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