Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BEIRUT337
2007-03-05 16:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR BORDER

Tags:  PGOV PREL PTER ARRMZY SY LE IS 
pdf how-to read a cable
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FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7586
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0916
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000337 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARCHESE/HARDING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ARRMZY SY LE IS
SUBJECT: LEBANON: INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR BORDER
SECURITY

REF: BEIRUT 314

BEIRUT 00000337 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman. Reason: Section 1.4 (b)
.

SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000337

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARCHESE/HARDING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ARRMZY SY LE IS
SUBJECT: LEBANON: INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR BORDER
SECURITY

REF: BEIRUT 314

BEIRUT 00000337 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman. Reason: Section 1.4 (b)
.

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


1. (C) In a 3/2 meeting, the Border Security sub-group, a
working-level unit of the larger International Security
Assistance Donors Group that meets monthly in Beirut,
discussed the current status of Lebanon's border security
effort. Although the Siniora government wants the German-led
Northern Border Pilot program to ramp up as soon as possible,
there is confusion over who will assist Lebanon's security
services on the remainder of the Lebanese-Syrian frontier.
Siniora has designated the LAF as the lead unit among
Lebanon's security services regarding the pilot program,
which suits the Germans. The operational plan is reportedly
finished, except for communications (due to interoperability
questions) and will shortly be shared with those donor
nations who have expressed an interest in assisting the
program. Meanwhile, the UN/DPKO office in New York sent in a
team to update last fall's DPKO assessment report, which
encompassed the entire Lebanese-Syrian border. Their visit
last week to the northern border area, however, has
apparently confused the LAF, who thought that project would
be a strictly German-led effort. The inclusion of two UNIFIL
officers in the DPKO team further perplexed the LAF.
Finally, despite earlier reports to the contrary, the EU is
now expressing interest in taking over the northern pilot
program once its initial six-month phase is completed. End
summary.


2. (C) Embassy Beirut representatives have participated in
a series of informal international security assistance donor
meetings over the past five months at both core group and
sub-group levels. Although the larger group has proved
useful for sharing overall developments (e.g. status of
UNIFIL's current operations),the sub-group meetings have
proved a better forum for candid discussion of planned
initiatives and emerging challenges.



3. (C) According to LtCol Stephan Helmschrott, the German
representative at the March 2 Border Security sub-group
meeting, Prime Minister Siniora has given Germany's
ambassador to Lebanon clear authorization to proceed with the
Northern Border Pilot project. Siniora informed the German
ambassador that he has directed the LAF to take the lead in
the multi-service effort (LAF, ISF, Surete General, Customs).
The operational director of the project for the LAF will be
Brigadier General Mustafa Majzoub, the army's northern
commander. The German side of the effort will be headed by
Brigadier General Detlef Karioth, German Federal Police, who
has been working on the project since its inception last
fall. Gen. Majzoub has already set aside billeting and work
spaces for the anticipated group of German advisors in the
garrison town of Aandqet, which is located close to the
center of the operational area.

A FEW CROSSED WIRES
--------------


4. (C) Although the Northern Border Pilot project appears
to be well organized in the actual operating area, the lines
of authority become more tangled as they lead back to Beirut.
Minister of Defense Elias Murr has recently appointed Major
General Said Eid, Secretary of the Higher Defense Council,
and Brigadier General George Hisham, Deputy Chief of Staff
for Planning, to "coordinate" international donors to the
project, even though the Germans had intended to carry out
that function on their own -- preferably through the
International Security Assistance Donors Group. General
Karioth, in particular, had hoped the LAF would concentrate
on coordinating Lebanon's contribution to the effort, most
importantly, the expeditious allocation of personnel and
facilities for the project. General Karioth is planning to
meet with General Eid to work this out, because he fears that
if equipment and training needs for this project become
embroiled in politics at LAF Headquarters, it could introduce
further unacceptable delays in executing the project.


5. (C) Karioth told the sub-group that the equipment and
training requirements list for the pilot project is nearly

BEIRUT 00000337 002 OF 002


complete (a communications package still needs to be
determined, but the German Federal Police are sending a
communications expert to work with General Majzoub next
week). Once he settles on the communications package, he
wants to begin the equipment acquisition and training
process. Karioth said he fully appreciates the need to get
the correct mix of equipment (i.e., interoperable and
suitable to LAF maintenance capabilities) at the beginning of
the project, to avoid unnecessary and expensive changes later
on when the border effort is extended to the rest of
Lebanon's border with Syria. But he firmly believes this can
be done at the pilot project level. If possible, he wants to
avoid yet another equipment assessment, especially if it
involves the traditionally slow LAF Headquarters decision
process.


6. (C) In a related matter, the UK's representative to the
sub-group meeting reported that two officers representing the
European Union's Security Council visited Lebanon last week
to evaluate the "operational requirements" of the Northern
Border Pilot project. The EU is apparently "very interested"
in taking over the project once it has completed its initial
phase. The UK, German, and Danish representatives indicated
this was preferable to the only other alternative -- UN
sponsorship. According to the German representative, PM
Siniora has also expressed a preference for an EU partnership
in later phases of the project, rather than the UN. (Note:
This development is at odds with recent reporting that the EU
has steadfastly refused to release available funds for the
initial phase of the pilot project. End note.)

UN/DPKO VISIT TO LEBANON
--------------


7. (C) In September 2006, at the request of Lebanon's
Ministry of Defense, the UN Department of Peacekeeping
Operations sent an assessment team to evaluate the country's
ports, airport, and land borders. Ten days ago, a follow-up
team arrived to update the original report and evaluate the
progress made by the GOL in securing its borders. The team
reportedly visited all portions of the Lebanese border: the
Blue Line, as well as Lebanon's eastern and northern borders
with Syria. Although the core of the team comprised staff
from UN/DPKO headquarters, at least two UNIFIL personnel
accompanied the team on its field investigations, including
its visit to the north.


8. (C) The unexpected presence of UNIFIL personnel in the
northern border area reportedly resulted in some
consternation among LAF leadership, in that it was felt that
UNIFIL may be operating out of its area of responsibility.
DPKO officers apparently assured their LAF counterparts that
since UNIFIL's presence on the team was unofficial and the
visit was merely for assessment purposes, there was no intent
to imply a possible expansion of UNIFIL's mission at this
time.

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


9. (C) The mix of international players involved in
Lebanon's security assistance effort (UNIFIL, EU, UN/DPKO,
international donors, including a number of GCC states who do
not share information with other donors) may be beginning to
overtax the GOL's ability to coordinate and effectively
absorb the assistance. The aforementioned LAF Major General
Said Eid is supposed to be heading up an International
Security Assistance Coordination Panel to work with various
international participants, as well as coordinate Lebanon's
disparate security services, in the important tasks of
modernization and securing the country's land and sea
borders. But as of this date, the panel has not met and may
not be established. The informal International Security
Assistance Donors Group could possibly fulfill at least part
of this function, but what is needed is that the LAF and ISF
step up and assume their "planning and policy"
responsibilities. Getting any security project implemented
under the present system, including the Northern Border pilot
project, is both a difficult and lengthy process. End
comment.
FELTMAN