LEBANON: NASRALLAH CRITIQUES LEBANESE ELECTIONS,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 000679

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV LE IR
SUBJECT: LEBANON: NASRALLAH CRITIQUES LEBANESE ELECTIONS,
LASHES OUT AT THE PATRIARCH

REF: BEIRUT 668

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

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


1. (C) Hizballah SYG Hassan Nasrallah gave a lengthy speech
the evening of June 17 in which he critiqued Lebanon's June 7
parliamentary elections. While Nasrallah accepted the defeat
of the Hizballah-led opposition, he claimed the opposition
had maintained the largest share of popular, moral and
constitutional support. His criticism of Maronite Patriarch
Nasrallah Sfeir's statements provoked strong defense of the
Patriarch by Lebanese Christians and others. Nasrallah
committed Hizballah to preserving its political alliances and
supporting Nabih Berri as Speaker of Parliament in the next
government. He declared that Hizballah participation in the
new cabinet would depend on what was offered.


2. (C) In his only reference in the speech to Iran's disputed
presidential election, Nasrallah asserted that Iran would
"overcome" its current trials. Lebanese reactions to the
Iranian election have been mixed, with President Michel
Sleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora congratulating
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his reelection. Meanwhile,
other Lebanese politicians and citizens remain focused on
Iranian citizens' right to demonstrate peacefully. Internet
postings indicate Lebanese citizens are skeptical that
Hizballah's relationship with Iran would be harmed in any
way. The British Ambassador to Lebanon met Hizballah MP
Mohammad Raad for the first time June 18. Nasrallah also met
March 14 Druze leader Walid Jumblatt the same day. End
summary.

NASRALLAH ASSESSES
LEBANON'S ELECTIONS
--------------


3. (SBU) Hizballah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah
critiqued the June 7 Lebanese parliamentary elections in a
two-hour speech delivered on June 17. Nasrallah accepted the
opposition's defeat in the elections, but asserted that the
opposition maintains the largest share of popular, moral, and
constitutional support compared to the majority March 14
coalition. He accused March 14 of undermining core religious
beliefs held by Shia Muslims -- namely the concept of
"wilayat al faqih" -- while, at the same time, lashed out at
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir's public statements one
day before the elections, in which Sfeir warned of threats to
Lebanese identity if the Hizballah-led opposition had won.


4. (SBU) Nasrallah concluded his speech by outlining
Hizballah's next steps, including: preserving its political
alliances; supporting Nabih Berri to continue in the next
government as Speaker of Parliament; stating that Hizballah's
participation in the next cabinet would depend on what was
offered; holding March 14 accountable for its campaign
promises; and encouraging the GOL to issue an official
statement to counter Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's June 14 speech.


5. (SBU) (Note: The Council of Ministers -- the cabinet --
in its last session on June 18 endorsed President Sleiman's
June 15 statement, declaring that confronting Israel requires
greater Arab unity. The cabinet statement called on the
United States and Europe to exert greater pressure on Israel
"to accept fair peace initiatives." The statement called for
preserving the "spirit of the resistance" to face Israeli
threats. It rejected naturalization of Palestinians in
Lebanon and emphasized the Palestinians' right of return to
their homeland. The statement also asserted that the Arab

BEIRUT 00000679 002 OF 003


Peace Initiative provided the best opportunity to achieve a
comprehensive and fair peace. End note.)

LEBANESE REACTION
TO THE SPEECH
--------------


6. (SBU) Nasrallah's criticism of Patriarch Sfeir provoked
considerable reaction from the Lebanese. Several March 14
Christian politicians -- including Amine Gemayel, MP Dory
Chamoun, and MP Boutros Harb -- defended Sfeir as a respected
religious leader and political moderator. Gemayel called
Sfeir "the conscience of Lebanon." Harb accused Nasrallah of
attempting to silence the Patriarch's political views. March
14 SYG Fares Souaid criticized Nasrallah's comments as not
supporting Islamic-Christian partnership, while Sunni MP
Ammar Houri called for respecting all religious figures in
Lebanon.


7. (C) Opposition-aligned Christian MP-elect Alain Aoun told
us he "was not surprised" by Nasrallah's position against the
Patriarch, but did not believe that Nasrallah's remarks had
damaged Hizballah's relationship with its Maronite Christian
ally, Michel Aoun. Anti-Hizballah Shia politician Riad al
Assaad believed Nasrallah had lashed out at the Patriarch
because Hizballah's main objective at present is to do
"anything possible" to support Michel Aoun.

IRANIAN ELECTIONS
--------------


8. (C) Although Nasrallah's speech focused heavily on the
Lebanese elections, he did make one pointed reference to
Iran's June 12 disputed presidential election. Nasrallah
warned the March 14 coalition to refrain from commenting on
the Iranian vote and predicted the Iranian leadership would
overcome its current trials. Late in the speech, Nasrallah
promoted Iran as an "Islamic" state (rather than a "Persian"
state),loyal to the teachings of the "Arab Prophet
Mohammad." Riad al Assaad commented that he believed
Hizballah was "accepting" of the Iranian elections, but was
generally, nervous about regional developments that could
marginalize the group. Hizballah, he said, perceives itself
as a regional power player rather than as a Lebanese entity.


9. (SBU) The March 14 Secretariat, on the other hand,
"applauded the bravery of the Iranian people in its
attachment to freedom, reform and openness" in a statement
issued June 17. March 14's statement also expressed hope for
stability in Iran by means of moderation, instead of
"extremist policies" and Iranian interference in Lebanese and
Arab domestic affairs. Although March 14 MP Boutros Harb
supported the secretariat's statement and demonstrations for
freedom by the Iranian people, he told us he remained
cautious about the outcome of Iran's political developments.
Meanwhile, President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Fouad
Siniora telephoned to congratulate Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad on his reelection on June 15.


10. (SBU) A review of Lebanese internet blogs and the
English-language "NOW Lebanon" website which have solicited
Lebanese opinions about the Iranian elections reveal general
support for the Iranian people and their right to question
the election results. However, in a Lebanese-centric way,
the internet postings show a cynicism about possible changes
to Hizballah's relationship with Iran as a result of the
elections; Hizballah is believed to have the full support of
Iran's religious leadership, irrespective of who will be
declared president.

BRITISH AMBASSADOR MEETS HIZBALLAH MP;
WALID JUMBLATT MEETS NASRALLAH
--------------

BEIRUT 00000679 003 OF 003




11. (C/NF) In a related development, British Ambassador to
Lebanon Frances Guy met with MP Mohammad Raad, leader of
Hizballah's parliamentary bloc, on June 18 at Raad's office
in parliament. (Note: Details of the meeting to come septel.
End note.) The British DCM told us that, following the
British government's decision some months ago that its
Ambassador should meet with Hizballah, plans to arrange a
meeting became "bogged" down by Hizballah's insistence that
the meeting should receive heavy media coverage. For their
part, the British insisted on minimal media coverage, at
least until after the Lebanon's June 7 parliamentary
elections. The two sides also disagreed on who the U.K.
Ambassador should meet with: Hizballah pushed a meeting with
a member of the party's external relations branch, while the
British preferred to meet with an elected official, such as
Raad. With no progress on resolving those issues, the
British temporarily aborted their attempts to schedule a
meeting, until London gave the green light to try again after
the elections. When they approached Raad directly about a
meeting with minimal media coverage, he agreed, the British
DCM reported.


12. (C) Later in the evening of June 18, March 14 Druze
leader Walid Jumblatt held a three-hour meeting with
Nasrallah. Jumblatt advisor MP Wael Abu Faour told us that
the purpose of the meeting was to "relieve" Druze-Shia
tensions. (Note: March 14 majority leader Saad Hariri last
met Nasrallah in October 2008 with similar explanations. End
note.) Jumblatt and Nasrallah agreed that any future
disputes would be solved through the state, and that in the
event of future clashes, the two leaders would work together
to resolve issues, Abu Faour said. He added tht Jumblatt
and Nasrallah did not discuss cabinetformation, but instead
talked about regional devlopments, including the "Israeli
threat." Asked whether Hizballah's weapons were discussed,
Abu Faour responded that the weapons were discussed only in a
"strategic context.". (Note: We will follow up with
Jumblatt next week. End note.)

SISON