LEBANON: SINIORA TELLS A/S HOOK HE IS FRUSTRATED

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 001576

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC LE IS
SUBJECT: LEBANON: SINIORA TELLS A/S HOOK HE IS FRUSTRATED
WITH ISRAELIS

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

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


1. (S) Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told visiting Assistant
Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs
Brian Hook that he was frustrated with Lebanon's lack of
progress with the Israelis on the Blue Line, Ghajar, and
strike data. Siniora believed the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon was crucial to the cause of democracy in Lebanon and
the entire region, though he imagined the Syrians might
eliminate all the suspects before the Tribunal could be set
up. He said he was developing a strategy with European and
other donors to take control of Lebanon's borders. He was
unconcerned about the latest buildup of Syrian troops along
Lebanon's eastern border, saying he would take Syria's claim
that it was trying to reduce smuggling at face value. The
Prime Minister also hoped the Saudis or Emiratis would come
up with the funding necessary to complete de-mining
operations in the south. End summary.

THREE ISSUES WITH ISRAEL
--------------


2. (SBU) Visiting IO A/S Hook and the Ambassador called on PM
Siniora at the Grand Serail October 31. Siniora advisor Rola
Noureddine, IO Special Assistant Erin McLinn and PolOffs also
attended the meeting. After hearing about A/S Hook's visit
earlier in the day to the Blue Line in south Lebanon, Siniora
said the Lebanese wanted to make progress on three major
issues with Israel: demarcation of the Blue Line, Israeli
withdrawal from the village of Ghajar, and an Israeli
handover of strike data from the 2006 war with Hizballah in
order to aid de-mining an unexploded ordinance operations.


3. (C) Siniora said Lebanon had had painful indirect
discussions with Israel about demarcation of the Blue Line,
during which, Siniora claimed, the Israelis only intent was
to "waste time and get nowhere." He said there were places
where the line was not clearly marked, or where the Israelis
had built fences south of the line, so shepherds and other
civilians frequently crossed accidentally, causing huge
headaches and much overreaction on both sides of the line.
He was frustrated that he could not make progress with the
Israelis on the issue, while Lebanese lives remained in
danger.


4. (S) Siniora stated that after almost two years of
negotiations through UNIFIL representatives, Israel was not
moving on a withdrawal plan from Ghajar, which is supposed to
be agreed on by November 22. While he understood that
Israeli PM Olmert had given the green light to go forward
with a withdrawal, Siniora said the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) were standing in the way of a deal. He said he would
absolutely not accept any concession of Lebanon's sovereignty
just to get the Israelis to agree to the withdrawal plan. He
explained that UNIFIL was the intermediary and would
determine when the Lebanese army should move in to replace
the Israelis, and that any Israeli interference in that
process would be unacceptable. Yes, Lebanon wants Israel's
withdrawal from the village, Siniora stressed, but not at any
expense. "The text has been thoroughly negotiated," said
Siniora. "We have shown a great deal of willingness to
cooperate, and have seen nothing similar from the Israelis.
The U.S. needs to do something."


5. (C) Siniora complained as well about Israeli
unwillingness to turn over its strike data from the 2006 war
to facilitate de-mining in areas hit by cluster bombs. He
pointed to the civilians killed or maimed by mines since the
war, as well as the farmers who cannot use their fields for
fear of hitting unexploded ordnance. "This is not the
behavior of a state," said Siniora. "They dropped all the
cluster bombs from Saturday to Monday, and insisted on
delaying the cessation of hostilities to do it. And now they
won't share their data?"

"ARROGANT" ISRAELIS DO NOT LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES
-------------- --------------

BEIRUT 00001576 002 OF 003




6. (C) Siniora launched into a broader criticism of Israeli
policy over the years. He noted that Israel had invaded
Lebanon in 1982 to get rid of the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO),and not only did not achieve that goal,
but also "laid the seeds for the creation of Hizballah." He
said Israel's attempt to destroy Hizballah in 2006 resulted
in Hizballah's rocket arsenal more than tripling in size
since the war. He criticized Israeli frequent overflights of
Lebanese territory to collect information on Hizballah's
rearmament, saying that Hizballah's very rearmament is
Israel's fault. He was also incredulous that Israel had
negotiated directly with Hizballah for the return of the
remains of the Israeli soldiers who were kidnapped at the
onset of the war, bypassing the central government
altogether. "I don't know if there is a possibility of an
awakening in Israel," said Siniora. "They never learn from
their mistakes. It is arrogance, arrogance, arrogance."

SPECIAL TRIBUNAL CRUCIAL FOR DEMOCRACY
--------------


7. (C) A/S Hook asked PM Siniora for his thoughts on UNIIIC
Commissioner Daniel Bellemare's progress on the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon. Siniora said that after years of
kidnappings and assassinations of politicians,
thought-leaders, journalists, and clergy, the Tribunal is
crucial for the future of Lebanon and the region, to show
that such acts will not be allowed to continue, and that
these criminals cannot act with impunity. He said the
Tribunal should highlight the importance of a respect for
human life and democratic institutions. "What is this
country for if it is not to promote the idea of openness and
tolerance in this part of the world?" he asked.


8. (S) Siniora characterized Bellemare as hard-working,
intelligent, and doing everything to assemble a concrete
case. But Siniora said Bellemare has taken long enough to
investigate and should move to indictments (if he intends to
make any). He said he had not seen Bellemare in some time,
but would touch base with him soon about his progress.
Siniora's only worry was that Bellemare's investigation might
point a finger at one domestic party or another. At a time
when Lebanese politicians had been working hard to reconcile,
or "organize differences" and express them without violence,
Siniora believed that an accusation against specific
political actors could shatter the fragile understanding.
Nonetheless, he said, he suspected that Syria had been
attempting to liquidate those who might be implicated by
Bellemare in the Hariri assassination, pointing to several
figures who had died recently in mysterious attacks in Syria.
"All the suspects might be dead before the Tribunal is set
up," he said.

TAKING CONTROL OF BORDERS
TAKING SYRIA AT FACE VALUE
--------------


9. (C) The Ambassador commented that Siniora had just come
out of a meeting with donor countries at which Lebanon Border
Assessment Team (LIBAT) had been discussed. Siniora said he
was developing a strategy, in concert with the donor
countries, to take control of all Lebanon's borders, and to
show that the Lebanese government would take ownership in the
project and maintain the systems put in place. When asked
his reaction to Syria's deployment of troops on the Syrian
side of the eastern border, Siniora noted that the Syrians
had notified the Lebanese of the move, and "we have no
problem with it." He added that the Lebanese government
would take the Syrians at their word that they were acting to
prevent smuggling in accordance with UNSCR 1701.

MONEY FOR DE-MINING
--------------


10. (C) Regarding de-mining activities, A/S Hook asked
Siniora if he had found a donor for the USD 2.5 million the
Prime Minister had requested in a letter to UNSYG Ban
Ki-Moon. Siniora said the Saudi Ambassador had made a
request to Riyadh for the funds, but had not heard back. He
said Saudi Arabia and the United Aab Emirates were the best

BEIRUT 00001576 003 OF 003


candidates, though he had no concrete news yet.


11. (U) A/S Hook has cleared this cable.

SISON