Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BEIRUT470
2009-04-24 14:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: HARIRI DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS "MISTER FIX

Tags:  PGOV LE 
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VZCZCXRO8487
PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHLB #0470/01 1141438
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 241438Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4748
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3691
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3891
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 000470 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO ACTING A/S WARLICK
P FOR DRUSSELL
USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT
DOD/OSD FOR FLOURNOY/KAHL/DALTON
DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN, BARGHOUT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2019
TAGS: PGOV LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: HARIRI DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS "MISTER FIX
IT"

REF: A. BEIRUT 466

B. BEIRUT 463

C. BEIRUT 445

D. BEIRUT 401

Classified By: Ambassador 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 000470

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO ACTING A/S WARLICK
P FOR DRUSSELL
USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT
DOD/OSD FOR FLOURNOY/KAHL/DALTON
DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN, BARGHOUT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2019
TAGS: PGOV LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: HARIRI DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS "MISTER FIX
IT"

REF: A. BEIRUT 466

B. BEIRUT 463

C. BEIRUT 445

D. BEIRUT 401

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

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


1. (C) March 14 Sunni leader Saad Hariri told the Ambassador
and DCM April 23 that although relations within the March 14
leadership currently were not at their best, Hariri and his
allies would find a solution. Referring to himself as
"Mister Fix-it," Hariri said disgruntlement with Druze leader
Walid Jumblatt over statements leaked to the press would be
resolved in within days. Hariri said he would then mediate
between his Christian allies, Lebanese Forces' (LF) Samir
Geagea and Kataeb's Amine Gemayel, who still disagree over
electoral seat allocation. Hariri was pleased about the
recent announcement of March 14 lists in West Bekaa, Tripoli,
Minnieh-Dinnieh, and Akkar. Overall, he was positive about
March 14's chances in the June 7 elections, although he
believed the Zahle and Beirut 1 lists still needed work. In
a separate meeting, March 14 MP Nayla Mouawad gave the DCM
her thoughts on March 14's position as the election
approaches. End summary.

SOLVING JUMBLATT...
--------------


2. (C) An energetic and upbeat Saad Hariri, accompanied by
his cousin and political right-hand man Nader Hariri,
condemned Druze leader Walid Jumblatt's recent statements
(Ref A),but also provided context to the remarks and
expressed optimism about resolving the situation. Meeting
with the Ambassador and DCM on April 23, Hariri said the
information leaked from Jumblatt's meeting had been taken
from Jumblatt's speech to a gathering of "fundamentalist"
Druze at the home of a "fundamentalist Druze sheikh." The
statements were only part of a much longer talk; the media
selected text that would have the most impact, said Saad.
Jumblatt's position defending the Christians for the last
eight years should not be thrown away because of one
statement, said Hariri. He added that he had met with some
of Jumblatt's advisors earlier that day, and a meeting and
photo op with Jumblatt were scheduled for April 27.



3. (C) The alarming thing about the incident, said Hariri,
was that the leaked information came from two separate
private meetings Jumblatt had held, one in Lebanon and one in
Turkey. The security breach was a message from the
opposition that Jumblatt was being watched, he posited.
According to Hariri, the media clip from Turkey had been
traced to someone close to Hizballah, and the source of the
leak from the meeting of Druze religious leaders was a Druze
sheikh close to Druze opposition leader Talal Arslan and paid
by Hizballah.

...AND THEN THE CHRISTIANS
--------------


4. (C) Hariri said disagreements between March 14 Christian
leaders -- Lebanese Forces (LF) head Samir Geagea and Kataeb
leader Amine Gemayel -- were still causing the March 14
coalition problems. However, after he calms the situation
with Jumblatt, Hariri declared he would solve the disputes
between the Christians. "Don't worry," he told the
Ambassador, "we will fix it." Geagea and Gemayel want a
large proportion of March 14's seats, said Hariri, even if
their candidates are not the best ones to compete against
Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun's candidates.
According to Hariri, Geagea "plays innocent" and blames
Gemayel for the problems, but carries just as much of the
blame. Hariri told the Ambassador and DCM he had met with
Gemayel earlier on April 23 and would meet with Geagea soon.

BEIRUT 00000470 002 OF 003


Interestingly, he mentioned that the April 10 meeting of
March 14 leaders at Qoreitem (Ref D) was the first Gemayel
and Geagea meeting since the Doha Accord sessions in May
2008, 11 months before.


5. (C) Regarding the withdrawal of Minister of State Nassib
Lahoud from the race in the Metn (Ref C),Hariri said he
tried to mediate between Lahoud, Metn Christian politico
Michel Murr, and Gemayel. Nader Hariri added that Murr was
flexible but Lahoud had made his decision and could not be
convinced to run; Gemayel was also a "major obstacle."
Hariri opined that Lahoud's withdrawal was linked to his
concern that March 14 would lose the election in the Metn. A
Lahoud loss would reduce the likelihood of his becoming a
minister in the next cabinet, and limit his future chances of
reaching the presidency.

POSITIVE MOMENTUM ON ELECTIONS
--------------


6. (C) Hariri expressed satisfaction with March 14's recent
electoral events in West Bakaa, Akkar, Minnieh-Dinnieh, and
Tripoli. He said March 14 will have to fight for one seat in
Dinnieh and one or two in West Bekaa, but he expected his
planned future visits to the area would work in March 14's
favor. Nader Hariri said Future would hold an event in Sidon
-- where Future candidates Minister of Education Bahia Hariri
and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora have declared their
candidacies -- closer to elections. March 14 was also
planning an event to announce its list in Beirut, but not in
the next week. In Zahle, March 14 independent-leaning
candidate Nicholas Fattoush will announce the electoral list,
because of his local Zahlaoui credentials, to minimize the
optic of the Zahle list being a "Future list."


7. (C) As far as the other candidates on the Zahle list,
Nader Hariri note that Gemayel is insisting on the candidacy
of Tourism Minister Elie Marouni, a less popular Kataeb
figure, over independent Paul Charbel. Gemayel's displeasure
with taking an independent on the list could result in a
third list in Zahle, which would take votes from March 14.
In addition, Geagea's support of Armenian Lebanese Forces
candidate Richard Kouyoumjian (an Amcit dentist resident in
Washington D.C. until one month ago) in Beirut 1 district has
caused controversy. March 14 Armenian parties objected to
his candidacy and have backed current MP Serge Tor Sarkissian
as their preferred Armenian Catholic candidate in the
district, which could again split the March 14 vote.

SPECIAL TRIBUNAL
--------------


8. (C) Hariri said he had phoned UAE FM Abdullah bin Zayed
regarding the recent arrest in the UAE of former Syrian
intelligence officer Mohammed Zohair al-Siddiq (Ref B),
previously a witness for Lebanon's Special Tribunal (STL).
Hariri reportedly told Sheikh Abdullah that the UAE could do
what it liked with Siddiq, but any action shoud be taken
after Lebanon's June 7 election. Simlarly, Hariri argued
that the four generals detained in relation to the
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri should be
released only after elections.

MOUAWAD: BIG PARTIES
SIDELINING SMALLER PLAYERS
--------------


9. (C) March 14 stalwart Nayla Mouawad, a Maronite, told DCM
on April 21 that a number of March 14 members lament the lack
of expected Saudi funding to help March 14 with the election.
She asked for U.S. help to get the Saudis to open up. She
had praise for Hariri's public performance earlier in the
week launching campaigns in the northern districts, and
thought Jumblatt's apology to the Maronites and others that
he issued that day was helpful (Note: Jumblatt met with
Maronite Patriarch Sfeir on April 24. End note.) She
expressed concern that in forming lists, March 14 leaders are

BEIRUT 00000470 003 OF 003


focusing on protecting large parties at the expense of key
players who are not associated with the main parties,
including herself, Nassib Lahoud, who recently withdrew his
candidacy, and Boutros Harb. The Patriarch is with March 14
"all the way", she said, and the Lebanese expatriates who
will return to vote on June 7 are "80 percent March 14".

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


10. (C) Hariri was more upbeat than we have seen him
recently, a good sign, especially following a difficult week
for March 14. Aided strongly by his cousin Nader, he seems
focused on finalizing lists so real campaigning can begin.
His plan to spend time in Lebanon to make return visits to
districts where he sees tough races is noteworthy, given that
he has been criticized historically for being absent from the
Lebanese political scene (and from Lebanon). His mediation
will be crucial to solve disputes between his Christian
allies, and his embrace of this role bodes well.
Nevertheless, much work remains to be done for March 14 to
succeed, and with 44 days remaining before elections, there
is no time for delay. End summary.

SISON