LEBANON: INFO MINISTER SAYS SLEIMAN DIRECTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001715

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR UNSC LE SY
SUBJECT: LEBANON: INFO MINISTER SAYS SLEIMAN DIRECTS
FOREIGN POLICY

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

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


1. (C) Information Minister Tarek Mitri informed the
Ambassador that President Sleiman has assumed a more active
role in the formation of foreign policy than his
predecessors, without challenges from the Cabinet. Sleiman
firmly controls the Lebanon-Syria portfolio, Mitri said, but
added that the lack of Syrian reciprocity to Lebanese
officials' visits to Syria was likely to be raised in an
upcoming cabinet session. Mitri also affirmed that Lebanon
and Syria would exchange ambassadors by the end of December,
although the selection of the Lebanese ambassador is not yet
made.


2. (C) Mitri explained that Lebanese electoral alliances will
not be "durable alliances," and cautioned against reading too
much into pre-electoral linkages. Mitri did not expect the
same number of defections among the political factions
following the 2009 parliamentary elections as in past years.
Parliamentary candidates should campaign on a national
platform, rather than local politics, to show that the future
of Lebanon was at stake, Mitri strategized. Mitri assessed
that President Sleiman would like to form an independent
parliamentary bloc, but believed the move was too politically
risky. Mitri speculated that the elections would be held in
early June, barring any major violence. End summary.

SLEIMAN DIRECTING FOREIGN POLICY
--------------


3. (C) Minister of Information Tarek Mitri informed the
Ambassador and Poloff December 1 that President Sleiman had
assumed a more active role in directing foreign policy than
his predecessors. Mitri said the Council of Ministers (the
cabinet) has given Sleiman tacit approval to define foreign
policy objectives, partially because there is "no trust" in
Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, he said. Sleiman firmly
controls the Lebanon-Syria portfolio, Mitri reported, and has
dispatched several officials to visit Damascus since
diplomatic relations were formally established in October
(most recently Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Gen. Jean
Kahwagi).


4. (C) Mitri added that when he visited Damascus in
mid-November to attend the Arab Information Ministers
conference, his Syrian counterpart, Mohsen Bilal, pushed hard
for him to meet one-on-one, on the sidelines of the meeting.
Mitri said he did not believe that would have been
appropriate at the time, and only had contact with Bilal in
the context of the conference. However, Mitri called the
lack of Syrian reciprocity to the Lebanese visits a "problem"
and a reminder to many of the years Lebanon spent under
Syrian tutelage. He anticipated that this issue would be
raised in an upcoming cabinet meeting.


5. (C) Mitri also shared that the choice for Lebanon's
Ambassador to Syria was not finalized, but expected an
announcement by the end of December. The ambassador will
likely be career diplomat -- and not a political leader --
and a Christian, leaving only four or five individuals to
choose from, he said.

ELECTORAL ALLIANCES FLUID
--------------


6. (C) Mitri cautioned against reading too much into
electoral alliances. Mitri, who served as acting Foreign
Minister during the last government, explained that Lebanese
electoral alliances were often temporary measures to gain
votes. It would not be uncommon for new alliances and
coalitions to be formed soon after the 2009 parliamentary
elections. However, he did not expect the same number of
political defections, and creation of new coalitions, after
the 2009 elections as in previous years. Electoral
alliances, he said, are apt to change at any time.

BEIRUT 00001715 002 OF 002




7. (C) Mitri is a Greek Orthodox Christian independent who is
part of March 14 but who is not identified with one political
party. He said that as a private citizen, he would like to
hear the political parties campaign on a national platform
and actively work to convince voters that the stakes in the
upcoming election are high and will impact the future of
Lebanon and its democracy. Although Mitri was appointed by
Saad Hariri's March 14 majority coalition, he said he could
never vote for March 14 Christian figures like Lebanese
Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea or Kataeb leader Amine
Gemayel unless they adhered to the principles and values of
the Lebanese people rather than pursue personal interests.
Mitri said Christian candidates will need to capture the
votes of March 14 Christians, supporters of opposition
Christian leader Michel Aoun, and undecided voters to be
successful in the elections. An alliance like March 14 needs
to provide space for "credible, respectable people" who may
not subscribe to specific factions to become candidates to
win the elections, he opined.


8. (C) President Sleiman, he said, would like to create his
own parliamentary bloc. However, this would be extremely
politically risky for Sleiman, irrespective of the number of
MPs in such a bloc, because it would diminish Sleiman's
credibility, Mitri said.


9. (C) In addition, Mitri said that what appeared to be a
targeted attack on a journalist for Saad Hariri's news
organization on November 29 had made people nervous.
"Tensions are high and the intelligence is vague," he said;
any type of violence could put the elections at risk.
However, Mitri thought an escalation in violence was unlikely
as long each side believed it would win. Mitri guessed that
the elections would be held sometime in early June.

COMMENT
--------------


10. (C) Mitri has held several cabinet positions through the
years, but shows no sign of having any political ambitions of
his own. While he shared his electoral strategy suggestions
for March 14 with us, it is not clear whether he has, or
would be willing to, offer his advice to March 14's Christian
factions, directly. Meanwhile, several political figures are
pushing the idea of an independent political bloc backed by
President Sleiman publicly and privately. Since forming a
unity government in July, Sleiman has made 12 trips abroad,
including to the U.S., France, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, and
received many more foreign officials in Beirut. End comment.

SISON