SAAD HARIRI'S MEETING WITH SARKOZY

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001879 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC FOR MARCHESE/DORAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/11/2017 TAGS: FR PGOV PREL LE SY SUBJECT: SAAD HARIRI'S MEETING WITH SARKOZY CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) PRESIDENT-ELECT SARKOZY ASSURED PRESIDENT CHIRAC AND LEBANESE MP SAAD HARIRI ON MAY 10 THAT HE WILL STAY THE COURSE ON PURSUING A CHAPTER VII UNSCR TO ESTABLISH THE SPECIAL TRIBUNAL FOR LEBANON. ACCORDING TO READOUTS WE RECEIVED AFTER THE MEETING FROM DOMINIQUE BOCHE, CHIRAC'S MIDDLE EAST ADVISOR, AND BASILE YARED, HARIRIS REPRESENTATIVE IN PARIS, CHIRAC AND HARIRI USED THE MEETING TO EDUCATE SARKOZY ON THE POLITICAL BLOCKAGE IN LEBANON AND THE NEED TO ESTABLISH THE TRIBUNAL BOTH FOR LEBANONS SAKE AND TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE REGION THAT POLITICAL ASSASSINATION IS UNACCEPTABLE AS A TOOL OF STATE. SARKOZY INDICATED THAT HE WOULD PROVIDE CONTINUITY ON FRANCE'S LEBANON POLICY AND ASKED WHEN HE SHOULD PLAN TO VISIT LEBANON. HARIRI SUGGESTED THE BEST TIME WOULD BE SHORTLY AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION LATER THIS YEAR, WHEN LEBANON WOULD (HOPEFULLY) HAVE A NEW PRESIDENT NOT BEHOLDEN TO SYRIA. SARKOZY DESIGNATED CLAUDE GUEANT (WHO WE EXPECT TO BE THE NEXT SECRETARY GENERAL AT THE ELYSEE) AS YARED'S POC FOR ANY FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSIONS ON LEBANON. ¶2. (C) YARED RELAYED A MESSAGE TO US FROM HARIRI: PLEASE MOVE QUICKLY ON THE CHAPTER VII RESOLUTION. "CHIRAC HAS A PROMISE FROM PUTIN NOT TO VETO THE RESOLUTION, BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF HE'LL BE BOUND BY THAT PROMISE ONCE SARKOZY TAKES OFFICE. WE NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY SO AS NOT TO LOSE THIS POLITICAL OPPORTUNITY," SAID YARED, ADDING THAT HARIRI BELIEVED LEBANESE PM FOUAD SINIORA WOULD SEND THE LONG-ANTICIPATED SECOND LETTER TO THE UN THIS WEEKEND. NOTING THAT HE WAS AWARE OF TACTICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE U.S. AND FRANCE ON THE CONTENT OF A CHAPTER VII RESOLUTION, YARED URGED THAT WE RESOLVE ANY REMAINING DIFFERENCES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: YARED WAS CLEARLY PLEASED WITH HIMSELF FOR HAVING HELPED CHIRAC ORCHESTRATE THE MEETING BETWEEN HARIRI AND SARKOZY, A MEETING WHICH HE BELIEVED HAD STUNNED AND DISMAYED THE MARCH 8 OPPOSITION. WHILE THE CONSENSUS IN PARIS IS THAT SARKOZY WILL NOT SHARE CHIRAC'S INTENSE PERSONAL INTEREST IN LEBANON, THAT RELATIVE LACK OF INTEREST MAY WORK TO HARIRI'S FAVOR NOW THAT HE HAS ALREADY INITIATED A RELATIONSHIP WITH SARKOZY -- A FEAT THE LEBANESE OPPOSITION MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY REPLICATING DURING THE BUSY DAYS AHEAD, WHEN SARKOZY'S ATTENTION WILL LIKELY BE FOCUSED ON OTHER MATTERS. PLEASE VISIT PARIS' CLASSIFIED WEBSITE AT: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/PARIS/INDEX.C FM STAPLETON