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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001272 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA 
ALSO FOR IO ACTING A/S HOOK, PDAS WARLICK 
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/SCHEDLBAUER 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/YERGER/MCDERMOTT 
DOD/OSD A/S LONG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2018 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR KPAL UNSC MARR IS LE SA
SUBJECT: LEBANON: AOUN EXPECTS VIOLENCE AFTER RAMADAN 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) In a August 29 meeting, Free Patriotic Movement 
leader General Michel Aoun told visiting NEA DAS David Hale 
and Ambassador that he expected the volatile northern city of 
Tripoli to erupt in violence after Ramadan.  Aoun blamed 
Saudi funding and ideology for fueling the militant elements 
currently fighting in the area.  Aoun said the Lebanese Armed 
Forces (LAF) should establish specialized counterterrorism 
units to track and target the Al-Qaeda linked fighters before 
they could strike.  He also said the main problem facing 
Lebanon is the Palestinian refugee issue.  DAS Hale told Aoun 
the USG was prepared to help the LAF with additional training 
and was prepared to assist the GOL to prepare for the 2009 
parliamentary elections.  He said that Lebanon needed to take 
Israeli concerns regarding Hizballah's rearming seriously and 
fully implement UNSCR 1701.  End Summary. 
 
EXPECT A BATTLE IN 
TRIPOLI AFTER RAMADAN 
--------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Visiting NEA DAS David Hale, accompanied by 
Ambassador, NEA/ELA Lebanon Desk Officer, and PolOffs, met 
with Free Patriotic Movement leader General Michel Aoun at 
his home in Rabieh on August 29. 
 
¶3.  (C) Aoun said that the Salafist expansion throughout the 
north is a major problem.  Aoun said Al-Qaeda militants had 
infiltrated the northern city of Tripoli and surrounding 
areas, but added that he did not believe they would be able 
to expand their presence throughout Lebanon.  A battle would 
occur in the north soon after Ramadan, according to Aoun. 
 
¶4.  (C) He also said Salafists militants in the north 
received funding, as well as their ideology, from Saudi 
Arabia.  He did not know whether it was the Saudi government 
or Saudi individuals providing the funding, but said it 
needed to end in order to prevent a larger battle from 
erupting.  DAS Hale agreed with Aoun that financial and arms 
flows to their elements needed to stop and added that whoever 
is responsible for funding such groups is playing with fire. 
Aoun asked the USG to approach KSA officials and ask that 
they do more to halt terrorist financing in Lebanon. 
 
LAF NEEDS SPECIAL FORCES 
STYLE COUNTERTERRORISM UNITS 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Aoun said the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) needed 
special forces units specifically trained to track and target 
small terrorist cells before such cells could commit an 
attack.  He added that the LAF and Internal Security Forces 
(ISF) need to broker an agreement between the opposing sides 
and different factions currently fighting in the north.  Any 
party not willing to negotiate should be "dealt with," 
according to Aoun. 
 
¶6.  (C) He thanked the USG for its continued support to the 
LAF, and welcomed additional training for special forces 
units.  He added that the Europeans could also do more to 
help in this field.  DAS Hale said the USG stood ready to do 
what was needed to help the LAF meet the terrorist threat. 
 
HIZBALLAH RE-ARMING, 
A PROBLEM FOR ISRAEL 
-------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) DAS Hale noted Israeli Defense Force (IDF) alarm with 
Hizballah's ability to rearm.  DAS Hale said Lebanon needed 
to make credible efforts to halt the smuggling of weapons 
across and within its borders, in conjunction with UNSCR 
¶1701.  Aoun claimed Hizballah did not want another war with 
Israel at this time. 
 
BEIRUT 00001272  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶8.  (C) Aoun stated that tension is high with Israel at the 
moment because of the inflammatory comments made by both 
sides in the media.  Aoun noted that Hizballah has everything 
it wants and that Sheba'a Farms was not an "urgent enough" 
issue to start a war over.  DAS Hale told Aoun he agreed with 
him that neither side wanted another war, but noted that 
Israeli concerns about Hizballah's arms was genuine and 
serious, and shared by the USG.  The GOI was unlikely to sit 
idly by if the GOL continues to do nothing about weapons 
smuggling. 
 
NEW ELECTORAL LAW WILL 
BE BETTER THAN BEFORE 
---------------------- 
 
¶9.  (C) DAS Hale told Aoun that one purpose of his visit to 
Lebanon was to learn what the USG could do to help support 
the 2009 parliamentary election process.  Aoun said he felt 
confident that a new electoral law would be passed by 
parliament by September 25, and that it would be better than 
the previous law.  He said he would try and push for adopting 
all of the "Boutros Law" electoral reforms after next year's 
elections and before the 2013 elections. 
 
¶10. (C) Aoun noted that next year's election would be the 
first time Lebanon has tried to hold a one-day election.  He 
said certain conditions would be needed in order to carry out 
this task, mainly political stability.  If political 
stability is not present on election day, then a one-day 
election will not happen, he said. 
 
PALESTINIAN PROBLEM 
THE MAIN ISSUE 
------------------- 
 
¶11. (C) Aoun said the main problem facing Lebanon is the 
Palestinians.  According to Aoun, the problem of the 
Palestinian camps will destroy any chance at stability and 
security in Lebanon if unaddressed.  Lebanon could not afford 
to absorb the Palestinians into Lebanese society, Aoun said. 
He also said the terrorist elements inside the camps were a 
problem.  DAS Hale said the GOL needed to assert control 
within the camps regardless of the refugees status, and that 
the Israeli/Palestinian peace negotiations would help to 
address this problem as well. 
 
READY FOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE 
--------------------------- 
 
¶12. (C) Aoun said he was ready for President Sleiman to begin 
the National Dialogue.  However, Aoun said enlarging the list 
of invitees, as some of Aoun's opposition partners have 
advocated, would be inefficient and suggested no more than 
seven participants be invited.  Aoun said all participants 
needed to be serious about coming to a consensus on the 
issues.  Aoun said expanding the list of topics to be 
discussed was acceptable, because not everything was 
discussed during the Doha Agreement's negotiations.  The 
cabinet and the parliament should now work to put into 
implementation the goals outlined in the ministerial 
statement, he said. 
 
¶13. (U) DAS Hale has cleared this cable. 
 
SISON