Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BEIRUT643
2009-06-10 10:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: PM SINIORA CALLS FOR EXTENDING HAND TO

Tags:  OVIP PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC KPAL SY IS IR 
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VZCZCXRO5146
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #0643/01 1611040
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 101040Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5086
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3379
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3896
RHMCSUU/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 000643 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO A/S BRIMMER
P FOR DRUSSELL, RRANGASWAMY
DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN
OVP FOR HMUSTAFA
USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT
DOD/OSD FOR FLOURNOY/KAHL/DALTON
PARIS FOR WALLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2019
TAGS: OVIP PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC KPAL SY IS IR
LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: PM SINIORA CALLS FOR EXTENDING HAND TO
ALL PARTIES

REF: BEIRUT 634

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 000643

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
ALSO FOR IO A/S BRIMMER
P FOR DRUSSELL, RRANGASWAMY
DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN
OVP FOR HMUSTAFA
USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER
NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT
DOD/OSD FOR FLOURNOY/KAHL/DALTON
PARIS FOR WALLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2019
TAGS: OVIP PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC KPAL SY IS IR
LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: PM SINIORA CALLS FOR EXTENDING HAND TO
ALL PARTIES

REF: BEIRUT 634

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

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


1. (C) In a June 8 meeting with visiting Secretary of
Transportation Ray LaHood and the Ambassador, Prime Minister
and Sidon MP-elect Fouad Siniora hailed March 14's victory in
the June 7 parliamentary elections (reftel) as the "end of an
era" that firmly established the majority's political
legitimacy. Although he said that recent government
paralysis had demonstrated that a blocking third for the
opposition did not work, he nevertheless called for
"extending a hand" to all parties. Siniora was determined to
improve the socio-economic situation of the people of Sidon,
and thanked the U.S. for its ongoing assistance helping to
strengthen Lebanon's state institutions. Siniora also
praised President Obama's June 4 Cairo speech, expressing his
confidence that the President would find a real solution to
the 60-year old Arab-Israeli conflict. End summary.

AN END TO AN ERA
--------------


2. (C) A relaxed and satisfied Prime Minister Fouad Siniora
greeted -- without the presence of his usual advisor and
press entourage -- visiting Secretary of Transportation Ray
LaHood and the Ambassador early on June 8, just hours after
preliminary predictions indicated a March 14 win in the June
7 parliamentary elections. Mrs. Kathleen LaHood, Chief of
Staff Joan DeBoer, Kevin Chapman, Embassy INL Director and
Pol/Econ Chief also attended the meeting.


3. (C) Siniora, terming the June 7 parliamentary elections
"unique, distinct, and important," said they brought "an end

to an era," both in terms of Aoun's claim to being the sole
representative of Lebanon's Christians and opposition's
claims that March 14 was a "baseless" majority. Now the
March 14 majority had "real roots," he said, and the June 7
elections were a "real victory" for the principles of the
state, majority rule, and respect for others. Despite
threats and intimidation, there had been no major incidents,
he said.


4. (C) Noting that the experience of the current national
unity government demonstrated that the blocking third "didn't
work," Siniora was confident that March 14 would be able to
consolidate its majority and form a new government. Citing
an Arab proverb that "he who makes the poison eats it," he
blamed the March 8 opposition's insistence at Doha to use the
1960 electoral law as the basis for the new law (which he
said March 14 had opposed) for its electoral defeat. He
nevertheless stressed several times during the meeting the
need to "extend a hand to bring people together." The
Patriarch, aware of the gravity of the tensions in the run-up
to the elections, had played an instrumental role, he said.


5. (C) Siniora wondered whether Hizballah would learn any
lessons from March 8's defeat. The world is changing, he
said, but up until the last day Hizballah was acting against
reconciliation because it believed there were trends in its
favor, including the new U.S. administration and new openings
toward Syria. When Der Spiegel accused Hizballah -- rather
than Syria -- of being behind the February 14, 2005
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri,
Hizballah's response was to say it was continuing to build up
its military arsenal. Hizballah is in complete confrontation
with the international community, he declared, based on what
he viewed as the group's excessive power and arrogance.


6. (C) Calling his own victory, along with fellow March 14 MP
Bahia Hariri, in Sidon "quite a landslide," Siniora recalled

BEIRUT 00000643 002 OF 003


how he had announced his candidacy only two months before the
elections. To maintain a "firewall" between Siniora the PM
and Siniora the candidate (to avoid appearances that he was
using his status as PM for electoral advantage),he did the
brunt of his campaigning during the last 15 days, during
which he "worked like a bulldozer" and met with over 18,000
constituents. Faced with a well-equipped, financed, and
organized opposition, this "major offensive" was necessary to
win the election, he said.


7. (C) He and Bahia had a series of discussions with various
groups in Sidon to give people a sense of ownership, telling
them, "If we win, we'll work with you for the next four
years." Siniora stressed the need to build better
socio-economic institutions in Sidon, and thanked the United
States for its support "in all its aspects," including for
the army, post-2006 reconstruction assistance, the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon, and reconstruction of the Nahr al Barid
Palestinian refugee camp. The best investment the United
States had ever made in Lebanon, however, was the American
University of Beirut (Sinior is an alumnus). He looked
forward to a continuing friendship with the United States.

PRAISE FOR POTUS SPEECH
--------------


8. (C) Siniora thanked Secretary LaHood for his visit, saying
it was an important message from President Obama. Praising
the President's June 4 Cairo speech, he said it indicated how
much the new U.S. President was aware of the risks, benefits,
and potential in the region. The President had made it clear
that Islam was not about killing but about "extending a
hand." He called the President "a man of history and of the
future" who could find a "real solution for a 60-year old
problem." "It can be done," he said, showing his guests a
sign by his phone with those words, alluding to Obama's "Yes
we can" campaign. But we need to show serious commitment, he
added, echoing the President's call for actions and not just
words.


9. (C) Secretary LaHood told the PM his visit aimed to
reiterate the messages of strong U.S. support delivered
during the recent visits of Vice President Biden and
Secretary Clinton. He deemed the elections an "extraordinary
opportunity for Lebanon," noting that the people had spoken
and sent a message to the world that Lebanon was ready to
take its place on the international stage. U.S. leaders were
ready to work with the new Lebanese leadership, he relayed,
adding that President Obama personally was committed to
working with the new team to make Lebanon a part of a
comprehensive Middle East peace and to creating a new bond
with regional leaders. Referring to Siniora's "Lebanon must
be at -- not on -- the table" mantra, Secretary LaHood joked
that Lebanon would neither be "at the kids' table or at the
corner," but instead had a central role to play.


10. (C) Siniora noted that he and President Michel Sleiman
had a good relationship, better than expected, avoiding a
repeat of experiences with previous presidents which had
caused the country as a whole to suffer in terms of lost
opportunities. President Sleiman "means well," he said
simply.

11. (C) Siniora said he hoped Israel also understood the
President's message. Even if Lebanon was divided internally,
it would always be united against Israel, he said. Moreover,
Israel had a history of handing Hizballah victories "on a
golden platter, i.e., with its 2008 prisoner exchange, its
refusal to withdraw from Shebaa Farms and northern Ghajar,
and its refusal (until recently) to turn over cluster bomb
strike data. Hizballah, along with Syria, Iran, and other
extremist groups, were perpetuating each other, he
complained, arguing that Iran's goal was to be on the
Mediterranean, and that it would be difficult to detach the
Syrians -- the "best bargainors in the world" -- from Iran.
Siniora professed to be in favor of engagement with Syria,

BEIRUT 00000643 003 OF 003


saying Lebanon wanted to be on the best of terms with Syria.
However, the Syrians needed to demonstrate they could play a
productive role in peace talks, respecting Lebanon's
sovereignty and independence, concepts he said most Syrians
had not yet fully accepted.


12. (C) Lebanon is the only democracy in the Arab world,
Siniora said proudly, with two living former presidents.
While it was impossible to impose democracy, it was important
to lay the foundations so that people would come to realize
democracy was in their interests. People would look at the
"hands off" approach in Lebanon and say, "Look! They did
it!" It was easier to build relationships based on common
values than a lack of commonalties, he suggested.


13. (C) Secretary LaHood has cleared this message.
SISON