Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BEIRUT771
2007-05-31 16:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: SPEAKER BERRI LASHES OUT AFTER TRIBUNAL

Tags:  PGOV PREL LE 
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PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #0771/01 1511614
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 311614Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8359
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1177
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000771 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/MARCHESE/HARDING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: SPEAKER BERRI LASHES OUT AFTER TRIBUNAL
PASSAGE

Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman. Reason: Sections 1.4 (b
) and (d).

SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000771

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/MARCHESE/HARDING

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: SPEAKER BERRI LASHES OUT AFTER TRIBUNAL
PASSAGE

Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman. Reason: Sections 1.4 (b
) and (d).

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


1. (C) Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri lashed out at CODEL
Leahy and the Ambassador during a meeting on 5/31, the day
after Chapter VII adoption of UNSCR 1757 to create an
international tribunal. Berri's advisor, before the meeting,
highlighted to Emboffs the communique Berri had just issued,
which denied that he had obstructed establishment of the
tribunal, and accused the March 14 group and its supporters
of sowing sectarian tensions. The tribunal changes nothing,
Berri told the CODEL, responding to their attempts to
convince him to convene parliament or present a new plan for
resolving the political impasse. Berri implicitly criticized
the United States, saying that March 14 would not have
remained in power without the help of foreign allies. He
asked that the U.S. urge March 14 to compromise with the
opposition, and that the U.S. expand its dialogue with Iran
to encompass Sunni extremist threats in Afghanistan, the
Gulf, and the Palestinian territories. End Summary.

BERRI LASHES OUT, DENIES
HE OBSTRUCTED TRIBUNAL PASSAGE
--------------


2. (C) Speaker Berri and his Amal advisor Ali Hamdan held a
nervous and emotional meeting with CODEL Leahy on May 31
following passage of UNSCR 1757 to create an international
tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafiq Hariri and others. The meeting came on the
final day of the official parliamentary session that Berri
refused to convene. Despite being responsible for the
closure of parliament, Berri has expressed fear that
President Lahoud would call for the dissolution of Parliament
and the removal of Berri as Speaker if he did not convene the
parliament before the end of its spring session.


3. (C) Before the meeting began, Hamdan highlighted to
Emboffs the communique Berri had issued earlier in the day
denying Ambassador Khalilzad's and the British Ambassador's
charges that Berri had misused his position as Speaker to
obstruct Lebanon's constitutional process for establishing a

tribunal. The communique went on to accuse March 14 and its
supporters of "sowing sedition" and provoking sectarian
tensions in Lebanon. Hamdan further tried to play on fear,
predicting that passage of the tribunal will usher in a more
destructive era in Lebanese politics. He compared the ten
days following passage of the tribunal to the last ten days
of the July-August war with Israel; Lebanon suffered
one-third of its war damage during the last ten days of
conflict.

BERRI STILL REFUSES
TO CONVENE PARLIAMENT
--------------


4. (C) The tribunal changes nothing, Berri told the
delegation, responding to their attempts to convince him to
convene parliament or present a new plan for resolving the
political impasse. Senator Leahy asked whether Berri
intended to convene parliament to allow the Lebanese
constitutional process to proceed through a review the
tribunal legislation before the UNSCR activates it
automatically on June 10. Berri once again blamed the March
14 majority for refusing to form a new national unity
cabinet, and asserted that he was ready to solve all
Lebanon's problems within 14 days, including the tribunal, as
soon as the GOL formed such a new cabinet.


5. (C) Senator Cardin reminded Berri that the international
community had given Lebanon one more chance to put together
an internal process to pass the tribunal, and asked whether
Berri preferred external imposition to Lebanese creation of
such an inevitable tribunal. Berri could only summon yet
again his argument that he could not convene the parliament
and allow it to recognize an illegitimate cabinet that did
not reflect a national consensus and the participation of all
sects. Berri blamed the March 14 majority for not giving the
opposition adequate time to review tribunal documents last
November, thus prompting their resignation. Berri denied
that the resigned ministers, whose resignations have never
been accepted, are still cashing their paychecks. He also
criticized foreign officials who met with those ministers

BEIRUT 00000771 002 OF 002


acting in place of the resigned officials.

BERRI LASHES OUT AT
US SUPPORT TO MARCH 14
--------------


6. (C) Berri implicitly criticized the United States, saying
that March 14 would not be in power to this day without the
help of foreign allies. He reminded the CODEL that he had
helped negotiate the release of over 100 Americans on a
hijacked TWA flight in 1983 but was later accused of
complicity with the hijackers. His bitterness at that
incident has kept him from traveling to the United States
since then, Berri told us. (Note: Other sources tell us
that Berri, once a green-card holder, allowed anti-American
sentiment in his Amal party to forestall any travel to the
U.S. for several years, thereby compromising his status as a
legal permanent resident. End Note.)


7. (C) Seantor Leahy asked Berri: does your resentment of
U.S. interference extend to the $770 million in aid the
Congress approved and the President signed earlier this week?
Berri, who stated that he was completely unaware of the
large aid package, ardently defended his right to criticize
U.S. policy while accepting U.S. military and economic aid,
and even technical assistance to his closed parliament.

BERRI URGES LESS SUPPORT TO
MARCH 14, MORE DIALOGUE WITH IRAN
--------------


8. (C) Berri was unable to lay out any plan for moving
Lebanon forward. Despite the efforts of several senators to
draw out his thoughts, Berri could only urge the CODEL not to
back what he implied is a Sunni-dominated government, and
instead to pressure that government to compromise with the
opposition. Recent history shows that societies that allow
one sect to rule prompt terrorism and confrontation, Berri
argued. In addition, Lebanon's democracy, more than others,
requires consensus among all sects. Finally, such consensus
could also be the model for the multi-sectarian countries of
Israel and Iraq.


9. (C) Responding to Senator Salazar's attempt to refocus
Berri on how to reach our common goal of a peaceful and
prosperous Middle East, Berri argued that the U.S. should
work for national reconciliation in Lebanon and, more
importantly, expand its dialogue with Iran. Talking about
Iraq is not enough, Berri argued, and the U.S. has a common
interest in working with Iran against Sunni extremists in
Afghanistan, the Gulf, and in the Palestinian community. It
is most dangerous for a state to cut off dialogue with those
parties with whom it disagrees, Berri opined, as they are the
one with whom dialogue is most needed.


10. (C) CODEL Leahy did not have a chance to clear this
cable before departing post.
FELTMAN