LEBANON: MARCH 14 DECLARES BEIRUT AIRPORT BELONGS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 000627 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - CORRECTED ALL PARA MARKS SIPDIS NOFORN DEPT FOR NEA/FO AND NEA/ELA; ALSO FOR IO A/S SILVERBERG AND PDAS WARLICK NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER/GAVITO USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/KUMAR/PHEE E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR ASEC EAIR SA IR USUN LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: MARCH 14 DECLARES BEIRUT AIRPORT BELONGS TO ALL LEBANESE; LOOKING TO MAY 8 UNSC DISCUSSION REF: A. BEIRUT 618 ¶B. BEIRUT 622 BEIRUT 00000627 001.3 OF 003 Classified By: CDA Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: With the road to Beirut International Airport still blocked by Hizballah tents and barricades, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt urged Arab and international support for Lebanon. Jumblatt and March 14 colleague Saad Hariri believe the May 8 UNSC discussion on UNSCR 1559 implementation will provide an excellent opportunity to focus the world's eyes on Hizballah's continuing efforts to create a state within a state in defiance of Lebanon's legitimate government. Meanwhile, Saudi Ambassador Khoja reported that Saud al Faisal had telephoned Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa to discuss tensions in Beirut. With rumors that Hizballah planned to attack the Grand Serail circulating widely, Khoja reported that he had engaged both the Iranian Ambassador and an Amal representative on the need for Hizballah to stand down before an escalation in Sunni-Shia tensions in the region occurred. The possible curfew/state of emergency discussed earlier this evening with Defense Minister Elias Murr (ref B) is looking less likely, with Beirut fairly quiet but tense. Hizbalah reportedly facilitated the 2200 arrival of an Iranian commercial aircraft and the transport of its passengers from Beirut International Airport. END SUMMARY. MARCH 14 LEADERS: USE MAY 8 OPPORTUNITY -------------- ¶2. (C/NF) CDA spoke at 2215 to Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who was dining with March 14 colleague Saad Hariri. Jumblatt reported that he and Hariri were discussing the importance of the next day's UNSC discussion of UNSCR 1559 implementation. March 14 wanted to make sure that the U.S. and others were tough in their statements tomorrow, said Jumblatt. He urged that these comments cite Hizballah's efforts to continue the political stalemate in Lebanon and implement a state within a state. CDA assured Jumblatt that U.S. interventions would be strong. Jumblatt said that he and Hariri were favorably impressed by Sunni Mufti Qabbani's statement on Hizballah (see para 7). March 14 would "go on peacefully against Hizballah" but were adamant that Beirut International Airport "belongs to all Lebanese," not just one party. The real question, said Jumblatt, was whether Army chief General Michel Sleiman would act to forcibly open the airport road. "It is his political future in his hands," noted Jumblatt. SAUDI AMBASSADOR: STAYING IN CLOSE CONTACT -------------- ¶3. (C/NF) Saudi Ambassador Abdul Aziz Khoja telephoned CDA at 1700 to report that his Foreign Minister had asked him to stay in close contact. The two reviewed the day's demonstrations and airport road closure and agreed to speak again at 2000. During their second conversation, CDA conveyed the essence of Department spokesman's response to a question taken at the noon briefing on Lebanon. CDA remarked to Khoja that she had heard he had played a key role in December 2006, when demonstrators had closed off all access to the Grand Serail. Khoja acknowledged that he had telephoned Nabih Berri and Hizballah contacts during the 2006 incident with "a very firm message." CDA asked whether Khoja had passed similar messages during the day. Khoja reported that he had spoken with Iranian Ambassador Mohammed Reza Ra'uf-Sheibani to tell Ra'uf-Sheibani that it would be a "disaster" if tension due to the Beirut demonstrations escalated. ¶4. (C/NF) The Saudi Ambassador reported that the Iranian had then spoken with Hizballah SecGen Hassan Nasrallah to say "let's not escalate this." According to Khoja, Nasrallah's response was swift: Hizballah would not call its men off the streets if the Government of Lebanon "did not withdraw its actions against Hizballah telecommunications and the Beirut International Airport." (Note: the GOL has in recent days gone public with the existence of a Hizballah fiber-optic network and hidden camera placement at the airport. End BEIRUT 00000627 002.4 OF 003 Note.) Nasrallah had stated that there was "no way" that Hizballah or its opposition partners would "go soft," said Khoja. The Saudi Ambassador remarked that he had shared with the Iranian his frustration that Hizballah insisted on being a state within a state. Khoja also reported that the Iranian had learned from Nasrallah that Lebanese Armed Forces Brigadier General Wafiq Choucair was still on the job today at the airport and that he had reportedly yet to receive a memorandum requesting his transfer back to the LAF. (Choucair is the airport security chief ordered transferred in yesterday's cabinet meeting -- ref A.) ¶5. (C/NF) Khoja also said that he had met with Speaker Nabih Berri's Protocol Director, Ali Hamed, earlier in the day. He asked Hamed to underscore to Berri that any escalation "would mean thirty years (of civil war) for Lebanon." Khoja noted that he had made clear the danger a Sunni-Shia escalation posed to the region and that this was unacceptable to Riyadh. At 2100, CDA telephoned the Saudi Ambassador to ask whether a rumor that Saud al Faisal had telephoned Ali Larijani to urge Larijani to use his good offices to calm the situation in Beirut was true. Khoja said he was not aware of such a call but would check with his capital. Within ten minutes, he telephoned to say that he had spoken with Saud al Faisal, who had refuted the Larijani rumor. Saud al Faisal would telephone Arab League SYG Amr Moussa shortly, said Khoja, to urge Arab League involvement in the matter. President Siniora had already telephoned Moussa this evening to request the same. ¶6. (C/NF) In a separate conversation, Charge also passed the gist of the State Department noon briefing taken question and answer on Lebanon to Saad Hariri associate Ghattas Khoury. Khoury urged the USG to consider the UNSCR 1701 implications of a Beirut International Airport closure. (Note: Three flights made it into the airport this afternoon and an Iranian jetliner landed this evening. However, all airlines except for Middle East Airlines and the Iranian carrier have reportedly suspended outbound services for 48 hours. End Note.) March 14 has issued a statement asking the Arab League and U.N. Security Council to provide Arab and international protection for the Lebanese government and civilians against the opposition's armed groups. SUNNI CLERIC TOUGH -------------- ¶7. (C/NF) Meanwhile, Mufti Qabbani, a senior Sunni cleric, has issued a tough statement that Hizballah has turned "from the Resistance into an armed force occupying Beirut." He also said that "the Sunnis are fed up" and requested the assistance of "Arabs and Muslims to help Lebanon." LAF DEPLOYED -------------- ¶8. (C/NF) On the military front, th LAF is deployed throughout the city. The Lebanee Marine Commando unit is currently in reserve i Jbeil and is on 100% strip alert for deployment into Beirut. LAF Brigadier General Wafiq Choucair, the Shia airport security official ordered transferred from his position by the GOL Cabinet yesterday, gave a speech at the airport tonight saying that he was not leaving his position and that his was part of "the resistance." Meanwhile, according to LAF sources, the LAF is prepared to defend all government buildings from any attack. When pressed about possible Hizballah activities, the officials reiterated that "this is a red line that we will not accept." BEIRUT REMAINS TENSE; STRIKE TO CONTINUE THURSDAY -------------- -------------- ¶9. (C/NF) LAF Colonel Bassam Boutrous (Choucair's deputy and currently at the airport) told us AT 2215 that the situation is calm but that some 2,000 travelers remained stranded awaiting flights. Streets in Beirut are quiet, although the airport road is blocked. Hizballah is apparently setting up tents in both lanes of the airport road as well as reinforcing barricades placed earlier in the day. The possible curfew/state of emergency discussed earlier this BEIRUT 00000627 003.3 OF 003 evening with Defense Minister Elias Murr (ref B) is looking less likely, according to many of our contacts. Although much of Beirut is tense but quiet, shooting is being reported in the Al Madina al Rayadaya area of the city. Eight individuals were reported wounded during the course of today's demonstrations, including two LF soldiers injured by rock-throwers. Oppositionsources announced at 2300 that the demonstrations would continue on Thursday, May 8. SISON