LEBANON: NEW ADVOCATES FOR LEBANESE DETAINEES IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000046

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO A/S HOOK, PDAS WARLICK
P FOR DRUSSELL AND RRANGASWAMY
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FOR ABRAMS/RAMCHAND/YERGER/MCDERMOTT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC LE SY
SUBJECT: LEBANON: NEW ADVOCATES FOR LEBANESE DETAINEES IN
SYRIA REFLECT POLITICAL SPLIT?

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires William Grant for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

SUMMARY AND COMMENT
--------------


1. (C) On January 5, 2009 a group of Lebanese (many of whom
are former detainees in Syria) launched a new organization.
"The Association of the Lebanese Political Detainees in
Syria" was formed to resolve the issue of Lebanese detainees
in Syrian prisons and garner support for those already
released. The group intentionally launched the organization
one day prior to French President Nicolas Sarkozy's trip to
Lebanon and called on Sarkozy to pressure Syrian President
Bashar Asad to release all political detainees. Observers
viewed the creation of yet another organization to address
the detainees issue as a sign of division among groups
focused on this issue. Founding members confided to EmbOffs
their frustration with the lack of progress achieved to date
by the existing organizations. It appears that March 8 and
March 14 Christians are politicizing the organizations who
work in this area, with each side competing to take credit
for any progress achieved. End summary and comment.

MARCH 14 MEMBERS
ATTEND LAUNCHING
--------------


2. (U) On January 5, 2009 a group of Lebanese (many of whom
are former detainees in Syria) launched a new organization.
"The Association of the Lebanese Political Detainees in
Syria" was formed to resolve the issue of Lebanese detainees
in Syrian prisons and garner support for those already
released. The founders noted that prisoners released from
Israeli jails receive compensation from the GOL. Prisoners
released from Syrian prisons do not receive compensation.
These individuals feel they are being treated as outcasts and
have difficulty finding jobs.


3. (U) Several March 14 members attended the press
conference announcing the launch, including SYG Fares Souaid,
Kataeb member Michel Mecattaf, and former MP Camille Ziade.
Human rights activists, journalists, and family members of
Lebanese detainees also attended the event.

GROUP LOOKS TO CAPITALIZE
ON FRENCH LEVERAGE WITH SYRIA
--------------


4. (U) Founding member of the association and Embassy
contact, Ali Abou Dehn described his ordeal as a prisoner
detained in Syria. He emphasized the need to send a message
to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was arriving in
Beirut the following day, to pressure Syrian President Bashar
Asad to release all Lebanese detainees from Syrian prisons.


5. (C) Additionally, Abou Dehn said that the association
wanted the EU to refrain from signing the EU-Syrian
partnership agreement. (Note: According to Kamal Batal,
another founding member of the association, the French had
delayed signing an Association Agreement with Syria until
they saw "good behavior" from Syria. The French who hold the
EU presidency, nonetheless were preparing to sign the
agreement as a reward. End note.)


6. (U) Batal said that if efforts by Sarkozy fail, the group
will ask the UN to form a committee with Chapter VII
authority to investigate the status of the detainees. (Note:
Ghazi Aad, head of Support of Lebanese in Detention and
Exile (SOLIDE),has been pushing for such UN action for some
time. End note.)

DIVISION AMONG GROUPS
REFLECTS A POLITICAL SPLIT?
--------------


7. (U) When asked by one of the attendees at the conference
if the formation of a new association was indicative of a
split from Aad's organization, which has been demanding the

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release of Lebanese detainees from Syrian prisons for nearly
20 years, Abou Dehn denied the split and said that up until
now no progress has been made on this issue. Abou Dehn said
he hoped this new association would be successful.

8 (C) However, in a private conversation with Polstaff on
January 9, Batal was very critical of Aad, calling him "a
doll in the hands of (Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel)
Aoun", a leader of the March 8 opposition. Batal relayed
that he had worked with Aad previously but then realized Aad
was "doing nothing." Batal expressed confidence that his
association would get a lot of work done, adding, "Things are
moving fast."

COMMENT
--------------


9. (C) In the fall of 2008, Abou Dehn privately criticized
to EmbOffs the efforts taken by Aad and other organizations
to address the issue of detainees, disagreeing with their
approaches and faulting them for accomplishing little. It is
true that next to no progress has been made, despite the
issue's inclusion in the agenda for President Michel Sleiman
and Syrian President Bashar Asad's August 2008 meeting.


10. (C) It is equally conceivable that the organizations
working on this issue are being politicized by March 14 and
March 8 Christians. Aoun has vocally advocated for a
solution, but was unsuccessful in making progress during his
own December 2008 visit to Damascus. SOLIDE's Aad is known
to support Aoun. It is possible this new association seeks
to differentiate itself from Aoun and associate itself with
March 14. If this new association is successful, March 14
members can claim credit. End comment.

GRANT