Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BEIRUT975
2008-07-03 15:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: PATIENT SINIORA WANTS ACTION FROM

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER PINR EAID UNSC KPAL IS LE 
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VZCZCXRO9406
PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #0975/01 1851522
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 031522Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2402
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2574
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2864
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 000975 

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
CENTCOM J5 FOR MG ALLARDICE
USAID FOR BEVER/LAUDATO/SCOTT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR EAID UNSC KPAL IS LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: PATIENT SINIORA WANTS ACTION FROM
NASRALLAH; MAKES NEW OFFER TO AOUN ON CABINET FORMATION

REF: BEIRUT 963

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 03 BEIRUT 000975

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
CENTCOM J5 FOR MG ALLARDICE
USAID FOR BEVER/LAUDATO/SCOTT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR EAID UNSC KPAL IS LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: PATIENT SINIORA WANTS ACTION FROM
NASRALLAH; MAKES NEW OFFER TO AOUN ON CABINET FORMATION

REF: BEIRUT 963

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

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

1.(U) Action request -- see paras 16,17.

2.(C) Commenting on Hizballah Secretary General Hassan
Nasrallah's July 2 speech, Prime Minister-designate Fouad
Siniora said he wants to see actions by Hizballah on
facilitating the resolution of Sheba'a, and to test
Nasrallah's true intentions about accepting the authority of
the Lebanese state. Acknowledging he had offered a new
proposal on cabinet formation to Free Patriotic Movement
leader Michel Aoun the day before, Siniora said that he
remained open to portfolio distributions, including the
Justice Ministry, and that he was waiting "patiently" for a
response from Aoun.


3. (C) Siniora clarified his position on the UN
cartographer's assessment on Sheba'a, explaining that he was
not necessarily agreeing with the assessment, but viewed it
as a good starting point for implementing a settlement of the
issue. Describing Lebanon's annual battle with forest fires,
Siniora requested USG assistance in leasing fire-fighting
aircraft. End summary.

"RUNNING WITH" THE OPPORTUNITIES
PRESENTED IN NASRALLAH'S SPEECH
--------------


4. (C) The Charge, accompanied by DCM and PolOff, met with
PM-designate Fouad Siniora and his advisors Mohammed Chatah
and Roula Noureddine at the Grand Serail on July 3. A fairly
upbeat Siniora noted Hizballah SYG Hassan Nasrallah's
"amenable" approach to establishing Lebanese sovereignty over
Sheba'a that he heard during Nasrallah's July 2 televised
speech reftel). Pointing to what he deemed a new Hizballah
position on Sheba'a Farms, Siniora said "I will take this

opportunity and run with it."


5. (C) He explained that, too often, the "right" words mask
true intentions. He wanted to see actions to prove
Nasrallah's words that seemed to indicate that Hizballah is
willing to allow a real Lebanese state to operate. Siniora
noted that Nasrallah said he wanted to facilitate the
liberation of Sheba'a, and said he will seize the opportunity
to test this assertion.


6. (C) While the PM did not know how the prisoners' exchange
with Israel would be finalized, Noureddine said she believed
an agreement would be signed in Beirut, whereas Chatah had
heard it would take place in Germany. Siniora lamented that
the exchange gives Hizballah the opportunity to show that
force, rather than diplomacy, achieves results.

NEW PROPOSAL ON
CABINET FORMATION
--------------


7. (C) The Charge inquired about Siniora's latest proposal on
cabinet formation offered to Free Patriotic Movement Michel
Aoun the previous day. Siniora provided no details, noting
only that Sleiman, Chatah, Aoun, and himself were aware of
full offer. Chatah noted that the press was wrong in its
coverage of the offer, and that they had not yet received a
response from Aoun. (July 2 press reports said Siniora had
offered that Aoun could name the public works minister,
Deputy PM, and some other ministers.)


8. (C) Siniora calmly explained that he was exercising
flexibility and patience on the cabinet formation, and not
vetoing the offer of any portfolio. He added that although
the opposition has repeatedly obstructed the process, he
sensed the opposition wants to come to an agreement. He
could not guess at the opposition's timing to agree on a

BEIRUT 00000975 002 OF 003


cabinet, but speculated that Syria would want it done before
President Bashar al-Assad's July 12 visit to Paris. In
response to the DCM's inquiry about whether the Justice
Ministry was a redline issue, Siniora said simply, "We are
open."

CARTOGRAPHER'S DEFINITION
ON SHEBA'A A "GOOD BASIS
FOR DISCUSSION"
--------------


9. (C) When the Charge asked for clarification on Siniora's
April 2, 2008 letter to the UN SYG (in which Siniora called
the UN cartographer's proposed definition of Sheba'a a
"reasonable and practical basis" for resolving the issue),
Siniora replied that he was not accepting the cartographer's
assessment, but instead was agreeing that the definition is a
"good basis for implementation and an interim step toward
resolution." He acknowledged that there will always be a
quarrel over details and he does not want to be drawn into a
debate over whether "a fig tree" is in Lebanese territory or
not.

PALESTINIANS REMAIN
THE "REAL PROBLEM"
--------------


10. (C) Siniora raised his concern about the Palestinians in
Lebanon, and his fear that "everyone is busy solving their
own problems, and in the aftermath, Lebanon will still face
the sizable refugee population within its borders." The
Charge commented that President Michel Sleiman had voiced the
same concern earlier in the day (septel). Siniora responded,
"(Sleiman and I) are on the same page on a number of issues
-- our chemistry is excellent."



11. (C) Charge asked about follow up on the Vienna donors
conference for Nahr al Barid Palestinian refugee camp
reconstruction. Siniora added that the GOL is trying to "put
our house in order" for utilizing pledges that have been made
and will be made. He repeated his opposition to
naturalization of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon but
pointed out that efforts to help the Palestinians are needed;
"It is better (for Palestinians and Lebanese) to live in
harmony until they can leave."


12. (C) Regarding the absence of announced pledges by Gulf
states at the June 23 Vienna conference, Siniora described
his "supermarket approach" whereby the camp's needs had been
itemized in such a way that donors could select specific ways
they could assist, for example, constructing the sewage
system. This is the approach the GOL hopes will work with the
Gulf states' development funds to encourage donations. He
did not have any updates regarding a Riyadh meeting of Gulf
and Arab development funds, donors, which was to have taken
place this week.

URGES ACTION ON PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI ISSUE
--------------


13. (C) "President Bush should have moved much earlier on the
Israeli-Palestinian track," Siniora stated, while recognizing
that President Bush "still has an opportunity to make
progress." He added that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict will help the U.S. in Iraq, explaining that Iran has
"hijacked" many of the regional issues. If the U.S. can be
perceived in a better light because of its role with
Israel/Palestine, Iran will be subsequently weakened, Siniora
said.


14. (C) Stating that moderate Arabs throughout the region are
disappointed with the international community, the PM
referred to a conversation the previous day with UK
Ambassador Frances Guy, who visited Siniora to explain the UK
terrorist designation of Hizballah's military wing on July 2.
Siniora asked rhetorically, "Why now? What is the point?"

NEED FIRE-FIGHTING PLANES

BEIRUT 00000975 003 OF 003


--------------


15. (C) Siniora then asked Charge for assistance to address
fires that annually threaten forested areas of the Chouf,
Akkar, and Mount Lebanon. Siniora requested USG assistance
in leasing fire-fighting planes for three months of the
summer. He also asked about USG assistance to refurbish five
twenty year old GOL-owned AB-212 helicopters.

ACTION REQUEST
--------------


16. (C) Embassy Beirut looked into the PM's request and has
determined that the referenced helicopters require a year to
become operational and therefore could not be serviced in
time for the summer. Regarding leasing planes, Embassy
Beirut requests Department contact the National Interagency
Fire Center (http://www.nifc.gov/) and inquire about leasing
fixed wing aircraft, fire-fighting crews, and fire retardant
for the GOL. Office of Defense Cooperation chief is looking
into utilizing USCENTCOM Humanitarian Assistance funds for
this purpose via J-5. USAID Beirut is also looking into the
possibility of USAID assistance in this regard.


17. (SBU) Embassy Beirut has preliminarily assessed that
Lebanon would need the following:
Equipment for 100 twenty-person fire-fighting teams;
Lease three fire-fighting helicopters; and
Lease one fixed wing fire-fighting aircraft.
End action request.
SISON