Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BEIRUT1386
2008-09-22 13:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: DEFENSE MINISTER MURR ON SLEIMAN TRIP,

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR MOPS IS SY LE 
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PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #1386/01 2661349
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 221349Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3118
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2955
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3169
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 001386 

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR MOPS IS SY LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: DEFENSE MINISTER MURR ON SLEIMAN TRIP,
JOINT MILITARY COMMISSION

REF: IIR 6857039908

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 001386

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR MOPS IS SY LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: DEFENSE MINISTER MURR ON SLEIMAN TRIP,
JOINT MILITARY COMMISSION

REF: IIR 6857039908

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


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


1. (C) Minister of Defense Elias Murr told us he had been
briefing President Sleiman regularly to prepare Sleiman for
his upcoming meetings in Washington. He complained September
20 about Saad Hariri's demand that Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) Commander Kahwagi place Sunni officers in key LAF
Intelligence Directorate positions. Murr is looking forward
to the October 5-6 Joint Military Commission. Murr said that
his father, longtime political leader Michel Murr, favors
having very few National Dialogue sessions before spring
elections so as to avoid giving too much to the Hizballah-led
opposition. On the 2009 election, Murr thought that having a
one-day voting period was possible from a security stand
point but admitted that administrative challenges might lead
to a two-day scenario. End summary.


2. (C) Ambassador, accompanied by DCM, DATT and ODC chief,
met with Defense Minister Elias Murr on September 20 for a
wide-ranging discussion of military and political matters.
Murr opened the meeting by complaining that majority leader
Saad Hariri is pressuring the LAF Commander Jean Kahwagi and
LAF G-2 Intelligence Director Edmond Fadel to appoint Sunni
officers in the LAF Intelligence Directorate. Murr said
Hariri is meddling in areas which should not concern him,
specifically citing Hariri,s insistence on naming the
officer who deals with internal military intelligence
affairs. Murr told us frankly that he had "given" Hariri G-2
positions for Sunni officers that had more political
importance such as the Deputy G-2 and the G-2 Director for

the Sunni dominated Northern Region. Murr said Hariri is
being influenced by previous Deputy G-2 G Ghassan Balaa, and
that Hariri had talked abou all Sunni officers resigning
from the LAF if thedemand is not met. (Note: The G-2 for
Military Intelligence perform counter-intelligence and
criminal investigation functions inside the army. DefMin Murr
does not want to politicize this position as it will hinder
the ability of the Army to carry out investigations without
accusations of political motivation. This position has
investigative authority for incidents such as the January 27
violence in south Beirut and the May clashes in west Beirut.
End note.)


3. (C) The new G-2 positions were designated on September 19
(Ref A). Murr said that Kahwagi is currently refusing
demands to appoint officers inside the intelligence
directorate at headquarters despite heavy pressure from
Hariri and Hizballah. Murr emphasized that Kahwagi is
willing to compromise with Hizballah on some positions, but
adamantly refusing to put Hizballah-designated candidates in
the G-2 Directorate.

SLEIMAN MEETING WITH SECDEF GATES
--------------


4. (C) Murr does not anticipate that President Sleiman will
discuss sensitive internal topics with Secretary of Defense
Gates during their September 25 meeting in Washington.
Instead, Murr anticipates that Sleiman will focus on the
strong military-to-military ties between the LAF and the
Department of Defense and thank the Secretary for his strong
support. Sleiman will also stress the need for the LAF to
become stronger in order to fill its role as the only
legitimate armed force inside Lebanon. Even so, Sleiman will
stay away from the idea that the LAF will take, or integrate,
Hizbullah into the LAF. Sleiman will be glad if one day the
LAF can integate Hizbullah's men and arms, said Murr, but
"wecannot talk openly about it now." Murr told us tha he
has been preparing Sleiman, one or two times a week, for his
trip to the United States and that Sleiman will be fully
conversant in all topics for the LAF. Murr related that many
officers in the LAF are "speaking bad words" about Hizballah

BEIRUT 00001386 002 OF 003


and assessed that Hizbullah support inside the LAF is waning.

JOINT MILITARY COMMISSION, 5-6 OCTOBER
--------------


5. (C) Murr has directed that the upcoming Joint Military
Commission (JMC) with the Department of Defense on October
5-6 be held at the Ministry of Defense. Murr has coordinated
with Kahwagi on the substance of the JMC and has delegated
coordination authority for this event to Kahwagi,s
assistant, Major Ziad Barakat. Murr stressed that both he
and Kahwagi want to accomplish a great deal in talks with the
U.S. in the coming months. Regarding the minutes of the JMC,
Murr is not sure if he will need a cabinet decision to sign
them. If yes, he will send them a greatly redacted version
for approval as he does not want Hizbullah cabinet member
Fneish to know the details of what coordination he has made
with the United States. Ambassador asked about reports that
meetings of the national unity cabinet last for hours, with
long discussions of details. "This is the worst Lebanese
government since I was born," quipped Murr.

POLITICS: MICHEL MURR URGING
LIMITED NATIONAL DIALOGUE SESSIONS
--------------


6. (C) Turning to politics, Murr was critical of March 14
stalwart and Progressive Socialist Party Leader Walid
Jumblatt. The recent Hizbullah reconciliation meetings with
Jumblatt's representatives are pushing Jumblatt away from the
limited agenda of National Defense at the National Dialogue
and towards expanding the agenda, which Hizballah favors.
Murr was adamant that the agenda remain focused on
Hizballah,s arms, casting this as a binary choice: either we
have arms for Lebanon, or we have arms for Iran, which is it?
Murr told us that he does not trust Jumblatt, but is
confident that Jumblatt will not make a political pact with
Hizbullah prior to the May 2009 elections.


7. (C) Murr,s father, longtime political boss Michel Murr,
is representing the Greek Orthodox community at the National
Dialogue. Murr told us that his father is advising all
members to accept as few sessions as possible prior to the
May 2009 elections. The reason is that Hizballah and the
opposition will seek concessions throughout the Dialogue,
Murr said. (Septel covers Ambassador's September 22 call on
Michel Murr.) Why should we give them anything before the
elections, he asked? Michel Murr specifically has advised
that there be no more than two additional sessions before the
May 2009 elections: one immediately following the designation
of the next U.S. President on 5 November (already scheduled)
and one possibly in February. Murr said he is rebuffing
President Sleiman's calls that as Defense Minister he
participate in the Dialogue for the issue of national defense
strategy. Murr told us he is insisting all of Hizballah,s
rockets be under the control of the Army before he joins the
discussion. He claimed that although Sleiman agrees with
this pre-condition, he recognizes it as impractical for the
time being. Hizbullah wants to say that their rockets are
legal and that their 20,000 soldiers are in the Army now,
said Murr.

2009 ELECTIONS ON ONE DAY POSSIBLE
--------------


8. (C) At this time, it appears as if the May 2009 elections
will be held on one day, Murr indicated. The relevant
Parliamentary committee has just approved that proposal.
While Interior Minister Baroud has complained that he does
not have the security forces to carry out the elections on
one day, Murr told us that he assured Baroud that the LAF
will be there to help him and there will be plenty of troops
available for all assigned missions. Murr opined that it may
be quite difficult from an administrative perspective to hold
elections on one day, but there is no security-related reason
preventing it. Murr assessed the alternate scenario as
elections on two days, over two weekends. However, if the
Hizballah-led opposition perceived that they had done worse
than expected in districts that vote in the first weekend,

BEIRUT 00001386 003 OF 003


they would take steps to disrupt the process the second
weekend to assure their victory, he predicted.

SISON