JA'JA'S "CHRISTIAN DECISION MOVEMENT"

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 01640

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV PINS LE
SUBJECT: JA'JA'S "CHRISTIAN DECISION MOVEMENT"
AND RECONCILIATION EFFORTS

REF: BEIRUT 1635


1. (U) SUMMARY. A COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY THE
MARONITE PARTIARCH CONTINUES ITS EFFORTS TO
RECONCILE DIFFERENCES WHICH ERUPTED ON MARCH 13
WITHIN THE LEBANESE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY BETWEEN
JA'JA'S "CHRISTIAN DECISION MOVEMENT" AND
PHALANGISTS LOYAL TO THE PRESIDENT. THERE HAS
BEEN NO SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS SO FAR, BUT
RECONCILATION EFFORTS CONTINUE.


2. (U) THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND REMAINS
LARGELY UNCHANGED, WITH JA'JA'S MILITIAMEN
CONTROLING MOST OF THE CHRISTIAN REGION FROM
JUBAYL (BYBLOS) SOUTH TO THE DOG RIVER AND ALSO
MUCH OF EAST BEIRUT ITSELF, INCLUDING
ASHRAFIYAH. PHALANGE MILITIAMEN LOYAL TO THE
PRESIDENT CONTROL ONLY THE METN, THE GEMAYEL
FIEFDOM SITUATED BETWEEN THE AREAS HELD BY
JA'JA'. ALL OF THESE AREAS REMAIN TENSE BUT
CALM, EXCEPT FOR SOME ISOLATED CLASHES BETWEEN
RIVAL LF GROUPS AT DAWRA (NEAR BEIRUT PORT) ON
MORNING OF MARCH 15. END SUMMARY.


3. (U) THE SEVEN-MEMBER CHRISTIAN
RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE, ESTABLISHED BY THE
CHRISTIAN CONCLAVE CONVOKED URGENTLY BY GEMAYEL
AT THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE FOLLOWING JA'JA'S
MARCH 13 UPRISING, MET FOR THE SECOND TIME IN
BKERKE ON MARCH 14. AT THIS SECOND MEETING, THE
RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE, WHICH IS CHAIRED BY
MARONITE PARTRIARCH KHURAYSH, WAS ABLE TO MEET
WITH VARIOUS LF OFFICIALS, INCLUDING FOR THE
FIRST TIME JA'JA' HIMSELF AND HIS MAIN
SUPPORTERS. BESIDES THE PARTRIARCH, THE
RECONCILATION COMMITTEE INCLUDES CHRISTIAN MP'S
ELIAS HRAOUI, MICHEL MURR, KHATCHIG BABIKIAN,
GEBRANE TOK, MIKEAL DAHER, AND KHALIL ABUHAMAD.
AT THE MARCH 14 BKERKE MEETING, THEY MET WITH THE
FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE LF COMMAND COUNCIL:
SAMIR JA'JA', ELIE HOBEIKA, TONY BRIDI, CHARLES
GHOSTIN, NAOUM FARAH, ELIE ASSWAD, SAMIR TAWILE,
AND FAWZI MAHFUZ. LF COMMANER FUAD ABU NADIR DID
NOT ATTEND, BUT HIS PREDECESSOR, FADI FREM, DID.


4. (U) JUDGING FROM THE COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AFTER
THE BKERKE MEETING, LITTLE PROGRESS WAS MADE
DURING THIS FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH JA'JA'. "THE
CHRISTIAN DECISON MOVEMENT," AS JA'JA'S GROUP NOW
OFFICIALLY CALLS ITSELF, REAFFIRMED ITS POLITICAL
NATURE, ITS DESIRE TO AVOID VIOLENCE, AND ITS AIM
OF "REINFORCING THE INDEPENDENCE AND GLOBALITY OF
CHRISTIAN DECISION ACCORDING TO DEMOCRATIC
RULES." IN THE COMMUNIQUE, JA'JA'S MOVEMENT ALSO
REAFFIRMED ITS RESPECT FOR EXISTING LAWS AND
DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS. IT CLAIMED THAT IT WAS
"PURELY AND UNIQUELY LEBANESE CHRISTIAN," I.E.,
NOT ISRAELI BACKED. FOLLOWING THE MEETING,
HOBEIKA CALLED FOR THE REMOVAL OF ROADBLOCKS
WHICH HAVE ISOLATED CERTAIN CHRISTIAN AREAS, MOST
NOTABLY THE ROADBLOCK ESTABLISHED BY LOYALIST
FORCES AT THE NORTHERN EXTREMITY OF THE METN
IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THE DOG RIVER TUNNEL ON THE
COASTAL HIGHWAY BETWEEN DUBAYYAH AND JUNNIYAH.


5. (U) FOLLOWING THE BKERKE MEETING, THE
RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE REPORTEDLY TOLD
PRESIDENT GEMAYEL THAT (A) JA'JA'S MOVEMENT WAS A
MATTER WITHIN THE PHALANGE PARTY AND BETWEEN THAT
PARTY AND THE LEBANESE FORCES AND (B) THAT JA'JA'
HAD NO INTENTION OF LEADING A COUP D'ETAT. THE
RECONCILATION COMMITTEE THEN MET WITH THE
PHALANGE PARTY POLITBURO.


6. (C) SIMULTANEOUSLY FOLLOWING THE BKERKE
MEETING, JA'JA' AND HIS MAJOR SUPPORTERS MET AT
THE HOME OF BASHIR GEMAYEL'S WIDOW, SOLANGE, AND
FORMED AN "EMERGENCY COMMITTEE" COMPOSED OF ABU
NADIR, JA'JA', HOBEIKA, FREM, BRIDI, GHOSTIN,
KARIM PAKRADUNI, AND GEORGES ADWAN. SO
FAR, THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMITTEE HAS NOT BEEN
ANNOUNCED BUT NAOUM FARAH (SEPTEL) CONFIRMED
THAT IT IS AN EMBRYONIC POLITBURO OR COMMAND
COUNCIL FOR JA'JA'S "CHRISTIAN DECISION MOVEMENT."


7. (U) EARLIER ON MARCH 14, PRESIDENT GEMAYEL
RECEIVED GENERAL MUHAMMAD KHOLI, AN EMISSARY SENT
BY SYRIAN PRESIDENT ASSAD REPORTEDLY TO REAFFIRM
SYRIAN SUPPORT. IT SEEMS HIGHLY UNLIKELY AT THIS
POINT THAT SYRIAN VICE PRESIDENT KHADDAM WILL
RETURN TO LEBANON ON MARCH 16 TO CONTINUE THE
INTERCOMMUNAL POLITICAL TALKS UNTERTAKEN LAST
MARCH 9-10 AT BIKFAYYA.


8. (U) IN REACTION TO JA'JA'S CHALLENGE, DRUZE
LEADER WALID JUMBLATT, SPEAKING FOR THE NATIONAL
DEMOCRATIC FRONT, LENT SUPPORT TO THE PRESIDENCY
AND VEHEMENTLY CRITICIZED JA'JA'S MOVEMENT AS "AN
ISRAELI ATTEMPT TO TORPEDO THE POLITICAL ACCORD
BEING DRAWN UP UNDER THE AUSPICES OF SYRIAN
LEADERS." THE NDF REITERATED ITS SUPPORT FOR THE
"SYRIAN OPTION."


9. (C) LATE NOTE: ACCORDING TO NAOUM FARAH (SEPTEL),
THE "CHRISTIAN DECISION MOVEMENT" DOES,IN FACT,
SUPPORT THE REOPENING OF THE DOG RIVER TUNNEL AND
SEVERAL BRIDGES BLOCKED BY PHALANGE MILITIAMEN FROM
THE METN LOYAL TO GEMAYEL. AS OF EARLY AFTERNOON
MARCH 15, THE LATTER HAD AGREED TO REMOVE THE
BLOCKADES AND TURN THE CHOKE POINTS OVER TO THE LAF.


BARTHOLOMEW