Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BEIRUT540
2007-04-18 13:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: MINISTERIAL DELEGATION TO ICI MEETING

Tags:  KDEM PGOV PREL PTER EAID EFIN UN GCC IZ LE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9327
PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #0540 1081334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181334Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7947
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1022
UNCLAS BEIRUT 000540

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MARCHESE/HARDING
STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/FO:ATACHCO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL PTER EAID EFIN UN GCC IZ LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: MINISTERIAL DELEGATION TO ICI MEETING
UNLIKELY

REF: STATE 46243

Polchief discussed the May 3 International Compact with Iraq
meeting with Oussama Khacchab, Americas and Multilateral
Affairs officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After
consulting with his colleagues, Khacchab reported that the
prevailing view at the MFA is that Lebanon, as a small
country going through its own political and economic crisis,
has little to offer Iraq and would likely not send a
delegation from Beirut to either the May 3 or May 4 meeting
in Sharm el-Sheikh. Polchief told Khacchab that while
material support may not be possible, Lebanon can still make
a gesture demonstrating political support for Iraq by sending
as high-level a representative as feasible to the May 3
meeting. Khacchab noted that since the MFA is without its
minister, who resigned in November along with the other Shia
ministers in Lebanon's cabinet, ministerial-level
representation at the meeting is extremely unlikely. He
promised, however, to take up the matter with the MFA's
Director-General Ambassador Dimachkie, who is in Cairo now
and will return at the end of the week. We will see Khacchab
again April 24 and may have an update to report.
FELTMAN