LEBANON: ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN...AND WOMAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001181 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN...AND WOMAN ¶1. (SBU) Though President Sleiman is still in the process of forming his staff, following is a list of individuals we believe will be key advisors and members of his staff as well as persons close to him who have no official role. OFFICIAL ADVISORS -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Nazem Khoury, Political Advisor: Khoury is a close personal friend of President Sleiman and will accompany him on his August 13-14 trip to Damascus. A former MP, Khoury is a member of the Lebanese American University's board of trustees. He also sits on the board of the World Alliance of Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) Geneva, and is the Chairman of the League of YMCAs in the Middle East. Khoury sits on the board of a British construction company "Stow." Stow is partially owned by Minister of Economy and Trade Mohammed Safadi, a close friend of Khoury's. Khoury was born on March 18, 1946. Khoury seems to concentrate on domestic matters. He has greeted us in the waiting room prior to our meetings with Sleiman at Baabda Palace, but never participated in them. ¶3. (SBU) Ambassador Naji Abi Assi, Diplomatic and Political Advisor: In addition to being appointed as the Diplomatic and Political Advisor to President Sleiman, Abi Assi is the Lebanese Ambassador to the Vatican and is expected to maintain this role. Abi Assi also will accompany Sleiman to Damascus. Abi Assi is a career diplomat who also served in the Lebanese Permanent Mission to New York and Geneva, and as Ambassador to Senegal and France. He also held several positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Director of the International Organizations Department and Director of the Consular and Political Affairs Department. Abi Assi participated in Lebanese delegations at various international and regional conferences. Abi Assi was born on April 16, 1947. We believe Abi Assi will concentrate on foreign affairs. ¶4. (SBU) Elie Assaf, Head of the General Directorate of Economic Affairs: Assaf previously served in this capacity for seven months in 1996, during late President Elie Hraoui's term. However, during former President Emile Lahoud's term, Assaf was sidelined, and instead managed educational and francophone issues. Assaf also headed the Lebanese Customs in 1997. Assaf set up the Lebanese Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA),the national school for administration attended by public sector employees, and served as its president from 2004 until 2008. Assaf also was Dean of Economic Affairs at the Lebanese University in the 1980s and Dean of Information and Documentation at the Lebanese University in the 1990s. ¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Bahjat Lahoud, Foreign Affairs Advisor: Lahoud, no relation to former President Emile Lahoud, is a cousin of President Sleiman and a retired diplomat. He comes from Amchit, President Sleiman's hometown. Lahoud served as Ambassador to Mexico, Charge d'Affaires in Gabon, Japan, and Switzerland, and Consul General in Egypt and Rio de Janeiro. Lahoud was born on January 10, 1943. ¶6. (SBU) Adib Abi Akl, Press Advisor: Abi Akl is the editor-in-chief of the Central News Agency. Rafiq Chelala, the former press advisor, remains at the Presidential Palace, but has been sidelined in his responsibilities in favor of Abi Akl. ¶7. (SBU) Brigadier General Abdulmuttaleb Hannaoui, Military Advisor General Hannaoui, another personal friend of Sleiman's, is not expected to play a substantive role. In 2001, Hannoui was appointed the office director for then-LAF commander Michel Sleiman, and became a close aide and confidente of Sleiman. In 1996, he was charged with preserving the security in the Baalbek area after former Hizballah SYG Sheikh Subhi Tufayli called for a "revolution of the hungry." He graduated from the military academy in 1975, and participated in several military training courses in the U.S., notably at Fort Benning. He also headed the recruitment department in the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). Hannoui is married and has two Amcit children. ¶8. (SBU) Shadi Karam, Financial Affairs Advisor: Karam was the former Chairman and General Manager of Banque Libanaise pour le Commerce (BLC). Sources close to Central Bank BEIRUT 00001181 002 OF 002 (CBL) Governor Riad Salameh told Econstaff that Karam wrote the economic part of President Sleiman's inaugural speech. Karam is related to CBL Governor Salameh and close to Nazem Khoury, who was a BLC board member. ¶9. (SBU) Ms. Rayyan Assaf, Legal Advisor: The only female advisor, Assaf is a lawyer working on her Ph.D. thesis. She is known to be poised and professional. Assaf holds a law degree from the Saint Joseph University. ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF -------------- ¶10. (SBU) General Salem Bou Daher, Director General of the Presidency: Bou Daher, a retired general, was appointed to this position by a cabinet decree in 1998 at the request of former President Emile Lahoud. We expect a new person to fill this position once the cabinet embarks on appointing new director generals to the various institutions. The Director General oversees the General Secretariat, which handles administrative issues at Baabda Palace. ¶11. (SBU) Dr. Antoine Choucair, Secretary General, General Secretariat: Choucair most recently worked at the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon, IDAL, a one-stop-shop for local and foreign investors. Choucair held several positions in IDAL since 1997 and still retains his current Director of the Export Plus Program and Director of Administration and Finance positions at IDAL. Choucair lectures in several institutions including ENA, where he has been teaching Human Resources Development since 2006, the Institute of Finance, and the Holy Spirit Kaslik University, where he has been teaching strategic management since 2000. Choucair holds a doctorate in management from Paris VIII University. UNOFFICIAL ADVISORS -------------- ¶12. (SBU) President Sleiman also has unofficial advisors including former MP Mansour Ilbon and prominent industrialist Neemat Frem, whose late father was a former minister. In the event that Sleiman forms a parliamentary bloc, Ilbon and Frem probably would be included as MP candidates. ¶13. (SBU) Mansour Ilbon: Ilbon, a former MP and member of March 14, inherited his business, his land, and his parliamentary seat from his father, Fouad Ghanem Ilbon. He was elected to parliament in 1992 and served until he was defeated in the 2005 parliamentary elections. Ilon maintains his father's legacy through the Fouad Ilbon Social Foundation. Ilbon was born in 1953. ¶14. (SBU) Neemat Frem: A prominent industrialist, Frem is the President and CEO of INDEVCO, an international manufacturing group headquartered in Lebanon and solely owned by the Frem family. INDEVCO consists of 28 manufacturing plants located in Brazil, Egypt, England, the U.S., Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, as well as 20 commercial companies throughout the Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) region. Frem is also a board member of BADER, an organization that aims to promote private initiative by inspiring the youth and providing support to entrepreneurs through education, finance and networking. Frem is the son of late former Minister of Industry George Frem. GRANT