Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BEIRUT959
2008-07-02 12:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: SAAD HARIRI REFUTES SAUDI ARMING OF

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER PINR KPAL SY SA LY AG LE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8060
PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #0959/01 1841240
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 021240Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2382
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2562
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2856
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000959 

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR KPAL SY SA LY AG LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: SAAD HARIRI REFUTES SAUDI ARMING OF
SALAFISTS

REF: A. BEIRUT 949

B. BEIRUT 942

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

SUMMARY
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000959

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR KPAL SY SA LY AG LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: SAAD HARIRI REFUTES SAUDI ARMING OF
SALAFISTS

REF: A. BEIRUT 949

B. BEIRUT 942

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

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


1. (C) Majority leader Saad Hariri reassured the Charge on
July 1 that neither his Future Party nor the Saudis are
arming the Sunni Salafists, who are fighting the Alawites in
northern Lebanon, as has been rumored (Ref A). The fighting
in the north could continue for months to obstruct the spring
2009 parliamentary elections, fears Saad. He sees Hizballah,
rather than Syria, behind the Tripoli violence. Hizballah
and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun are
intentionally delaying the cabinet formation, Saad assessed,
saying that the majority had made an offer to Aoun that he
had no reason to reject. Saad saw President Sleiman later
that evening in an unannounced visit. Sleiman is going to
become more "active" in cabinet negotiations, Saad and
advisor Ghattas Khoury believe. Saad reported that the
Saudis and Gulf states will eventually contribute the
requested amounts to reconstruct Nahr al-Barid Palestinian
refugee camp, and he expressed interest in soliciting Libyan
and Algerian support in this regard. End summary.

SALAFISTS SELLING PERSONAL
EFFECTS TO PURCHASE WEAPONS?
--------------


2. (C) The Charge, accompanied by PolOff, met with majority
leader and head of Future Movement Saad Hariri and his
advisors Ghattas Khoury and Hani Hammoud at Qoreitam on July

1. A relatively upbeat Saad, who had just returned from a
week-long trip to Jeddah with Hammoud, reassured the Charge
that Saudi Arabia is not/not arming the Sunni Salafists
fighting in northern Lebanon (Ref A),as has been rumored.
He reasoned, "If that were the case, then you would be seeing
results on the ground, and you would have seen the Sunnis

fighting harder in West Beirut in May. Instead, Sunni women
in the north are selling their gold jewelry so the men can
purchase weapons." Saad accused Hizballah of arming the
Alawites, who are fighting the Salafists, and stated his
belief that Syria has nothing to do with the fighting.


3. (C) He reported that the Saudis are "very focused" on the
region and on Lebanon, and in particular, are concerned about
the fighting in north Lebanon. Saad relayed that the Saudis
want to see the Doha agreement implemented in its entirety.
Should Doha fail, Saad said, the Saudis seem open to holding
another Arab meeting.


4. (C) He explained that most of the Arab League view the
Doha agreement as having been essential to limiting the
violence and electing President Michel Sleiman, but at the
same time, consider it to be a test of Iranian and Syrian
willingness to engage constructively in Lebanon. Believing
that Iran and Syria are biding their time until the U.S.
presidential elections, Saad assessed that the two countries
are instructing Hizballah to "not do too much," while also
stalling the formation of a government. "We will have to
wait until they see they have to do something, but we do not
know when this will be," he concluded.

OPPOSITION IS
SABOTAGING DOHA
--------------


5. (C) "There is no reason to not accept the offer we made to
(Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel) Aoun," Saad declared,
referring to the March 14 offer to give Aoun the
telecommunications portfolio as well as the deputy prime
minister position (Ref B). He continued, "It is obvious they
(the opposition) are trying to delay the cabinet formation."
Saad wondered whether the timing was related to Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad's July 12 trip to Paris.


6. (C) Hammoud interjected to predict that the cabinet would
not be formed before the Israeli-Hizballah prisoners'

BEIRUT 00000959 002 OF 002


exchange because "(Hizballah SYG Hassan) Nasrallah will not
share the limelight." Anticipating Nasrallah's speech
scheduled for 1700 local time on July 2, Hammoud surmised
there could be problems, including the closure of the
airport. (Comment: Embassy Beirut does not anticipate an
airport closure. End comment.) Khoury reported that
Qoreitam made a statement the previous day expressing its
positive view that the Lebanese prisoners will be returning
from Israel.


7. (C) Cabinet formation is unrelated to the fighting in the
north, according to Saad, who believes that even the
formation of the new government would not be enough to stop
the fighting. Saad predicted that the fighting could
continue up until the spring 2009 parliamentary elections,
and that Hizballah would use such unrest to prevent people
from voting at the polling places.


8. (C) (Note: Later on July 1, after the meeting with Charge,
Hariri met with President Sleiman about the cabinet between 9
p.m. and midnight. Hariri aide Ghattas Khoury was very
upbeat in discussing that meeting, reporting that Sleiman had
agreed to "try to push" the parties to agree on a cabinet.
March 14 would go resume contact with Aoun's representatives
on July 2, possibly with a new offer. Khoury said that
Sleiman also will involve others -- he specifically mentioned
pro-Syrian opposition figure Suleiman Franjieh -- to try to
push for an agreement. Khoury believes these developments
gave reason for optimism about agreement on a cabinet soon.
"Future Movement is willing to facilitate things as much as
possible and within reason to form the cabinet and ensure a
good start for the President," Hariri told reporters. Saad
added that he, Sleiman and Siniora would launch "fresh talks"
with Michel Aoun. End Note.)

APPROACHING LIBYANS,
ALGERIANS FOR FUNDING ON NAHR AL BARID
--------------


9. (C) Referring to a conversation with UAE Foreign Minister
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, Saad said Abz recommended that
Lebanon seek Libyan and Algerian funding. Saad asked about
the possibility of the USG pursuing this request with
Tripoli, noting that he had spoken with someone close to
Qadafi but had had no feedback.


10. (C) Mentioning that officials from the Arab Development
Fund were planning to meet on July 2 to discuss Lebanon and
other funding needs. Khoury said that he thought the $450
million NAB reconstruction estimate had been exaggerated.
Saad said that Saudi officials believe Lebanon made an error
in pushing for a large contribution up front from the Gulf
states. The Saudis purportedly assured Saad that Lebanon
would get the money, but should "be patient."

TASHNAQ VOTES SHOULD
GO TO THE PRESIDENT
--------------


11. (C) Saad asserted that the Armenian Tashnaq should align
themselves with the President, as is their tradition.
Responding to the Charge's comment that Tashnaq feel
affronted by Saad's rebuffs at meeting them, Saad insisted
that he had not refused to see them.

PROBLEMS WITH EVERYONE
--------------


12. (C) According to Saad, former PM and minister Najib
Mikati, and Mikati's alliance with former PM Omar Karami, are
causing problems with Future. He also commented with some
sarcasm that "(Caretaker Minister of Transport and Public
Works Mohammed) Safadi is 'technically' still with us." He
also blasted the French for their unhelpful interventions and
the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation for its "lack of
impartiality." Conversely, Saad praised the efforts of
Internal Security Forces (ISF) Director General Ashraf Rifi
and ISF Information Branch head Wissam Hassan for their
performance.
SISON