Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BEIRUT1050
2008-07-18 16:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: CABINET STATEMENT WITHIN DAYS, SAYS

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR MOPS SY LE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1083
PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #1050/01 2001602
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181602Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2516
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2623
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2899
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 001050 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA, PM/FO
ALSO FOR IO A/S SILVERBERG AND PDAS WARLICK
P FOR HERRO MUSTAFA
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/KUMAR/PHEE
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER/GAVITO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR MOPS SY LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: CABINET STATEMENT WITHIN DAYS, SAYS
MINISTER NASSIB LAHOUD

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. William Grant for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 001050

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA, PM/FO
ALSO FOR IO A/S SILVERBERG AND PDAS WARLICK
P FOR HERRO MUSTAFA
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/KUMAR/PHEE
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER/GAVITO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR MOPS SY LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: CABINET STATEMENT WITHIN DAYS, SAYS
MINISTER NASSIB LAHOUD

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. William Grant for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) Newly appointed Minister of State Nassib Lahoud of
March 14 expressed confidence that parliament would approve
its ministerial statement by July 24. Lahoud is a member of
the committee charged with drafting the statement, which met
for the first time the day before. March 14 had prepared
draft language for the statement as a starting point for the
portion on Hizballah's arms. If the cabinet cannot agree on
reasonable language, March 14 would rather defer the issue to
the national dialogue rather than settling on vague
compromise language like that included in the 2005 text that
could be exploited by the opposition. Despite Syria's
overtures, Lahoud does not believe it is serious about
establishing diplomatic relations with Lebanon any time soon.
End summary.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
READY BY NEXT WEEK
--------------


2. (C) CDA Grant, accompanied by Pol/Econ Chief and Senior
LES Political Advisor met newly appointed Minster of State
Nassib Lahoud at his private office in Sin El-Fil on July 18.



3. (C) Lahoud is a March 14 member of the ministerial
committee that is drafting the government policy statement to
parliament. He expressed confidence that the draft would be
ready by July 22 and approved by the cabinet one or two days
later. He reported that the committee held its first meeting
on July 17 and will hold daily meetings with the goal of
completing the statement by July 21. Lahoud said the
committee asked each minister to prepare a short paragraph on
their respective portfolios. The members of the drafting
committee are, from the majority: Tareq Mitri, Nassib Lahoud,

Mohammed Chatah, and Wael Abu Faour; from the opposition:
Elie Skaff, Mohammed Fneish, Fawzi Salloukh and Gebran
Bassil; and one of the President's ministers, Youssef Taqla.


4. (C) Lahoud said March 14 asked for two things concerning
the policy statement: the need for the government first and
foremost to guarantee the country's security, and the need to
avoid ambiguous language (such as that used in the previous
statement in 2005) that eiter side could later use to defend
its positions. Lahoud explained that this request pertained
primarily to the language on Hizballah's arms. If the
majority and opposition cannot agree on language, March 14
prefers to agree to disagree in the statement and refer the
matter to the national dialogue committee that will meet at
Baabda palace under the chairmanship of President Sleiman
rather than delay parliament's vote of confidence on the new
government or settle on vague language that could be
exploited by the opposition. March 8's reaction to both of
these requests, notably that of Hizballah Minister of Labor
Mohammad Fneish, was polite yet cautious, he said, indicating
the opposition's willingness to begin the negotiations on a
positive note.


5. (C) Lahoud then shared March 14's proposed language on
Hizballah's weapons, admitting that it was a starting point
that would be a "dream" if the opposition accepted: "Eight
years after the liberation of most of the Lebanese territory
that was occupied by Israel, Lebanon achieved another success
with the liberation of the Lebanese prisoners held in Israeli
jails and the recuperation of all the bodies from Israel.
The Israeli violations of our national sovereignty and its
continuous threat as well as its infringement of UNSCR 1701
impose on the state to put together a comprehensive defense
strategy under the political authority of the Lebanese
state." (Note: Lahoud later questioned why Israeli had
conceded so much to Hizballah by liberating all the prisoners
now. End note.)


6. (C) Lahoud relayed that he had warned President Sleiman on
the draft text, commenting that despite Sleiman's strong
words during his inaugural speech, he had since "watered
down" his messages on Hizballah's arms. During the cabinet's
first meeting with Sleiman on July 16, Lahoud said, Sleiman

BEIRUT 00001050 002 OF 003


cited the 2005 ministerial statement, the 1989 Ta'if
Agreement, the Doha agreement, Sleiman's inaugural speech (if
useful),and UNSCR 1701 as the appropriate terms of reference
for the new statement. In Lahoud's opinion, the Doha
agreement provided the best language, while the 2005
statement provided the worst. He would have preferred to
include in the ministerial statement some of the Doha
language, which he deemed "super" and attributed to Qatari PM
and FM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, notably the statement giving
"the military and security authorities the exclusivity over
the Lebanese and those residing in Lebanon."


7. (C) Lahoud did not foresee difficulties in agreeing on
language on other issues, such as Lebanon's relationship with
Syria, or electoral reform (whose technical aspects would not
be addressed in the ministerial statement).

CONTENT WITH CABINET
--------------

8. (C) Lahoud described the new cabinet as very good,
particularly in terms of March 14 representation, citing
Finance Minister Mohamad Chatah, Education Minister Bahiya
Hariri, and Culture Minister Tamam Salam. He described Fouad
Siniora as an "extremely happy" man following agreement on a
cabinet because he was part of the solution to the ongoing
political crisis in the country. He also expressed respect
for President Sleiman, describing him as "a decent guy whom I
trust," adding Sleiman is modest, not arrogant, and listens
to people. He also praised the recent appointment of the
Lebanese Ambassador to the Vatican Naji Abi Assi as President
Sleiman's diplomatic advisor, calling him a talented career
diplomat.


9. (C) Lahoud reported that last week, in the final stages of
cabinet formation, PM Siniora had offered him either the
portfolio of Minister of the Displaced or of Environment. He
had told Siniora he preferred to become a Minister of State
(i.e., without portfolio) to allow him the flexibility to
focus on key issues, such as national reconciliation, the
economy, and electoral reform. He again stressed the
importance of ensuring security stability in anticipation of
the 2009 parliamentary elections so that people would vote
freely.

SKEPTICAL ON
SYRIAN INTENTIONS
--------------


10. (C) Regarding the upcoming visit of Syrian Foreign
Minister Walid Moallem to Lebanon, Lahoud said he is not
confident the Syrians truly want to establish diplomatic
relations with Lebanon. Citing some unnamed Arab official
sources, Lahoud said Syria is sending a message that it is
not wholeheartedly in support of diplomatic relations. Syria
is not there yet, he said, and is warning that Lebanon has
more to lose than benefit from the exchange of embassies."
Lahoud downplayed criticism that Sleiman was going too far in
opening up to the Syrians, explaining that Sleiman, walking a
fine line between Lebanon's various supporters, was doing
what he needed to do.


11. (C) Lahoud said that this is the first time in more than
eight months that he is working in the office at his
construction company, rather than at home, where he worked
because of prevailing security situation over the past year.
He noted there is an improvement in the security climate
following the Doha agreement and subsequent election of
President Sleiman and cabinet formation. Nevertheless, he
needed to remain cautious, laughing that like in the movie
"Jaws," it might not yet be safe to go back in the water.

COMMENT
--------------


12. (C) We should continue to press our Lebanese contacts to
pursue a ministerial statement that reflects the Doha
agreement, which all sides accepted, and encourage our
European and Arab allies to do the same. March 14's draft
language for the cabinet statement on Hizballah's arms is
strong, but, as Lahoud readily admits, is unlikely to gain

BEIRUT 00001050 003 OF 003


the opposition's acceptance. We note, for example, that it
makes no reference to the "resistance". Vague language like
that contained in the 2005 statement would be a step
backwards. End comment.


GRANT