LEBANON: WITH DAS HALE, BERRI STRESSES LEBANON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 001471

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
DOD/OSD FOR U/S EDELMAN,A/S MBLONG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR LE SY IS
SUBJECT: LEBANON: WITH DAS HALE, BERRI STRESSES LEBANON
NEEDS GOOD RELATIONS WITH SYRIA

REF: BEIRUT 1439

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

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


1. (C) Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri told visiting NEA
DAS David Hale on October 7 that while he worried about the
presence of fundamentalists and Al-Qaeda in north Lebanon, he
dismissed the concerns of some Lebanese politicians regarding
Syria's increased troop presence at the northern
Lebanese-Syrian border. The problems the U.S. has with
Syria, he advised, could be addressed if Syrian-Israeli talks
are successful. However, Berri accused Israel of continuing
to commit humanitarian crimes by not turning over strike data
of cluster bombs dropped in south Lebanon during the July
2006 war. The Middle East Peace Process, in Berri's view,
was in a "dangerous" period with the possible expiration of
the Palestinian Authority president's term, changes in
Israeli leadership, and the U.S. political transition.


2. (C) Berri believed that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)
was the only unified institution in Lebanon. He said he was
pleased to hear that current challenges to the U.S. provision
of helicopters to the LAF are only technical in nature, and
not political. On domestic issues, Berri admitted he did not
personally support the recently passed electoral law. Yet,
he said, because each party believes it will win, it is
unlikely the electoral period will descend into chaos.
Independent candidates, Berri guessed, would not have much
success in the elections. He said he was optimistic about
the National Dialogue, although results would take time.
End summary.

GOOD RELATIONS WITH
SYRIA ARE NECESSARY
--------------


3. (C) Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, accompanied by his
advisor Ali Hamdan, seemed perplexed by some Lebanese
politicians' concerns about recent increases to Syrian troop
levels along the Lebanon-Syria northern border in an October
7 meeting with visiting NEA Deputy Assistant Secretary David
Hale, accompanied by the Ambassador, Pol/Econ Chief, and
Poloff. He reasoned the Syrians felt compelled to act to
reduce the possibility of fundamentalists or Al-Qaeda
elements from crossing into Syria. Berri said he also
worried that these groups were establishing themselves in
Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli. As long as the Syrian
troops remained in Syrian territory, he said, he saw no
reason to be alarmed. He declared it was essential for
Lebanon to have good relations with Syria, not Syrian
domination.


4. (C) DAS Hale explained that the U.S. agreed that Lebanon
and Syria should have a good relationship. However, the U.S.
was skeptical of Syrian motivations, Hale said. U.S. public
statements denouncing any kind of foreign intervention in
Lebanon were intended to reiterate U.S. policy and prevent
Syrian miscalculation about U.S. support for Lebanon, said
Hale. Berri advised that the U.S. policy of limited
engagement with Syria was not helpful. Of more use, he said,
would be to continue talks with the Syrians and to support
Syrian-Israeli talks. If the Syrian-Israeli track is
successful, Berri predicted the U.S. could also make progress
with the Syrians on issues such as the implementation of UNSC
Resolution 1701, human rights, and Syria's relationship with
Iran. According to Berri, Syria will not give up all of its
interest for nothing in return. "In every reconciliation,
you have to give and take at the same time," Berri said.

"WE STILL NEED THE MAPS!"
--------------


5. (C) Berri told DAS Hale he publicly informed a special
workshop, convened on October 6 by parliament's Human Rights
and Justice Committee to discuss demining issues, that Israel

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has yet to turn over complete strike data of cluster bombs
dropped on south Lebanon during the 2006 war. Berri claimed
Israeli logic that handing over the maps would help the
"resistance" was "nonsense," and called it a "crime." DAS
Hale reassured Berri that the U.S. had urged Israel to
release the full data, and would continue to urge it to do
so. Berri noted that the Qataris may also provide additional
financial assistance to the demining efforts, and that Qatari
Sheikha Khassa, also the UN representative for landmines,
participated in the conference. The Ambassador informed
Berri that the U.S. had secured badly needed funding for the
Mine Action Group's (MAG) demining efforts and would announce
the additional assistance o/a October 11.

PEACE PROCESS IS IN A
"DANGEROUS SITUATION"
--------------


6. (C) Speaker Berri expressed concerns about the status of
the Middle East Peace Process. He called the upcoming two
months a "dangerous situation" with the possibility that
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' term would
expire, the transition from an Ehud Olmert government to one
headed by Tzipi Livni in Israel, and the November U.S.
presidential election. DAS Hale said he did not share
Berri's assessment; on the contrary, the U.S. believed the
contacts between Israel and the Palestinians had been going
well. Furthermore, Hale said an end to Abbas' term did not
serve the interests of peace and stability, a legal argument
could be made to extend Abbas' term, and in fact Hamas may
prefer not to have elections in the near term. DAS Hale also
rebutted Berri's concerns about Livni, saying she has been
the Israelis' lead negotiator in the peace talks and the U.S.
believes she is committed to the process.

LAF IS THE ONLY UNIFIED INSTITUTION
--------------


7. (C) Berri admitted that he was concerned about the depth
of U.S. commitments to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)
following several skeptical press reports after the Joint
Military Commission talks held October 6. DAS Hale reassured
Berri that the U.S. was serious in its commitment to rebuild
the LAF through the provision of meaningful training and
equipment. As one example, Hale informed Berri that current
challenges to the U.S. provision of helicopters to the LAF
are only technical in nature, and not political. Berri said
he was pleased to hear this because the LAF is the only
unified institution in Lebanon. He recalled his strong
support for the LAF since the 1980s and opined that unity is
necessary for Lebanon's political survival.

THE ELECTORAL LAW, ELECTIONS,
AND NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON TRACK
--------------


8. (C) Berri was unequivocal in his disapproval of the newly
adopted electoral law (reftel). The law, passed by
parliament on September 29, is "against the interests of
Lebanon," Berri stated. However, he commented that what is
good about the law is that it serves as a type of unifier.
"If everyone thinks he will win, then there will not be
chaos," Berri told DAS Hale. When asked to predict the
outcome of the spring 2009 parliamentary elections, Berri
said he could not, saying the elections will be very close.
However, he did not believe that independent candidates would
have much success in the upcoming elections.


9. (C) Berri was optimistic about the National Dialogue. He
asserted that the talks would be difficult, but not
impossible. To see results, he warned, would take time and
probably would not be apparent before the elections. The
national defense strategy, he acknowledged, would be the
toughest issue, and is the remaining agenda item under the
May 2008 Doha agreement, which called for the election of a
president, the establishment of a national unity government,
a new electoral law, and the start of the National Dialogue.


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10. (U) DAS Hale has cleared this message.
SISON