LEBANON: PM-DESIGNATE HARIRI TELLS INL A/S JOHNSON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000767 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA ALSO FOR IO A/S BRIMMER INL FOR A/S JOHNSON P FOR DRUSSELL, RRANGASWAMY DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN, BARGHOUT PARIS FOR JMILLER USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT DOD/OSD FOR FLOURNOY/KAHL/DALTON OVP FOR HMUSTAFA E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR SOCI LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: PM-DESIGNATE HARIRI TELLS INL A/S JOHNSON ISF NEEDS MORE RECRUITS, EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri told visiting International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Assistant Secretary David Johnson and the Ambassador July 1 that the Internal Security Forces (the police) have been "very successful" in recent years, but more recruits, training, and equipment are needed. Hariri thanked the United States for its support to the ISF, but emphasized that it would be at least two years before the ISF would be fully prepared to handle 70-80 percent of Lebanon's security needs. Hariri asserted that the "natural enemy of an army is a militia," but it was not his intention to encourage a fight with Hizballah. A/S Johnson offered additional U.S. assistance to help the ISF with police training, equipment, and developing a technical plan. ¶2. (C) In a separate meeting later the same day, President of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Ambassador Khalil Makkawi, told A/S Johnson that the GOL was still working with the residents of Nahr al-Barid refugee camp to gain support for building two police stations within the camp. INL-administered funding will be used to construct the police stations, as well as train ISF officers on how to provide "human security," Ambassador Makkawi reported. End summary. ISF NEEDS MORE RECRUITS, EQUIPMENT, AND TRAINING -------------- ¶3. (C) Hariri told A/S Johnson that the Internal Security Forces had been "very successful" in recent years in its training, execution of authority, and loyalty to the GOL. However, the ISF was severely understaffed and Hariri planned to seek an additional 6,000-7,000 police recruits after the new government begins work. Hariri thanked the United States for its continued assistance to the ISF including training and equipment, such as police cars. He planned also to seek financial assistance for the ISF from "certain Arab governments" to buy additional equipment, including armored personnel vehicles and support for Special Forces units. ¶4. (C) A/S Johnson reiterated U.S. support to the ISF and encouraged Hariri and the ISF to develop long-term technical plans, in addition to future equipment purchases. INL, he continued, would begin ramping up the number of police trainers (approaching three dozen) the U.S. would send to the ISF academy, as well as increase its programs in the reconstruction of Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp. LEBANON'S SECURITY FORCES MUST BECOME ALTERNATIVE TO MILITIAS -------------- ¶5. (C) Hariri said that complaints that Lebanon "needs security" are real because the ISF, and to a certain degree the Lebanese Armed Forces (the military),are under-staffed, under-equipped, and under-funded. As a result, the Lebanese public, traditionally, has had greater faith in the ability of militias to protect them. However, with increased investments, Hariri was confident that the ISF would be capable of meeting Lebanon's policing needs. The "natural enemy of an army is a militia," but he was not advocating a confrontation with Hizballah, Hariri said. Over time the public needs to feel confidence in the government's security institutions, and support for Hizballah would diminish, he added. NAHR AL BARID: AN UPDATE BEIRUT 00000767 002 OF 002 -------------- ¶6. (C) Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee President Ambassador Khalil Makkawi thanked the United States for its support for reconstruction of Nahr al-Barid refugee camp. Makkawi highlighted the $7 million INL program to build two police stations within the camp, as well as training for ISF officers on how to provide "human security." He said the GOL wants to show the Palestinians that they are better off with a GOL security presence in the camp than without. However, he noted that the GOL was still working with Palestinian residents there to support the idea. Ambassador Makkawi expressed hope that the residents would understand that the security presence of the GOL in the camps will improve security for themselves and that such a community policing model would encourage residents of other Palestinian camps to request the same kind of security. ¶7. (C) Makkawi also noted that work on backfilling the archeological find at the camp site had begun and should be completed in three to four weeks. (Note: An archeological find was discovered amidst the ruins of the destroyed camp. Lebanese law dictates that no building can occur until such a discovery is properly protected. Therefore, reconstruction of the camp can not begin until the backfilling process is completed. End Note.) Makkawi predicted that the first of eight sections of the old camp would be rebuilt within a year of the beginning of reconstruction. He noted that the Arab world still needs to come forward and donate more money. (Note: Before the June 2008 Vienna Donors, conference for Nahr al-Barid Reconstruction, the Gulf States promised to pledge half of the estimated $450 million cost, but failed to make any pledges at the conference. Saudi Arabia made a pledge of $25 million in May 2009. The remainder of the Gulf countries have yet to follow suite. End Note.) ¶8. (U) A/S Johnson has cleared this cable. SISON