REMOVING AL-ZAWRAA AND MANAR FROM ARABSAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001879 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2017 TAGS: PREL ETTC KPAO PTER EG IZ LE SUBJECT: REMOVING AL-ZAWRAA AND MANAR FROM ARABSAT REF: STATE 84112 Classified by Charge d'Affaires Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered demarche to Arab League Chief of Staff Hisham Youssef on June 11, ahead of a ministerial meeting of Arab Information Ministers expected to convene in Cairo from June 20-24. Poloff focused on the Arab League's role as founder of the ArabSat organization. ¶2. (C) Youssef called poloff on June 12 to say that he had discussed the matter with other AL officials, and that - to date - none of the 22 Arab League member states had requested Zawraa be removed from ArabSat. Youssef thought the League would take "appropriate" steps (e.g., to remove Zawraa from ArabSat) if there was a formal request to the Council of (Information) Ministers. He suggested that it would make the most sense if Iraq presented the request. Removing Manar is far more politically complex and sensitive for the League, given the role in Lebanese governance played by Hizballah and the League Secretariat's role in trying to mediate among disputing Lebanese political factions. ¶3. (C) Comment: It is not clear whether the late date and parliamentarian procedures might prevent the issue from being pursued at this meeting. Also, Iraq's Permanent Representative to the League, Raad al Alusi, a Sunni afiliated with former PM Allawi, may not be the right person to press this issue, since he tried last year to arrange a meeting in Cairo between Emboffs and Zawraa's visiting owner Misha'an Al-Juburi (politely refused). Action would more rightfully be in the hands of the Iraqi delegation to the meetings in Cairo. JONES