BEIRUT EAC MEETING MAY 11, 2008

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000651 SIPDIS STATE FOR DS/CC; DS/DSS/ITA; DS/IP/NEA; NEA/EX;POSTS FOR RSO;S/ES E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/2018 TAGS: CASC LE MOPS PTER SY SUBJECT: BEIRUT EAC MEETING MAY 11, 2008 Classified By: CDA Michele J. Sison a.i. for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) At noon on May 11, 2008, Embassy Beirut's Emergency Action Committee (EAC met). Present were A/DCM, MGMT, SpecAsst, CONS, DAO, ODC, PD, RAO, RSO. Beirut International Airport remains inaccessible with roads blocked. EAC agreed to maintain personal moves to area near the compound and maintain restrictions on TDYers until May 16th. ¶2. (SBU) There are currently 65 official Americans under COM authority in Beirut and 13 members of a SOCCENT 5th Special Forces Group JCET team from Fort Campbell due to depart on May 20. F-77 Figures from March 2008 estimate there are 92,232 potential evacuees in Beirut: 59,392 Americans and 32,860 non-U.S. Citizens. End Summary. Security Updates -------------- ¶3. (C) Roads to the Airport and throughout the city remain blocked. The borders with Syria (Masnah and Arida) are intermittently closed. Fourteen people were killed yesterday in fighting in the Tripoli area, although a cease-fire was reported there this morning and civilians are still seen with weapons in the streets. LAF is deployed in West Beirut. Small jets are taking off from the Airport but MEA has reported that they will not fly until the roads are open. No international flights in or out on May 12. It remains unclear when airport will resume normal operations. The cargo seaport is open and operational. Consular Issues -------------- ¶4. (C) Embassy Beirut's call center for Amcits is operational. Approximately 35 calls were received by 1900 local time and level of calls is consistent with yesterday. Callers are anxious about the situation but calm. One caller reported that the Masnah border to Syria was closed. The Consul will update Travel Warning with information that the land borders with Syria appear to close and open intermittently. On May 12, AmCit calls will be handled via the consular section and via the call center operating after hours. Current Mission Capabilities -------------- ¶5. (C) Embassy is fully stocked with fuel and water supplies to last approximately one month. Grocery stores still have adequate supplies. E AC will re-evaluate TDY policy on Wednesday, May 14. A chartered boat to Cyprus is departing on Monday with 10 TDYers departing and 2 embassy employees returning on Tuesday. ¶6. (C) EAC reviewed the Emergency Action Plan. Political Developments -------------- ¶7. (C) On May 11, Charge, DATT, and POLOFF met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Minister of Defense Elias Murr, Minister of Telecommunications Marwan Hamadeh, Minister of Social Affairs Nayla Mouwad, and Minister of Justice Charles Rizk in separate meetings, in addition to a meeting with Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Sleiman. All agreed that security situation remained serious. ¶8. (C) As of 1800 local time, there are press reports that a cease fire in the Chouf mountains has been agreed to by rival Druze leaders Walid Jumblatt and Talal Arslan. SISON