SAUD IN TUNIS: SUPPORT FOR ARAFAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 05400 LONDON FOR RAPHEL PARIS FOR WINN CENTCOM FOR POLAD LOWRIE E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PREL SA SY LE PLO SUBJECT: SAUD IN TUNIS: SUPPORT FOR ARAFAT REF: FBIS LD 82248 ¶1. (U) IN JUNE 10 "ASHARQ AL-AWSAT" INTERVIEW IN TUNIS, FON MIN SAUD AL-FAISAL TALKED ABOUT THE ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING ON LEBANON. REFERRING TO KING FAHD'S PREVIOUS EXPRESSION OF DISGUST AND DISMAY AT EVENTS AT THE PALESTINIAN CAMPS IN LEBANON, HE SAID HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO EXPRESS HOPE THAT ALL STATES WOULD WORK TO HALT BLOODSHED AND BRING ABOUT RECONCILIATION. HE ASSERTED THAT MEETING HAD REACHED A RESOLUTION TO END THE BLOODSHED AND HOPED THE LEBANESE GOVERN- MENT WOULD COOPERATE IN IMPLEMENTING IT. HE ADDED THAT ALL LEBANESE PARTIES HAD BEEN REQUESTED TO EXERT EVERY EFFORT TO BRING ABOUT AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. - ¶2. (U) IN JUNE 10 EDITORIAL, "AL-RIYADH" IS IMPLICITLY CRITICAL OF THE MEETING BY NOTING THAT THE RESOLUTION PRODUCED WAS THE MINIMUM EXPECTED. IT IMPLIED DISAPPROVAL OF INEFFECTIVE CONCILIATORY RESOLUTIONS AND OF THE ARAB WORLD FOR NOT DOING MORE TO PREVENT THE PALESTINIANS FROM BECOMING VICTIMS. "AL-NADWA," THE MOST VOCALLY PRO-PALESTINIAN OF THE SAUDI PAPERS, MENTIONED IN JUNE 8 EDITORIAL THAT SOME STATES WILL BOYCOTT THE MEETING HELD TO DISCUSS THE WAR OF THE CAMPS "WAGED BY THE AMAL MILITIAS." IT ALSO CALLED FOR EFFECTIVE ACTION AND FOR THE COUNCIL TO STAND FIRMLY AGAINST THE ATTACKS. JUNE 9 "AL-NADWA" EDITORIAL IS HIGHLY CRITICAL OF NABIH BERRI. - ¶3. (U) KING FAHD HIMSELF SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED ANOTHER STATEMENT ON THE PALESTINIAN SITUATION IN LEBANON. JUNE 11 PRESS REPORTS THAT AT CON- CLUSION OF EVENING CABINET MEETING JUNE 10, AT WHICH SAUD REPORTED ON THE RESULTS OF THE TUNIS MEETING, MIN INFO ALI SHAIR READ A STATEMENT IN WHICH THE KING AFFIRMED SAUDI ARABIA'S CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN THE LEBANON CAMPS. FURTHER, SAUDI ARABIA WOULD ATTEND ANY ARAB MEETING WHICH WOULD SERVE THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO STOP THE KILLING IN LEBANON. - ¶4. (C) COMMENT: SAUD'S REMARKS PUT THE SAUDIS' CALL TO END THE BLOODSHED ONCE MORE ON RECORD. MORE IMPORTANTLY, SAUD'S PRESENCE AT THE MEETING AND SAUDI SUPPORT FOR THE RESOLUTION SHOW SAUDI ARABIA ONCE MORE SUPPORTING THE LEADERSHIP ROLE OF ARAFAT DESPITE SYRIAN OPPOSITION. (WE NOTE FROM REFTEL SAUD CONFERRED WITH ARAFAT IN TUNIS.) ALTHOUGH NO EDITORIALS MENTIONED SYRIA BY NAME, ONLY THE AMAL AND BERRI, UNHAPPINESS WITH SYRIA IS PROBABLY NOT FAR BELOW THE SURFACE. INDEED, WE HAVE HEARD THAT ASAD HAS BEEN ROUNDLY CRITICIZED BY PALESTINIANS AND SAUDIS ON THE LOCAL MAJLIS CIRCUIT FOR NOT RESTRAINING THE SHI'ITE ATTACKS AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN CAMPS. END COMMENT. ¶5. BEIRUT MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. SUDDARTH