LEBANON: ONCE AGAIN BERRI CLAIMS CREDIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000664 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA ALSO FOR A/S SILVERBERG AND PDAS WARLICK USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/KUMAR/PHEE NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER/GAVITO E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR ASEC UNSC EAIR SA IR LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: ONCE AGAIN BERRI CLAIMS CREDIT REF: A. BEIRUT 627 ¶B. BEIRUT 618 ¶C. BEIRUT 631 ¶D. BEIRUT 634 ¶E. BEIRUT 652 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told the Charge on May 12 that he had facilitated last night's ceasefire to stop fighting in the Chouf between Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and Hizballah. (Jumblatt later confirmed this, septel.) Berri added that the four kidnapped PSP members had been returned. He stated that a National Dialogue needs to happen as soon as possible. Berri said he welcomes the arrival of the Qatari-led Arab League delegation on May 14, and ensured their use of Beirut International Airport and its access road. He also asserted that the LAF has full control of Beirut and that "there will be no militias on the streets." He publicly announced later in the day that he had postponed (for the 20th time) the presidential election until June 10. End summary. FACILITATING CEASEFIRE BETWEEN JUMBLATT, HIZBALLAH -------------- ¶2. (C) At 1400 local time on May 12, the Charge, accompanied by PolOff, met Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and his senior advisor Ali Hamdan at Berri's Ein Tineh office. Berri reported that he had worked into the wee hours of the morning to facilitate a ceasefire to stop the fighting in the Chouf between March 14 leader Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and Hizballah. As the intermediary, Berri had heard from Hizballah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah that he did not want to fight the Druze, and Berri was therefore encouraged to push for a ceasefire. ¶3. (C) He confirmed to the Charge that the four PSP Druze who had been kidnapped were turned over at 1415 to Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) G-2 (military intelligence) Director Georges Khoury. Berri said that the fighting between pro-Syrian SSNP and Future Movement had ceased, but that there was continued fighting north of Tripoli. The LAF is stationed everywhere in Beirut, he stated. TIME FOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE -------------- ¶4. (C) Berri said that no one had suffered a coup d'etat nor gained a victory since the situation escalated on May 7 (Ref A). Since 2006, he relayed, he had been appealing for a National Dialogue. He acknowledged that the Charge was "more than right" in asserting that Hizballah has employed its weapons, supposedly, "for resistance" internally against Lebanese citizens. He cited UN Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701, which call for no weapons without the consent of the government, suggesting that it is not his place to take a position on Hizballah's weapons, but rather, this discussion should be held within the government. HEAD OF AIRPORT SECURITY DESERVES AN INVESTIGATION -------------- ¶5. (C) Refusing to make a judgment on the culpability of "transferred" head of airport security Wafiq Chucair (Ref B), Berri said that Chucair has worked for the government for many years and deserves an investigation to determine if he played a role in allowing Hizballah to place surveillance cameras at Beirut International Airport (BIA). He noted that Chucair, who is Shia, is neither an Amal Movement nor a Hizballah member, adding that Chucair's relative is a journalist for Saad Hariri's Future Movement. Asserting that Chucair is an honest man, Berri suggested that perhaps Chucair could have changed and become a spy for Israel or Hizballah, and concluded that ultimately, there needs to be an investigation. (Note: Chucair remains at work at the BEIRUT 00000664 002 OF 002 airport. End note.) ¶6. (C) Berri explained that Higher Islamic Shia Council leader Sheikh Qabalan is from the same village as Chucair, explaining why Qabalan defended Chucair in his May 8 public speech (Ref C). He reported that on May 5, he asked Qabalan to call Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to urge him to agree to an investigation before making a decision on Chucair. Berri said Siniora was on board, which is why he was surprised to learn of the Cabinet's decision. ¶7. (C) According to Berri, LAF Commander Michel Sleiman was also disappointed with the decision, but believed the situation was out of his hands. Hizballah sent a representative to Berri to discuss the situation, he relayed, and afterwards Nasrallah decided to hold his May 8 press conference (Ref D). BERRI WANTS SINIORA TO WITHDRAW CABINET DECISIONS -------------- ¶8. (C) Berri asked the Charge why Siniora had not yet withdrawn the Cabinet's decisions on transferring Chucair and declaring Hizballah's fiber optics network illegal. He explained that he had offered the PM a face-saving measure by proposing that the LAF be responsible for the decisions. (Note: Berri blamed the Charge's May 11 visit to Siniora as the reason why Siniora is remaining firm. End note.) ARAB LEAGUE DELEGATION IS WELCOME TO BEIRUT -------------- ¶9. (C) Berri took credit for the idea of an Arab League delegation (Ref E). He expressed his hope that the delegation, headed by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim, would resolve the situation as soon as possible, believing that every day that passes will make the situation worse. He said he is concerned about the Alawi in northern Tripoli and asserted that, as a minority group, the Alawi can be "fanatical" and could sustain fighting for a month against the Future Movement fighters. ¶10. (C) He said he did not understand why the Arab League delegation was waiting until Wednesday, May 14. "They can come now, no problem, via the airport and the airport road." When the Charge inquired whether Hizballah would allow the delegation to move through, Berri was elusive, stating, "I myself will declare that they are welcomed by the opposition." Responding to rumors that there would be a follow-up meeting in Doha, Berri said he is not against this idea. ¶11. (C) "The Arab League delegation aside," Berri said, "I refuse to let anyone profit from this situation." He proposed that everyone go to Parliament to dialogue until there is an agreement. (Note: At 2130, Berri announced he is postponing the presidential election until June 10. End note.) NO MILITIAS ON THE STREETS -------------- ¶12. (C) "There will be no militias at all," Berri assured the Charge. He added that the LAF has full control in Beirut. He noted that no Shia have tendered their resignations from the LAF. SISON