LEBANON: SAAD HARIRI TELLS USDP EDELMAN THAT A

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000850

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO A/S SILVERBERG AND PDAS WARLICK
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/KUMAR/PHEE
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER/GAVITO
DOD FOR USDP EDELMAN, ASD LONG, DASD KIMMITT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2018
TAGS: MARR MCAPS PTER PINR MOPS UNSC IR LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: SAAD HARIRI TELLS USDP EDELMAN THAT A
STRONG ARMY CAN BEAT HIZBALLAH

REF: BEIRUT 733

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) Parliamentary Majority leader Saad Hariri told
visiting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman
that a strong Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) can defeat
Hizballah. Saad believes that U.S. military assistance to
train and equip the LAF, funded in part by friendly Arab
states, is Lebanon's best defense against Hizballah and
against Iranian attempts to "take over Lebanon". End
summary.


2. (C) Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman,
Assistant Secretary Mary Beth Long, CENTCOM J5 Policy and
Planning Director Major General Allardice, and Charge met
majority leader Saad Hariri, accompanied by advisors Ghattas
Khoury and Nader Hariri, at Qoreitam on May 31. DATT,
PolOff, and DOD staff also attended the meeting.

IRAN CALLING THE SHOTS
--------------


3. (C) Saad told the delegation that the May clashes launched
by Hizballah were orchestrated by Iran to show Lebanon that
it can take over at any moment. Its aim is not defeat
Israel, Saad asserted, but to have "Lebanon be a footstool in
its struggle against the Arabs and the U.S." Having
demonstrated its capabilities on the ground, he continued,
Iran then tried to continue asserting its power via proxies
during the Doha talks. The agreement reached in Doha on arms
(reftel) is "an agreement to not use arms unless word comes
from Iran to use them," Saad interpreted.


4. (C) Saad had received Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr
Mottaki on May 26, during the latter's recent visit to
Lebanon to attend the presidential election and swearing in.
He conveyed that Mottaki said, "We are a civilization dating
back 7,000 years. We work slowly and we get what we want"
and that "this is the last war against Israel" (NFI). Saad's
recommendation to USDP Edelman: "Bomb Iran!"

"ARMY WITH TEETH"
CAN BEAT HIZBALLAH
--------------


5. (C) Acknowledging that unity of the Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) remains a concern, Saad declared, "If Lebanon has an
army with teeth, Hizballah will think twice. The LAF can win
tis" Edelman agreed that the stronger the LAF is, the
weaker Hizballah becomes. Hizballah, which Saad likened to
the IRGC in Iran, possesses between 20,000 and 40,000
rockets, RPGs, and guided missiles, he said.


6. (C) Saad predicted that if it appears the majority will
win the 2009 election, Hizballah will initiate disturbances
in the street similar to what was experienced in May when the
opposition "hijacked" a planned labor demonstration.


7. (C) The LAF needs 15,000 to 20,000 more soldiers, Saad
stated, and these new soldiers require training and
equipment. He relayed that the Qataris, Emiratis, and Saudis
plan to propose at an upcoming Arab League meeting starting a
fund for assistance to the LAF and Internal Security Forces
(ISF),and that the UAE is providing the LAF ten Puma
helicopters. Saad emphasized that the LAF "needs everything
yesterday!" Advisor Ghattas Khoury argued that no LAF arms
have ever fallen into outsiders' hands, and that the U.S.
should not be concerned about this.


8. (C) Continuing on the same theme, Saad said "Every time a
shipment (for the LAF) comes in, Hizballah is infuriated."
Edelman informed Saad about the 200 individual body armor
vests and ballistic helmet he would be providing the LAF
following this meeting. An appreciative Saad said that the
Lebanese people want the army to protect them; however, when
Hizballah is militarily superior, people are psychologically
drawn to its strength.

SISON