CHRISTIAN DECISION MOVEMENT RESPONDS TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 01676

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV PREL LE
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN DECISION MOVEMENT RESPONDS TO
CONTINUING SYRIA PRESSURE

REF: FBIS NICOSIA 17 MARCH 85


1. CONFIDENTIAL ENTIRE TEXT.


2. THE FOCUS OF SYRIAN PRESSURE ON DISSIDENT
CHRISTIANS HAS SHIFTED TO THE POLITICAL ARENA
AND THE USE OF LEBANESE MUSLIM LEADERS. SYRIAN
VICE PRESIDENT KHADDAM HAS CANCELLED HIS
MARCH 18 VISIT TO BEIRUT. THE WEEKLY WEDNESDAY
MEETING OF THE LEBANESE CABINET HAS ALSO BEEN
POSTPONED BECAUSE MINISTERS JUMBLATT AND BARRI
WOULD NOT ATTEND. JUMBLATT IS IN MOSCOW,
WHILE BARRI CLAIMS THAT THE ROAD TO BAABDA IS
UNSAFE. THE IMPLICATION IS THAT THE ROAD
WILL NOT BE SAFE UNTIL THE CHRISTIAN DISSIDENTS
ARE BROUGHT INTO LINE. IN A SPEECH IN MUKHTARA
SUNDAY TO COMMEMORATE THE EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE ASSASSINATION OF KAMEL JUMBLATT, WALID
JUMBLATT URGED HIS SUPPORTERS TO REASON FOR
A POSSIBLE NEW ROUND OF FIGHTING. HE THREATENED
TO "BREAK THE NECKS" OF THE CHRISTIAN REBELS.
AT A PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR LATE
TODAY (3/18),BARRI IS EXPECTED TO STEP UP THE
POLITICAL PRESSURE AGAINST JA'JA"S CHRISTIAN
DECISION MOVEMENT (CDM).


3. IN THE FACE OF THIS CONTINUING PRESSURE,
RECONCILIATION EFFORTS CONTINUE WITHIN THE
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. A TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE
COMPOSED OF MINISTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH JOSEPH
AL-HASLEM, FORMER MINISTER AND PHALANGE POLITICAL
ALLY MICHEL AL-MURR, AND CDM EMERGENCY COMMITTEE
MEMBER KARIM PAKRADOUNI HAS BEEN MEETING TO
DRAFT A POLITICAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FACTIONS.
L'ORIENT-LE JOUR REPORTS THAT THIS COMMITTEE
HAS SUCCEEDED IN HAMMERING OUT THE OUTLINES OF
AN AGREEMENT BASED ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

- KEEPING CURRENT LEADERS IN PLACE

- RESTRUCTURING THE PHALANGE PARTY

- CLARIFYING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE PHALANGE AND THE LF

- MAINTAINING THE AUTONOMY OF THE LF

- PUSHING FOR THE RAPID CREATION OF A CHRISTIAN
NATIONAL COUNCIL

DETAILS OF THE AGREEMENT HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED
PENDING THE MARCH 18 MEETING OF THE PHALANGE
PARTY POLITICAL BUREAU.


4. IN A MARCH 17 PRESS CONFERENCE HELD IN
JOUNIEH, PAKRADOUNI TRIED TO PRESENT THE CDM
IN A MANNER WHICH WOULD ALLAY SYRIAN CONCERNS.
REFTEL PROVIDES THE TEXT OF THE CONFERENCE.
FOLLOWING ARE THE MAJOR POINTS:


A. CDM'S MAJOR PRINCIPLES ARE 1) SUPPORT FOR
THE UNITY OF LEBANON AND ITS FULL LIBERATION; 2)
SUPPORT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW FORMULA
FOR MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN RELATIONS; AND 3) ACTION
TO GUARANTEE THE SECURITY OF THE CHRISTIAN
COMMUNITY.


B. CDM'S "UPPERMOST OBJECTIVE" IS THE SPEEDY
ELECTION OF A NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COUNCIL TO
SERVE AS A CHRISTIAN PARLIAMENT.


C. CDM HAS RECEIVED NO AID FROM ISRAEL. HOWEVER,
PAKRADOUNI QUALIFIED THIS DENIAL BY ADDING,
"THE COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP HAS NOT YET DECIDED
ITS POLICY TOWARD ISRAEL."


D. CDM DOES NOT INTEND TO HARM THE PRESIDENT OR
THE PRESIDENCY. HE STATED, "WE WANT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC TO REMAIN ABOVE PARTY
AND SECTARIAN DISPUTES. WE WANT HIM TO BE THE
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC-OF ALL LEBANON- AND
WE DO NOT WANT HIM TO BE MERELY THE PRESIDENT OF
THE CHRISTIANS OR OF MILITIAS."


E. CDM IS A "COUP" WITHIN THE LF AND THE PHALANGE
PARTY AIMED AT MAKING THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
MORE DEMOCRATIC.


F. CDM SEEKS DIRECT MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN NEGOTIATIONS,
ESPECIALLY WITH MINISTERS BARRI AND JUMBLATT,
AIMING TOWARD A "PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE CHARTER."


G. CONTACTS WITH THE SYRIANS WILL CONTINUE.
PAKRADOUNI WILL MAKE A THIRD CALL TO SYRIAN VP
KHADDAM. FURTHER, HE STATED THAT HIS "COMMUNICATIONS
WITH SYRIAN OFFICIALS PERMIT ME TO SAY THAT THERE
WILL BE NO SYRIAN INCURSION INTO OUR AREAS."


H. CDM OPPOSES THE REMOVAL OF THE BARBARA
CHECKPOINT.


5. COMMENT: IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT
THE CDM ORIGINALLY CRITICIZED PRESIDENT GEMAYEL
FOR DEALING WITH THE SYRIANS AND FOR MAKING
CONCESSIONS AS PRESIDENT THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE
MADE AS A STRICTLY CHRISTIAN LEADER. NOW,
FACED WITH THE POLITICAL REALITIES OF
THEIR SITUATION, THE CDM LEADERSHIP IS BOTH
DEALING DIRECTLY WITH THE SYRIANS AND ENCOURAGING
PRESIDENT GEMAYEL TO REMAIN ABOVE THE SECTARIAN
FRAY. END COMMENT.


6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION HAS ALSO SURFACED
CONCERNING THE STATUS OF TITULAR LF COMMANDER
FUAD ABU NADER. IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE,
PAKRADOUNI ASSERTED THAT, "FUAD ABU NADER IS
STILL THE COMMANDER OF THE LEBANESE FORCES.
HE HAS SUPPORTED IN AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT THE
POLICY OF THE UPRISING WITHIN THE LEBANESE
FORCES. A TEMPORARY COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP
CALLED THE 'EMERGENCY COMMITTEE' HAS BEEN
FORMED. WE WILL SOON ANNOUNCE A NEW LEADERSHIP
FOR THIS COMMITTEE." ABU NADER IS THUS STILL
FUNCTIONING AS A LEADER OF THE LF, THOUGH THE
DEGREE OF HIS PRESENT INFLUENCE AND HIS FUTURE
PROSPECTS REMAIN UNCLEAR.


BARTHOLOMEW