LEBANON: FRENCH, SPANISH, ITALIAN FMS TO MAKE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001598

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/GAVITO/YERGER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: FRENCH, SPANISH, ITALIAN FMS TO MAKE
JOINT VISIT


Classified By: Classified by DCM William Grant for reason 1.4 (b) and (
d).

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


1. (C) The French, Spanish, and Italian Foreign Ministers are
planning a joint visit to Lebanon October 19-20 to meet with
UNIFIL commanders and their national troop contingents in
UNIFIL and aleo meet with key political leaders in Beirut.
French Embassy DCM and poloffs told us that the French hope
to organize one large political meeting in Beirut involving
the Lebanese organizations which participated in the 2006
National Dialogue, but at the level of "number ones" rather
than the second-tier officials whom the French hosted in July
at La Celle-St. Cloud in France. End Summary.

UNIFIL CONTINGENCY PLANNING
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2. (C) Sixty percent of the visit will be spent on on UNIFIL
matters and and 40 percent on interactions with Lebanese
political leaders, French embassy contacts told us. The FMs
will have a joint lunch with UNIFIL Commander MG Claudio
Graziano, an Italian, at UNIFIL HQ Saturday, then individual
one-hour meetings with their respective contingents to
discuss contingency planning. The French are concerned about
the protection of UNIFIL in the current political impasse.
What if there is no government or a second government, and
the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) sticks to its promise to
remain in the barracks, where does that leave UNIFIL, they
asked? The French are also concerned about what they
perceive to be increasing Israeli discontent at the UN with
UNIFIL's blind eye approach to Hizballah.

NEED TO REACH CONSENSUS
--------------


3. (C) The political meeting or meetings will focus on the
the presidency. The French are promoting a proposal under
which the three ministers would meet Lebanese political
figures who participated in the 2006 National Dialogue,
either at the Parliament or at Speaker Nabih Berri's office
on October 20. This would include Prime Minister Fouad
Siniora and all the "number one" officials from the National
Dialogue organizations (except the SYG of Hizballah, who
never travels and, presumably, Walid Jumblatt who will be in
the U.S. at that time). The French DCM said Siniora was not
overly excited at the proposal but gave a cautious "why not"
reaction to the plan. (Comment: With these participants,
such an event would look like a continuance of the
Kouchner/Cousseron French initiative at which the "number
twos" from National Dialogue participants met at La
Celle-Saint Cloud in July. Participants at that meeting told
us nothing substantive came of it, but they commented
positively on the atmospherics. End Comment.)

CONSENSUS AMONG THE FMS
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4. (C) Asked if the French had any concerns about divided
messages, particularly from Moratinos, the French DCM said
they have been firm with the Spanish and Italians that there
must be no separate press conferences or statements on the
political issues. As the meetings themselves are
coordinated, it is expected that the FMs will convey publicly
a united voice.

HARIRI'S SOFTENING RHETORIC
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5. (C) French DCM Silva also said that the French are
concerned about MP Saad Hariri's softening rhetoric on what
kind of president would be acceptable and de-emphasizing the
importance of UNSCR 1559. Silva attributed Hariri's changing
rhetoric to his desire to be the next prime minister, a
sentiment we hear frequently. The DCM said French President
Nicolas Sarkozy and Kouchner would raise this concern during
Hariri's current stop in Paris.

MORATINOS LETTER ON
SHEBAA TO UN SYG?
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BEIRUT 00001598 002 OF 002



6. (C )On Sheba'a Farms, the French told us that Moratinos
had sent a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
claiming that the Syrians had agreed to put the area under UN
control. France is recommending the UN ask Syria officially
whether this is true.







FELTMAN