Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BEIRUT1270
2008-09-02 09:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: NEA DAS HALE MEETS SPEAKER BERRI

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR IS LE QA 
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FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
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INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0093
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 001270 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO ACTING A/S HOOK, PDAS WARLICK
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FOR ABRAMS/YERGER/MCDERMOTT
DOD/OSD A/S LONG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR IS LE QA
SUBJECT: LEBANON: NEA DAS HALE MEETS SPEAKER BERRI

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 001270

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO ACTING A/S HOOK, PDAS WARLICK
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FOR ABRAMS/YERGER/MCDERMOTT
DOD/OSD A/S LONG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR IS LE QA
SUBJECT: LEBANON: NEA DAS HALE MEETS SPEAKER BERRI

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) In an August 28 meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri, NEA DAS David Hale reiterated the USG's continued
support for Lebanon. Berri thanked DAS Hale for USG
assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces and expressed his
concern over the recent violence in Tripoli, blaming Al-Qaeda
and foreign fighter elements. Berri added that parliament
would vote on a new electoral law by September 25, followed
soon by the launch of President Sleiman's National Dialogue.
Berri also criticized Israeli overflights and Israel's
reluctance to give up its cluster bomb targeting data in
order for deminers to prioritize their work. DAS Hale said
the USG would ask Israel about the information, but
emphasized that Lebanon had to fully comply with UNSCR 1701
and address Hizballah's illegal weapons. End Summary.


2. (C) Visiting NEA DAS David Hale, accompanied by
Ambassador, NEA/ELA Lebanon desk officer, and PolOffs, met
with the Speaker, MP Ali Bazzi, and Berri advisor Ali Hamdan
at Berri's office in Ain el-Tineh on August 28.

U.S. STILL FOCUSED
ON LEBANON
--------------


3. (C) DAS Hale told Berri the objective of his visit was to
reaffirm USG support for Lebanon's sovereignty, independence,
integrity and its institutions. He added that he wanted to
know where the USG could most effectively lend its support to
Lebanon, as well as trying to get a sense of how the National
Dialogue was progressing, and preparations for Spring 2008
legislative elections. DAS Hale also said he was here to
discuss the next phase of USG security support to Lebanon and
to emphasize full implementation of UNSCR 1701.


4. (C) Berri said he did not have the impression that the

U.S. was losing interest in Lebanon. He attributed any
misperceptions to the timing of the U.S. elections, noting
that many in the U.S. would be focused on domestic
presidential elections. Berri thanked DAS Hale for the USG's
material support to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and
criticized European and Arab countries for only providing
verbal support.

UNIFIED ARMY NEEDED
TO END TRIPOLI VIOLENCE
--------------


5. (C) Berri added that Lebanon could not function without a
strong and unified LAF. He said he was troubled by how
overstretched the LAF currently is, noting that some units
operating in the south in conjunction with UNIFIL forces, as
part of UNSCR 1701, had been forced to redeploy to Tripoli in
order to help stabilize the security situation there.

6. (C) The Speaker attributed the conflict in Tripoli to
Al-Qaeda and foreign fighter militants, particularly from
Iraq, coming to Lebanon to destabilize the country. He said
two things were needed in the north in order to counter their
efforts: economic development and investment, as well as
increased security. Berri believed that three to five
thousand LAF soldiers would ultimately need to be re-deployed
from the south to the north, but admitted that this would be
a dangerous tradeoff.

NEW LAF COMMANDER
--------------


7. (C) Berri said the cabinet had not (then) yet chosen a
new LAF Commander because of internal squabbles within March

14. Berri said the problem was between March 14 Saad Hariri
and Walid Jumblatt. Berri said he spoke with Hizballah
leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Nasrallah did not care who the

BEIRUT 00001270 002 OF 003


next LAF Commander would be. Berri said he also did not feel
strongly about who should be named to the position. Berri
did not specify the particular problem between Hariri and
Jumblatt over the LAF leadership, but noted that Jumblatt
felt that Hariri had gone behind his back and that the issue
would not be solved until Hariri returned to Lebanon from his
vacation in Europe (the choice of General Kahwagi as the new
LAF Commander was announced during an August 29 cabinet
meeting.)

NATIONAL DIALOGUE TO
BE HELD AFTER SEPTEMBER
--------------


8. (C) Berri said the only obligatory item to be discussed
during the National Dialogue would be the National Defense
Strategy (i.e. Hizballah's weapons). Berri said that he was
not opposed to discussing other issues, as long as all the
participants agreed to have the discussions. He also said
only parties represented in the parliament with more than
four members should be allowed to participate, as occurred
during the 2006 dialogue.


9. (C) He noted that the 2008 National Dialogue would be
chaired by President Sleiman and ultimately the decision
concerning whom to or not to invite would be up to him.
However, Berri said he would recommend to Sleiman that the
2006 criteria be met as opposed to inviting fifty or sixty
people to participate. The 2008 National Dialogue would most
likely occur after September because of Ramadan and Sleiman's
trips to New York during UN General Assembly meeting and his
planned regional travel (Egypt and Qatar). Berri added that
during his recent trip to Qatar, the Emir of Qatar offered to
facilitate National Dialogue meetings, which Berri had
welcomed.

ELECTORAL LAW
BY SEPTEMBER 25
--------------


10. (C) Berri said Lebanon would have a new electoral law by
September 25. If there was consensus on which reforms to
adopt, along with the Doha Accord stipulation for a
majoritarian districting system, an earlier vote on the
electoral law could occur. Berri hoped this districting
system would be changed for the 2013 parliamentary elections.
(Note: In the past Berri often has told us he prefers
proportional representation. End note.) He added that
security concerns would not be an issue on election day and
refuted any talk suggesting otherwise.

SOUTH LEBANON -
POOR ECONOMY, GOOD SECURITY
--------------


11. (C) Berri noted that the economic situation in the south,
as was the case for all of Lebanon, was "not good" at the
moment. Electricity shortages and availability, as well as
access to clean water, were the two main priorities for the
region. In terms of security, Berri believed that southern
Lebanon was the most secure region in the country, noting
that South Lebanon was more secure than Tripoli in the north
and even Beirut. (Note: As Berri said this, news outlets
reported that a LAF helicopter was fired upon by militants in
the southern town of Iqlim Al Tuffah, forcing the helicopter
to make an emergency landing. First Lieutenant Samer Hanna
was killed in the incident and an investigation is underway.
End Note.)

ISRAEL OVERFLIGHTS
MUST END
--------------


12. (C) Berri then went into a tirade about Israeli
overflights over Lebanon. He said Israel would have no
reason to worry about Hizballah's ability to fire upon its
aircraft if Israel was not violating Lebanese airspace.

BEIRUT 00001270 003 OF 003


Berri said the overflights only provoke Hizballah and that
Israel should stop them immediately. He added that Lebanon
is ready to implement UNSCR 1701 "word for word," if Israel
was ready to do the same. Berri also felt that recent
Israeli saber-rattling over Hizballah's weapons was just a
threat and that Israel would not act because it would not be
in Israel's interest.


13. (C) DAS Hale said he believed that neither side wanted a
conflict. However, th Israeli Defense Force (IDF) was
alarmed by Hizbllah's ability to rearm and smuggle weapons
across Lebanese territory with free reign, noting the lack of
any credible effort by the GOL to halt such activities. DAS
Hale advised Berri to work to avoid further provoking the
Israelis by fully complying with UNSCR 1701.

CLUSTER BOMB INFO
NEEDED FROM ISRAEL
--------------


14. (C) Berri then asked for USG assistance in clearing the
cluster bomb problem in South Lebanon. He said more than two
million bombs had been dropped by the Israelis after the two
sides agreed to UNSCR 1701, which ended the month-long
conflict on August 14, 2006. Every week women, children, and
UNIFIL soldiers were being injured and killed because of
these cluster bombs, Berri said. In the two year period
since the war ended more than 200 people had been injured,
and over 30 killed, by cluster bombs in southern Lebanon.
Berri noted that the United Arab Emirates completed its
demining project in the south and had no plans to support
continued demining activities. He suggested that the USG ask
Qatar for additional funding. Berri also said the Israelis
should offer up their targeting maps so deminers could
prioritize their demining activities.


15. (C) DAS Hale told Berri the USG would continue to seek
accurate strike data, and would explore additional USG
funding to support demining activities in the area as well as
coordinate with the UN on seeking other donor support.
Concerning the first solution, Berri said the USG needed to
demand, not ask, the Israelis for their targeting information
and said he supported seeking additional USG funding or other
donor support.


16. (U) DAS Hale has cleared this cable.

SISON