LEBANON: MARONITE PATRIARCH PRAISES SLEIMAN,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001330

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR PTER LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: MARONITE PATRIARCH PRAISES SLEIMAN,
LAMENTS HIZBALLAH'S USURPING STATE CONTROL

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

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


1. (C) Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Sfeir praised President
Sleiman and said President Bush should show him strong
support during Sleiman's visit to Washington at the end of
the month. He commented briefly on the new LAF leadership
appointments. He was impressed with majority leader Saad
Hariri's efforts to bring about reconciliation between Sunni
and Alawite groups in Tripoli. He said that though
Hizballah's leadership had been relatively quiet lately, the
party was increasingly trying to take on the role of the
state. End summary.

HOPE FOR THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE...
DESPITE WEAPONS SMUGGLING
--------------


2. (C) The Ambassador, accompanied by PolEconOff, visited
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir at his residence
in Bkirke September 10. The meeting took place one week
after the Maronite Bishops' Council, which the Patriarch
leads, issued its monthly statement, calling for unity after
a time of instability. Referring to the March 14 and March 8
coalitions, the statement said, "The two parties are trying
to control the country. Instead, they should be calling for
unity... Lebanon is either a state that handles its
responsibilities and fulfils its duties or a state that hands
its duties over to others and relinquishes all its
responsibilities."


3. (C) In this context, the Ambassador raised President
Sleiman's announcement -- during a September 9 iftar at
Baabda Palace -- that he would convene the National Dialogue
on September 16. The Patriarch agreed with the Ambassador's
assessment that Sleiman's announcement was a coup, as all of
the Doha participants were present at the iftar, and
therefore his announcement immediately silenced previous talk
of expanding participation in the National Dialogue. "I
think the President will be successful," said Sfeir. "He is a
good man who does what he says."


4. (C) Sfeir said President Sleiman was unique in Lebanese
politics because "he represents all Lebanon." He said he
hoped President Bush would welcome him during his trip to
Washington later in the month and find ways to "encourage"
him.


5. (C) Despite Sleiman's strengths, the Patriarch worried
that outside interference, particularly from Iran and Syria,
would stymie the National Dialogue. In response to the
Ambassador's comment that Lebanon and Syria would need to
settle border control issues as part of their leaders' recent
decision to establish diplomatic relations, the Patriarch
remarked, "Yes, it is hard to dialogue when someone has a gun
in his hand."

LAF LEADERSHIP
--------------


6. (C) Sfeir said that he knew newly appointed LAF Commander
Jean Kahwagi and thought he was a good choice for the job.
The Patriarch said he had not met the new G-2 Director of
Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Edmond Fadeh, but
because Fadeh is a Maronite, "he will come to me soon."

PRAISE FOR HARIRI'S
RECONCILIATION EFFORTS
--------------


7. (C) Patriarch Sfeir said majority leader Saad Hariri had
"made a good effort" in bringing together opposing groups in
Tripoli to ease tensions. He noted that Hariri currently was
in the Bekaa making similar attempts at reconciliation
between competing groups.

HIZBALLAH TAKING OVER
--------------

BEIRUT 00001330 002 OF 002




8. (C) The Patriarch commented that Hizballah had been
relatively quiet lately, and that Hizballah SYG Hassan
Nasrallah had appeared more conciliatory. However, he
worried that during this calm Hizballah was still receiving
arms from Iran and Syria. Sfeir was concerned that Hizballah
had negotiated the recent prisoner exchange with Israel, when
the Lebanese government was the appropriate authority for
carrying out negotiations with another state. "Nasrallah is
making himself the government," said the Patriarch.


9. (C) The Ambassador noted that Nasrallah had turned over
the Hizballah fighter who shot down the Lebanese Armed Forces
helicopter on August 28. Sfeir said it was interesting that
the Christian family of the slain pilot of the helicopter had
so far turned down requests from Hizballah to pay condolences.

SISON