LEBANON: BERRI ON U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE; SAYS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001794 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA ALSO FOR PM A/S KIMMITT, PDAS RUGGEIRO P FOR DRUSSELL AND RRANGASWAMY USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER NSC FOR ABRAMS/RAMCHAND/YERGER/MCDERMOTT E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR MOPS LE SY IS RU SUBJECT: LEBANON: BERRI ON U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE; SAYS CONSENSUS IS KEY Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri questioned NEA DAS David Hale as to why the U.S. had not provided high-profile military hardware to Lebanon. Berri said he welcomed the Russian offer of MiG-29s, provided it came without conditions or costs. The U.S. did not view the Russian offer as competition, Hale said. Hale reaffirmed U.S. support to Lebanon through its assistance package, including both training and assistance. In his assessment of the current political situation, Berri was critical of Saad Hariri's methods and expressed a hope that consensus would be the guiding principle. Berri worried that March 14 and others would begin to insist on partisan appointees, rather than compromise. However, Berri was confident that preparations for the spring 2009 parliamentary elections were going well and that neither Hizballah, nor any other party, would become an impediment. End summary. IF RUSSIA CAN PROVIDE, WHY NOT THE U.S? -------------- ¶2. (C) Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri opened the December 19 meeting with visiting NEA Deputy Assistant Secretary David Hale, Ambassador, NEA/ELA desk officer Matthew Irwin and Poloff by questioning whether the U.S. was involved in the December 16 announcement by Minister of Defense Elias Murr that Russia would provide MiG-29 airplanes to Lebanon. Saying he "wanted to know the truth," Berri said that as long as the Russian deal was without conditions or costs to Lebanon, then it was welcome. Berri quoted a proverb in Arabic that meant "the only thing sweeter than the taste of honey is something that is free." ¶3. (C) DAS Hale informed Berri that the U.S. was committed to strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and would base assistance on the needs and items identified by the LAF in its masterplan. The U.S., Hale continued, did not view the Russian deal as a form of competition, but did have concerns about the ability of the LAF to meet the maintenance and sustainability requirements of such an acquisition. DAS Hale countered Berri's proverb with the English expression, "there is no such thing as a free lunch." ¶4. (C) Berri challenged DAS Hale and asked why the U.S. had never offered the GOL a similar "gift" of military hardware. He argued that the GOL could be trusted to manage its military assistance responsibly because it would not challenge Israel militarily. The GOL, he said, only wanted Israel "to leave our land." The Ambassador reiterated to the Speaker that U.S. military assistance to Lebanon had reached USD 410 million, including training and assistance, and continued to grow. Hale assured Berri that the GOL could expect deliveries from the U.S. of M-60 tanks and appropriate aircraft, in accordance with the LAF masterplan, prior to the 2009 spring elections. The U.S. was a committed partner of Lebanon and would continue to work to strengthen the LAF and the Internal Security Forces (ISF),both important state institutions. BERRI CRITICIZES MAJORITY'S METHODS, CONSENSUS IS THE ONLY WAY, HE SAYS -------------- ¶5. (C) In his assessment of the current political situation, Berri was critical of recent maneuvers by Saad Hariri's March 14 majority coalition. Meeting on the heels of the December 18 arliamentary vote to appoint five judges to the onstitutional Council, Berri criticized Hariri for making things "difficult" at the last minute. Berri called the Constitutional Council, the entity responsible for adjudicating complaints related to electoral fraud or BEIRUT 00001794 002 OF 002 challenging the results, "very, very important for the elections." It was important to have consensus on the appointees, he said. However, Berri was dismayed that Hariri and some of his allies challenged the list of names previously agreed upon to replace them with their own selections. He deemed this type of eleventh-hour challenge "a little bit dangerous" and expressed hope that the cabinet would not resort to the same kind of insistence when it appoints the remaining five members of the council. ¶6. (C) Although the majority's margin in parliament was currently only eight seats, Berri predicted that after the 2009 parliamentary elections, the margin would be much closer, perhaps as few as two or three seats. Whichever side ends up as the "majority," he said, both sides would be obliged to deal with each other and work based on consensus. ¶7. (C) To show his own willingness for compromise, Berri commented that supposing the March 8 opposition wins the majority, he would be the first to support rival March 14 leader Saad Hariri as Prime Minister, absent a strong Sunni candidate from March 8. He also disclosed that he had recently spoken with pro-March 14 Minister of Education Bahiya Hariri to discuss the possibility of developing a consensus candidate list for Sidon, their home district. DAS Hale acknowledged the importance of consensus in Lebanon, but noted historically Lebanese leaders papered over their differences in the name of consensus, only to have crises erupt later as teh underlying problems were unresolved. ELECTION PREPARATIONS GOING WELL -------------- ¶8. (C) Berri was upbeat about preparations for the spring elections. He called Interior Minister Ziad Baroud a "good man, who works hard." He was also supportive of Defense Minister Murr as well as the ISF. Hizballah, he believed, would not become an impediment to the conduct of the elections, nor would any other party. "Everyone believes he will win," Berri said. ¶9. (U) DAS Hale has cleared this message. SISON