LEBANON: ELECTION LAW FLAWED, BUT RIGHT MOVE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 001472

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA, NEA/PI
ALSO FOR IO ACTING A/S HOOK AND PDAS WARLICK
P FOR DRUSSELL AND RRANGASWAMY
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FOR ABRAMS/YERGER/MCDERMOTT/RAMCHAND
OSD FOR EDELMAN/LONG/STRAUB/DALTON
AID/ME FOR LAUDATO/BEVER/SCOTT
DRL FOR DAS BARKS-RUGGLES/BARGHOUT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR MOPS IS LE SY
SUBJECT: LEBANON: ELECTION LAW FLAWED, BUT RIGHT MOVE,
INTERIOR MINISTER TELLS DAS HALE

REF: BEIRUT 1439

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

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


1. (C) On October 7, Minister of Interior Ziyad Baroud told
visiting NEA DAS David Hale that he was disappointed that
many electoral reforms did not make it into the final law
that parliament passed on September 29, but termed the new
law as still encouraging. However, he added that providing
security for a nationwide, one-day election was his biggest
concern due to a lack of security resources and the constant
threat of violence in certain areas of the country. Baroud
attributed the challenges to a lack of border security
between Lebanon and Syria as well as a lack of GOL
sovereignty over the Palestinian camps. DAS Hale told Baroud
USG policy towards Syria and Iran remains unchanged, and
warned that Israeli officials may decide to take actions into
their own hands if Lebanon fails to fully implement UNSCR
1701 and halt Hizballah,s rearmament. End Summary.

ELECTION LAW
A GOOD THING
--------------


2. (C) Visiting NEA DAS David Hale and the Ambassador,
accompanied by PolOff, met with Minister of Interior Ziyad
Baroud at his office in West Beirut on October 7. Baroud
said reformists like himself were not very successful in
achieving all the desired reforms for the new electoral law,
passed by parliament on September 29 (reftel). However, he
noted the new law was a step in the right direction for
Lebanon. He added that it would be difficult to implement
all the reforms in time for the elections, (slated to occur
between April and June, 2009).


3. (C) Currently, the Ministry of Interior is severely
short-staffed, Baroud said. The hiring process is
notoriously slow even when the Ministry had funding to hire
new employees, not to mention that there is not enough time
to fully train new hires on the new law, according to Baroud.
Therefore, the Ministry is in desperate need of
international community and civil society support, he said.
(Note: Baroud said at the meeting that he would release his
long-awaited Master Plan, which would serve as the
coordination strategy for the donor community, on October 10.
However, we have since learned that the release will be
postponed for at least two weeks. End Note.)


4. (C) Baroud said the key reforms missing from the new law
were the use of pre-printed ballots and the establishment of
an Independent Election Commission (IEC). In addition, he
added that he had no flexibility in trying to implement
reforms that were absent from the new law and that some
reforms that were passed would require extra funding from the
GOL to implement (e.g., facilitating one-day elections). DAS
Hale said the USG was pleased that a new election law was
passed and that this was announced publicly. However, the
USG toned down its enthusiasm for the law because of many of
the flaws that Baroud himself pointed out, according to DAS
Hale. But, this was a positive step forward and this
election would determine Lebanon's future, he said.

ELECTION SECURITY
--------------


5. (C) Baroud said his major concern before the elections
would be security. He noted that nationwide elections could
not occur on one day without providing a secure environment
for all regions. Lebanon's second-largest city of Tripoli
had been chaotic and, while it was calmer now, if the
situation were to deteriorate, it would be "nearly

BEIRUT 00001472 002 OF 003


impossible" for the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to provide security there on
election day.

SYRIAN DEPLOYMENT MIGHT HELP BORDER SECURITY
--------------


6. (C) Regarding the recent deployment of Syrian troops
along Lebanon's northern border, Baroud said such a move was
not necessarily a bad thing in terms of providing border
security as long as the Syrians stayed on their side of the
border. Baroud said for border security to be effective
between Lebanon and Syria, Syrian buy-in would be necessary
at some point. However, because of politics, neither he nor
anyone in the GOL would publicly endorse such a move by the
Syrians. Baroud also said the GOL and President Sleiman
support implementing the recommendations set forth by the
UN's Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team (LIBAT) II
report, while continuing on the Lebanese/Syrian track.

USG POLICY TOWARDS
SYRIA AND IRAN
--------------


7. (C) DAS Hale stressed that USG policy towards Syria had
not changed. He noted that in Secretary Rice's meeting with
Syrian Foreign Minister Mouallem, the Secretary laid out the
benchmarks that Syria would have to meet in order for USG
policy towards Syria to change, including implementing UNSCR

1701. DAS Hale also said that the USG does not support one
faction over another in Lebanon, but supports strengthening
Lebanese institutions and the forces of moderation that
support peace and democracy in Lebanon.

WHAT ABOUT ISRAEL?
--------------


8. (C) Baroud said as long as the areas of Ghajar and
Sheba'a Farms remained under occupation by Israel, or outside
of the control of the UN, this would be a serious issue
between Lebanon and Israel. He said that the National
Dialogue would directly and indirectly address some of these
issues and also address Hizballah,s weapons. However, the
issue is very complicated and as long as these areas remained
occupied, Hizballah would continue to use them as an excuse
to maintain its weapons.


9. (C) DAS Hale agreed, but this did not mean the GOL should
abandon efforts to halt the flow of weapons across the border
to rearm Hizballah. DAS Hale noted the GOI's concern over
Hizballah,s rearmament, adding that Israel understands that
its options to halt such rearmament are imperfect, but the
GOI eventually will have to consider action if the Lebanese
and the international community are doing nothing effective
to implement 1701 and end the arms flow.


10. (C) Currently, the GOL could not address these issues,
Baroud said. He added that the GOL is a national unity
government and that Hizballah is part of this government.
Baroud said Israel likes to define all Lebanese as being part
of Hizballah, but that many Lebanese oppose the group. The
Lebanese people would not support a first strike attack on
Israel by Hizballah, but if Israel were to conduct a
pre-emptive strike against Hizballah, especially before the
elections, it would bolster Hizballah,s stance amongst the
people.


11. (C) DAS Hale stressed that the GOL needs to show the
international community that it is serious about halting
weapons smuggling. Baroud said the National Dialogue was
the perfect example to highlight this seriousness.

PALESTINIANS CAMPS
--------------

BEIRUT 00001472 003 OF 003




12. (C) Although there was a press report that the LAF was
planning to route terrorist elements from the Beddawi
Palestinian refugee camp in the North, Baroud said such an
operation was not feasible. He addressed the many
difficulties the LAF faces in gathering intelligence on
developments in the camps, in addition to the fact that many
people living within the camps are Lebanese citizens.
However, Baroud felt something had to be done to address the
lawlessness of the camps. The GOL did not rule all of
Lebanese territory, due to lack of control over the
Palestinian camps, which he described as "nests" of
terrorists. However, he stressed that he was not accusing
the Palestinians of being terrorists; often the Palestinians
residents are the first victims.

COUNTERNARCOTICS
--------------


13. (C) Ambassador noted that the topic of the ISF's
counternarcotics operations in the Bekaa Valley region was
raised during the recent Joint Military Commission meetings
between the LAF and the U.S. Department of Defense. Baroud
said the GOL needs to have a comprehensive strategy that
combines eradication operations with an effective crop
substitution program. He also noted that it would be best to
engage hashish and opium growers before they plant their
illegal crops, which typically occurs in March. Baroud felt
that this would be the best way to avoid violent
confrontations, and noted that the ISF still needs the
support of the LAF to enter a village. He added that the
Internal Security Council had recently met and addressed the
need for a comprehensive strategy.


14. (C) DAS Hale agreed that there was a need for alternative
solutions. He noted the failed UN program that was initiated
during the 1990s, saying that the program did nothing to
support poor farmers in the Bekaa Valley region. Most of the
UN funding was misappropriated by program managers, or went
to support local politicians who profited from the program
politically and financially. DAS Hale said the USG would
continue to look forward to helping the GOL in combating the
drug trade and supporting the GOL's counternarcotics
operations.


15. (U) DAS Hale has cleared this cable.
SISON