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