Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BEIRUT1292
2008-09-03 14:07:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: PRESIDENT SLEIMAN MEETS ASD LONG, ASD

Tags:  PREL PGOV PINR MCAP MARR KPAL IR LE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4312
OO RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #1292/01 2471407
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 031407Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2919
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2833
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3062
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIRUT 001292 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR A/S HOOK AND PDAS WARLICK
NSC FOR ABRAMS/MCDERMOTT
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/SCHEDLBAUER
OSD FOR EDELMAN/LONG/STRAUB/DALTON
JOINT STAFF FOR RANK/NICHOLSON
CENTCOM FOR ALLARDICE/MACLEAN/PADDOCK
DIA FOR LARSON/CRONIN/KRAUSE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR MCAP MARR KPAL IR LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: PRESIDENT SLEIMAN MEETS ASD LONG, ASD
VICKERS

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 04 BEIRUT 001292

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR A/S HOOK AND PDAS WARLICK
NSC FOR ABRAMS/MCDERMOTT
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/SCHEDLBAUER
OSD FOR EDELMAN/LONG/STRAUB/DALTON
JOINT STAFF FOR RANK/NICHOLSON
CENTCOM FOR ALLARDICE/MACLEAN/PADDOCK
DIA FOR LARSON/CRONIN/KRAUSE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR MCAP MARR KPAL IR LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: PRESIDENT SLEIMAN MEETS ASD LONG, ASD
VICKERS

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

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


1. (C) In an August 27 meeting, President Sleiman said that
he was looking forward to his upcoming trip to the White
House. Sleiman intends to address the complicated issues
facing Lebanon with the President, as well as his concern
over recent Israeli comments. Sleiman thanked the USG for
continued support and detailed threats to Lebanon emanating
from the Palestinian refugee camps. Sleiman does not assess
that Syria has any objection to USG assistance to Lebanon.
Sleiman said he would like to see the army add another four
to five thousand special forces soldiers while maintaining
confessional balance in the Army. Sleiman expects that the
new Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Commander will be announced
on Friday, August 29, and the new LAF G-2 Intelligence
Officer named shortly thereafter. End Summary.


2. (SBU) During a day visit to Lebanon on August 27,
Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security
Affairs (OSDP-ISA) Mary Beth Long and Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Special Operations, Low Intensity Conflict and
Interdependent Capabilities (OSDP-SOLICIC) Michael Vickers
met with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman at the
Presidential Palace in Baabda. Long and Vickers were
accompanied by Major General Robert Allardice, CENTCOM J-5;
Colonel Dave Huggins, ARCENT Commander Representative;
Colonel Tom Henwood, ASD Long's Military Assistant;
Lieutenant Colonel Bob Paddock, CENTCOM Lebanon Desk Officer;
Commander Wyman Howard SOLICIC Desk Officer; and Melissa
Dalton, OSD Lebanon Desk Officer. Also in attendance were
Ambassador; visiting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East

Affairs David Hale, and Defense Attache Lieutenant Colonel
David Alley.

SLEIMAN WILL EXPRESS TO PRESIDENT BUSH
CONCERN OVER ISRAELI COMMENTS
--------------


3. (C) After initial pleasantries, President Sleiman told us
that he is looking forward to his trip to the United States
in September and, specifically, his visit to the White House
with President Bush. President Sleiman said he was looking
forward to the opportunity to discuss during his trip the
complicated situation in Lebanon. He assesses that there
could be war at any time now with Israel and said he intends
to raise directly with President Bush the issue of recent
Israeli rhetoric. According to Sleiman, the current climate
of hostility is very difficult for a small country like
Lebanon that already has many other problems. Sleiman asked
that the USG make its best efforts to prevent Israel from
attacking Lebanon. "We respect (UNSCR) 1701, but the
Israelis are always violating it every day, and these threats
are a violation too," said Sleiman. Sleiman commented that
when Lebanon has good regional relations, to include good
relations with Israel, there will be better relations between
Lebanon and Syria as well.


4. (C) ASD Long acknowledged Sleiman's message. She also
encouraged Sleiman to reiterate his vision outlined in his
May inaugural speech to Members of Congress and the U.S.
Administration when he visits Washington. ASD Long also
recommended that Sleiman take advantage of his trip to renew
the Lebanese-U.S. relationship and ensure continued support
for Lebanon. Long extended an invitation to Sleiman to visit
the Pentagon during his visit to Washington.

THANK YOU FOR THE MILITARY ASSISTANCE
WE STILL HAVE MANY THREATS TO ADDRESS
--------------


BEIRUT 00001292 002 OF 004



5. (C) Sleiman thanked the delegation for continued U.S.
support of both the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the
Internal Security Forces (ISF). Sleiman said that Lebanon
counts on the United States on both the political and
military levels as Lebanon's economic situation exacerbates
all of Lebanon's other problems.


6. (C) Chief among these problems, according to Sleiman, is
the issue of Palestinian refugees. Until they return to a
Palestinian homeland, Sleiman assesses that they will remain
a security risk for Lebanon. Sleiman told us that the
Palestinians, with their weapons, ideology of liberation,
organization, and extremists members, pose the single
greatest security risk for Lebanon. "We cannot let them out
of these camps," said Sleiman.


7. (C) Sleiman has been contacting Gulf countries, asking
them to make good on their promises made in Vienna in June to
provide money for the Nahr Al Bared refugee camp
reconstruction. To date, these countries have done nothing to
help alleviate the suffering at Nahr Al Bared. Instead of
being able to rebuild their homes, the Palestinians have been
spending their time demonstrating in front of the Roumieh
prison where many of their Fatah Al-Islam family members are
incarcerated.

NEW TERRORIST STRATEGY IN MIDDLE EAST
ATTACK THE ARMIES OF GOVERNMENTS
--------------


8. (C) Sleiman related his thoughts on recent developments in
the war against terror. Sleiman remarked that he has noticed
a shift in terrorist strategy, as well as their tactics, over
the last year. During this time, Sleiman has noticed that
terrorists have shifted their focus to directly attacking
military elements of the state, especially in Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Iraq. Sleiman assesses that the terrorists
may be shifting away from civilians as the primary targets.
Because of this shift in tactics, Sleiman said it is even
more important to reinforce the regions militaries with more
equipment and morale, as well as increasing the troops'
salaries.


9. (C) President Sleiman reiterated his frequent assertion
that the LAF must grow in size. By Sleiman's count, he needs
one infantry brigade to guard each of the Palestinian refugee
camps, but he only has eleven brigades total for all of the
security missions in Lebanon. (Comment: This seems to be a
bit of a reach as some of the camps are so small that they
could not employ an entire brigade. Even so, Sleiman's point
about the camps consuming an extensive number of LAF
resources is backed up by facts on the ground. End Comment.)

PALESTINIAN CAMPS ARE NOT
A PROBLEM FOR ELECTIONS
--------------


10. (C) When asked if he thought the Palestinian camps could
pose a risk for the upcoming Lebanese Parliamentary elections
in May 2009, Sleiman said no. While Sleiman acknowledged
that the Palestinians are a concern, he said that the
Lebanese people can control this problem if they want to
because, "no Palestinian can move around Lebanon with out a
laissez-passer (permission slip) from the people who live
around the camps."

NEW ARMY COMMANDER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON FRIDAY;
NEW LAF G-2 WITHIN A FEW DAYS
-------------- --


11. (C) President Sleiman did not want to name his preference
for the new LAF Commander during our meeting, but he assured
us that the Cabinet would name the new commander on Friday,
August 29. The reason for delaying the normal Thursday

BEIRUT 00001292 003 OF 004


cabinet meeting until Friday was because Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas would be visiting Lebanon on
Thursday, August 28.


12. (C) Regarding the appointment of the new LAF G-2
Intelligence Director, Sleiman told us that this position
would be announced within a few days after that Army
Commander is named. Sleiman said that the new LAF Commander
would be responsible for nominating the new LAF G-2 because,
"the new Commander must look strong by being the one who
appoints him (the G-2 Director)." The U.S. delegation
stressed the importance of the LAF G-2 position to USG and
Lebanese cooperation.

SYRIA HAS NO PROBLEM WITH USG ASSISTANCE IN LEBANON
USG SHOULD HAVE GOOD RELATIONS WITH SYRIA
-------------- --------------


13. (C) After presenting his argument about the important
role of Syria in the region, Sleiman confided that Syria has
no objections to USG assistance to the Lebanese Army. In
fact, Syria needs U.S. participation in Lebanon to ensure a
stable environment. Sleiman insisted that the topic of U.S.
assistance to Lebanon is not one of the topics that he and
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad discussed during his visit
to Damascus. Instead, Sleiman said they discussed Syria's
role in the region with a specific focus on how it could help
the situation in Iraq. Sleiman hinted at, but did not
directly ask for, better relations between the USG and Syria
as a way to decrease tensions in the region. "When we have
good relations with Syria, we feel approximately secure,"
said Sleiman.

INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE ARMY
WE NEED MORE SPECIAL FORCES
--------------


14. (C) Major General Allardice reviewed discussions that he
recently had with Acting CENTCOM Commander Lieutenant General
Martin Dempsey and Multi-National Forces Iraq Commander
General David Petraeus concerning security assistance to
Lebanon. The current LAF three year plan was discussed with
the possibility of expanding this to a five year plan.
Sleiman, well-versed in the plan, said, "yes, yes, but it is
very important that we grow more special forces. We need four
to five thousand more special forces soldiers."


15. (C) When asked about the difficulty of raising the troops
and paying for them, Sleiman confirmed that there would be
difficulties. Sleiman's first concern is maintaining
confessional balance in the Army. While this is not a problem
in the officer ranks, which are currently split 50/50 between
Christians and Muslims, Sleiman thinks there will be problems
at the lower enlisted ranks. Sleiman told us that there must
be a concerted campaign to try and attract Christians, and to
a lesser degree, Shia Muslims. Sleiman related that no new
Christians are joining the army now, "none, zero new
soldiers." Sleiman said that when there is a call for new
soldiers, some Christians, Druze and Shia may show up, but
not very many. Meanwhile, there is an overabundance of Sunni
Muslims, mostly from the impoverished region of Akkar in
northern Lebanon, that turn out in force whenever there is a
call for new recruits.


16. (C) Sleiman also related that he has many other tasks
that he wants completed with regards to the Army.
Specifically, he wants to implement a policy that governs
general officer appointments, to encourage more LAF and ISF
cooperation, and to re-instill a sense of volunteerism in the
country for government service. Sleiman feels that these
difficult tasks can only be accomplished during periods of
calm in Lebanon.


17. (C) Assistant Secretaries Long and Vickers have cleared

BEIRUT 00001292 004 OF 004


this cable.
SISON