LEBANON: BORDER SECURITY WORK STALLED, SAYS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000126 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA ALSO FOR INL/FO DJOHNSON AND INL/AAE IO/PDAS WARLICK G/TIP PM FOR ACTING A/S RUGGIERO P FOR DRUSSELL AND RRANGASWAMY USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2019 TAGS: EAID PGOV PTER PINR KTIP PBTS MOPS LE IS SY SUBJECT: LEBANON: BORDER SECURITY WORK STALLED, SAYS INTERIOR MINISTER REF: BEIRUT 101 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On January 29, Minister of Interior Ziad Baroud told the Ambassador that internal Government of Lebanon (GOL) discussions on border security had effectively stalled. The Prime Minister had taken this on personally and is the only who can move the complex issue forward. Turning to election preparations, he said that he would be meeting with Defense Minister Murr next week to review the security master plan for election day. He continued to stress the political delicacies of ensuring security, but did request help for a modest $75,000) program to establish a secure fiber optics communications network for key security personnel which would be useful on Election Day and during other high-profile events. He told the Ambassador that he hoped a final decision on international election observation missions would be approved before the end of February. Baroud also said that he was open to programs that would improve Lebanon's anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) efforts, which could include joint efforts with the Ministry of Justice. End Summary. "Border Security Commission Has Never Met" -------------- ¶2. (C) Mentioning Defense Minister Murr's recent visit to Damascus, the Ambassador asked if there had been progress on border security coordination. Speaking frankly, Baroud said that the entire process had stalled in the GOL. "They created a commission and that is something you only do in Beirut if you want to permanently stall an issue. The commission has never met." ¶3. (C) After his own trip to Damascus in late 2008, Baroud wrote a report for the Council of Ministers which included short, medium, and long-term goals to move forward on border security. "I had hoped this would serve as a road map for us to continue the momentum of our discussions in Syria. Border security must be approached from both sides, after all. The biggest problem is Qusaya and the other base that straddles the border." However, he said that the PM had personally taken on the issue and Baroud feels he cannot interfere with the Prime Minister's wishes. He told us, frankly, that he objected to the acceptance of any additional donor assistance until the GOL had produced its own comprehensive plan. "The Lebanese side needs to get serious. It's just a waste of money in the meantime (to look outside for donor assistance)." 4.(C) Finally, he mentioned the importance of engaging with the parliament on this issue. He said that the creation of a national border force required an act of parliament and that MPs should now be studying both the intended role of such a group and the cost. "Election Security Should Focus on Preventative Actions" -------------- ¶5. (C) On election security, Baroud said that he was still haunted by the example of Madrid, where terrorists attacked right before elections. He shared with us his thinking on the best way to eliminate this threat: -- After Doha, there were clear agreements reached on security issues, such as an agreement that the weapons of "the resistance" (Hizballah) would not be used internally. It is important to remind parties that they made certain commitments in Doha. -- He continues to promote the Council of Ministers as the BEIRUT 00000126 002 OF 002 venue to resolve disputes. "Everyone has a seat at the table, so this is the place for dialogue." -- Finally, he said that force should only be used as a last resort to preserve security -- but he is moving ahead with plans to ensure that resources are available if needed. He is meeting with Defense Minister Murr next week to finalize their master plan for the roles of each security agency on election day. ¶6. (C) He thanked the Ambassador for the consideration of expedited (pre-election day) delivery for USG-donated Internal Security Forces (ISF) vehicles (via the State INL program). Again, he stated that foreign assistance on election security was a delicate matter for the GOL and the presence of "outside advisors" would not be welcome. He asked for assistance in organizing Election Day control room(s). He raised a USD 75,000 request to provide a secure fiber optics communications network for key members of the Lebanese security services and the Ambassador agreed to explore the proposal in greater detail. (Embassy INL Director will follow up with Ministry of Interior staff next week and forward details to INL/AAE). Decree Allowing International Observers Should be Completed in February -------------- ¶7. (C) Baroud assured the Ambassador that he continued to welcome the presence of international election observers from the National Democratic Institute (NDI),the Carter Center and the European Union. However, he wants the Council of Ministers to approve a decree which grants the Minister of Interior the right to accept missions which meet certain criteria. The draft has been formulated but not yet circulated. "Don't worry, I've written the criteria in a way to ensure that NDI and the Carter Center will pass muster", he said. ¶8. (C) He stressed the importance of obtaining the Council of Minister's approval for this decree. "It makes them all part of the approval process. No matter the end results of the elections, they will have all had a role in approving the foreign observer missions." He believes the matter should be settled by the end of February. Willing to Cooperate on TIP -------------- ¶9. (C) Referring to her recent conversation with the Minister of Justice (reftel),the Ambassador expressed interest in collaborating with a variety of Lebanese government agencies to implement measures to combat trafficking in persons. The Minister of Justice is quite interested in moving ahead on Lebanon's draft law, she noted. Baroud said that he was willing to explore ways to assist after Ambassador noted the need for additional awareness campaigns, a one-stop-shop with the GOL for these issues, and a need to enforce laws against illegally holding workers' passports. The Embassy was already working with ISF on law enforcement training on how to identify a TIP victim, she said, as well as on supporting a safehouse for women. (Comment: Baroud, whose ministry has 18 directorates, seems overworked. His willingness to assist is an excellent signal, but we may find the Minister of Justice to be an interlocutor able to spend more time on the issue. End Comment.) SISON