a Maronite Catholic married to an Italian, impressed upon us the need for medicine and humanitarian supplies in Lebanon. "We need everything," she said. She bemoaned the destruction of Lebanese infrastructure she said the Lebanese had worked so had to rebuild after the civil war. Keyrouz claimed that Israel had bombed Christian areas where there had never been any Hezbollah activity. Another Lebanese contact working for a Vatican-related media outlet told us the Lebanese Christian community in Rome was to meet July 21 to discuss the situation and what they could do to influence Holy See and Italian officials. -------------- Coppola Unconvinced -------------- ¶6. (C) Summing up the Holy See's current thinking, Coppola reinforced the Vatican's concerns about Lebanon's civilian population, already expressed in official statements and to Post July 14. He reiterated the Vatican view that Israel had the right to defend itself, but that the killing of civilians and destruction of the country's infrastructure was going too far. Charge noted the opportunity this presented for Lebanon to rid itself of Hezbollah, a cancer in that country and the region. Coppola admitted that that was a worthy goal, but was less convinced than some other recent interlocutors here (ref b). "In order to destroy this cancer, it looks as if Israel is killing the patient," he quipped. Charge responded with relevant points, but Coppola was unconvinced that Israeli tactics were going to be effective in eradicating a guerilla force. "They're just creating more enemies and more hatred," he said. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) Continuing civilian casualties have continued to influence Vatican thinking on the conflict. Coppola's private harder-line stance is likely to be filtered heavily before emerging from the pope's mouth, but it is worth noting that as the working-level expert, he seems to be on the same page with Sodano and FM-equivalent Lajolo. This conversation did not suggest that the Holy See was ready to insert itself into the conflict beyond making veiled endorsements of a multi-national force, and comments such as those of July 20. MARTIN