MUBARAK'S POSITION ON LEBANESE ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 003137 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FO E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV LE EG SUBJECT: MUBARAK'S POSITION ON LEBANESE ELECTIONS REF: RICCIARDONE/FELTMAN/SATTERFIELD EMAILS OF OCT 25 Classified By: ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR WILLIAM R. STU ART. REASONS: 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) The Ambassador got a read-out from Presidential Advisor Soliman Awaad on the October 21 visit of Lebanese Army Commander Michel Sleiman. According to Awaad, Sleiman thanked Mubarak for Egyptian military assistance (i.e. the delivery of ammunition in July for use in the confrontation with Fatah al-Islam at Nahr al-Bared refugee camp) and gave an overview of the political state of play in Lebanon. Note: Egyptian media coverage of the Sleiman-Mubarak meeting was sparse, with no reference to any discussion of Lebanese political dynamices or the election. ¶2. (C) Awaad said that Mubarak told Sleiman that Egypt hopes for a "broad based-consensus of Lebansese people, far from the intervention of outside powers, and by that I mean specifically Iran and Syira." Mubarak categorically did not get into details of any of the various majority formulations, and did not express endorsement for any presidential candidate. ¶3. (C) The position as relayed by Awaad is in line with what our MFA interloctuors have consistently told us: the Egyptians want the Lebanese to agree among themselves; they support Siniora as PM; they are keeping equal distance from the factions. RICCIARDONE