Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BEIRUT627
2008-05-07 20:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: MARCH 14 DECLARES BEIRUT AIRPORT BELONGS

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER PINR ASEC EAIR SA IR USUN LE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8640
OO RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #0627/01 1282021
ZNY CCCCC ZZH (CCY PARA MARKED AD08DB837 MSI3226 508)
O 072021Z MAY 08 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1747
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2212
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 2519
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).

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