SAUDI AMBASSADOR: JUMBLATT RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000892 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA ALSO FOR IO A/S BRIMMER P FOR DRUSSELL, RRANGASWAMY USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT DOD/OSD FOR FLOURNOY/KAHL/DALTON DRL/NESA FOR WHITMAN OVP FOR HMUSTAFA PARIS FOR JMILLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR LE IS SA SUBJECT: SAUDI AMBASSADOR: JUMBLATT RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY TO KHOJA'S INTERVENTION Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Saudi Information and Culture Minister Abdulaziz Khoja sent a strong message to Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt on August 4 that his actions did not serve Lebanon's national interests, and Jumblatt responded immediately and positively to Saudi King Abdullah's entreaties, according to Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Saeed Awadh Asseri. Asseri assessed during an August 7 meeting at the Saudi Embassy with the Ambassador and POLOFF that Jumblatt's recent comments about the March 14 Coalition and the ensuing scuffle had "surprised everyone and almost destroyed everything." ¶2. (C) Asseri said neither he nor Khoja had met with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri since the Jumblatt crisis unfolded last Sunday because the Saudis were wary of being perceived as interfering in the government formation process. "I don't want them to say we're forming the government." He described Hariri as "hurt" and "devastated" by Jumblatt's defection, but Asseri was confident that Hariri would return to Lebanon by Monday, August 10, at the latest. (Note: In fact, Ambassador has been assured by Nader Hariri that she will be able to meet with PM-Designate Saad Hariri "early next week" in Beirut. End note.) Asseri confirmed that Khoja had met with caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and President Michel Sleiman, although he downplayed the visits as simply courtesy calls during which the former Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon briefed them on the proceedings of his meeting with Jumblatt. When the Ambassador asked about the veracity of rumors floating around Beirut that the Saudi government had threatened to halt Saudi assistance to the PSP leader, Asseri insisted such speculation was untrue. "Khoja only conveyed anger and disappointment, not that," Asseri said. ¶3. (C) While Asseri argued that Jumblatt remained committed to the March 14 Coalition, he admitted that the Druze leader had put Hariri in an extremely difficult position. Asseri was vague on how he thought Jumblatt's machinations would impact the 15-5-10 cabinet formation. ¶4. (C) Asseri also admitted that he was unsure if Jumblatt was driven by material motives, fear, or possibly both. Jumblatt is a "money man," who stood tQlose a lot if his current machinations go awry. Asseri further described Jumblatt as "unpredictable," and assessed that he would continue to walk a fine line between competing camps as the government formation process progressed. Asseri said he was unaware of any imminent trips to Damascus by Saudi leaders, although he was quick to assert, "Anything that will unite Lebanon, the King will go for." Asseri was confident that government formation would resume shortly and confidently declared that the new Cabinet would be in place by mid-August beginning of Ramadan. SISON