LEBANON: ARCHBISHOP DEPLORES SYRIAN INTERFERENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 001134

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARCHESE/HARDING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: ARCHBISHOP DEPLORES SYRIAN INTERFERENCE
IN LEBANESE POLITICS


Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).

SYRIAN SCHEMING IMPLEMENTED BY AOUN, MURR
--------------


1. (C) In a July 26 meeting with the Ambassador and PolOff,
Bishop Elias Audi, Metropolitan for the Orthodox Archdiocese
of Beirut, asserted that Syria wanted to reestablish its
presence in Lebanon, or barring that, control the country
through proxies. According to Audi, the discord among
Christian politicians caused by Free Patriotic Movement (FPM)
leader Aoun's challenge to Amine Gemayel's candidacy in the
Metn by-election clearly indicated that Aoun and his cohort
MP Michel Murr were acting on Syrian orders.


2. (C) Audi was convinced that Murr and Tashnaq (Armenian
party) had been sincere in their support of Gemayel; their
change of tack was evidence of Syrian meddling. While Murr
has always been pro-Syrian, Aoun's overwhelming desire to
become president had blinded him to the true interests of
Lebanon and made him easy prey to Syrian influence. On the
other hand, Audi did not think Syria had a clear plan for
regaining control of Lebanon, but rather was trying to
cripple state institutions, thus creating an unliveable
situation for the Lebanese. Eventually, national paralysis
would induce them to welcome back the Syrians.

SYRIA AND HIZBALLAH EXPLOIT AOUN'S AMBITION
--------------


3. (C) Audi noted that, paradoxically, Syria is pushing Aoun
to run for president, but that it is intent on preventing the
presidential election, if they cannot have the man they want.
And while Aoun was publicly anti-Syrian during his exile in
Paris, he changed when he returned to Lebanon. Furthermore,
Aoun himself was exploiting the fear of the (Sunni)
islamization of Lebanon. Thus, he had allied himself with
minority Hizballah. According to Audi, Hizballah was using
Aoun, the evidence being that Hizballah parliamentary bloc
leader Mohamed Ra'd reportedly told Maronite Patriarch Sfeir
that Hizballah does not really support Aoun. Audi concluded
that Aoun, by dividing the Christians, is marginalizing them,
while Sunnis and Shi'a will manage to co-exist.

COMMENT
--------------


4. (C) A genial and thoughtful interlocutor, Metropolitan
Audi has never before revealed to us the extent of his
dislike of Michel Aoun. Previously, he would use only coded
words and body language to raise doubts about the direction
Aoun was headed. This time, perhaps as a reflection if more
desperate times, he was blunt. We also have never heard him
before link Michel Murr so unambiguously to Syria. But in
criticizing Lebanon's most prominent Greek Orthodox
politician (and the one who holds the key to the Metn
parliamentary by-elections -- see septel),Audi exempted
Murr's son, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Elias
Murr. Elias, unlike his father, has charted a more Lebanese
course and has done a good job in the cabinet, Audi
pronounced.
FELTMAN