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DE RUEHLB #0130/01 0330857
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P 020857Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4117
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3419
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3624
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000130 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA 
ALSO FOR IO/PDAS WARLICK 
P FOR DRUSSELL AND RRANGASWAMY 
USUN FOR WOLFF/GERMAIN/SCHEDLBAUER 
NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/29/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR LE SY IS
SUBJECT: LEBANON: SLEIMAN TELLS CODEL SMITH USG SHOULD DEAL 
WITH SYRIA 
 
REF: BEIRUT 107 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) In a January 30 meeting with CODEL Smith, President 
Michel Sleiman urged the U.S. to find a solution to the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Solving the conflict, he said, 
would benefit Lebanon greatly because of the significant 
Palestinian refugee population in Lebanon.  Lebanon's 
relations with Syria were "good," although other issues, such 
as border demarcation and the cases of missing persons, 
required more work.  Sleiman advised the U.S. to deal with 
Syria because it was a key player in the region, while the 
U.S. position on Iran's nuclear regime was less important to 
Lebanon.  On Israel, Sleiman said Israel needed to end its 
occupation of Ghajar and Sheba'a Farms to resolve its dispute 
with Lebanon.  Sleiman thanked the U.S. for its continued 
assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and credited 
his experience working with all confessions as LAF commander 
that allowed him to remain politically neutral.  Although 
demographics may change in Lebanon in the future, Sleiman 
expected Lebanon's multi-confessional system would endure and 
could serve as a model for its regional neighbors.  End 
summary. 
 
FIND A SOLUTION TO ISRAELI- 
PALESTINIAN ISSUE 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) CODEL Smith, accompanied by Ambassador and Emboffs, 
met with President Sleiman January 30 at Baabda Palace. 
CODEL members were House Armed Service Committee members Adam 
Smith (D-WA), Susan Davis (D-CA), Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), 
Glynn Nye (D-VA) and Frank Kravotil (D-MD), C.A. Dutch 
Ruppersberger (D-MD) of the House Permanent Select Committee 
on Intelligence and Ted Poe (R-TX) of the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee.  Rep. Smith began the meeting by assuring 
Sleiman that the U.S. remained committed to a free, 
independent, and sovereign Lebanon even with the change in 
U.S. administration.  Sleiman thanked the CODEL for continued 
U.S. support and called for "more dialogue and discussion 
between peoples." 
 
¶3. (C) Sleiman recommended the U.S. work hard to find a 
resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem, noting that 
such a solution would also benefit Lebanon.  Sleiman said it 
was important for other Arab countries to support the 2002 
Arab Peace Initiative (API) and for Israel to consider the 
plan.  (Note: Sleiman made the same argument to the 
Ambassador on January 27, reftel.  End note.)  Responding to 
questions from Reps. Poe and Kravotil to elaborate on what a 
long-lasting solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees 
could be, Sleiman argued that Lebanon was "too small to 
absorb and integrate" them, noting that Lebanon has 12 
Palestinian refugee camps and a population of approximately 
400,000 refugees.  At the same time, he said, four million 
Lebanese remained outside of the country, primarily for 
economic reasons.  Sleiman said the Palestinians should have 
the right of return, but it should be the Israelis and the 
United Nations to find the place for them to go.  He 
speculated that some Palestinians would return to their 
lands, but others would settle elsewhere. 
 
LEBANON'S RELATIONS WITH 
SYRIA, ISRAEL & IRAN 
------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) Sleiman informed the CODEL that Lebanon's current 
relations with Syria were "good" and the GOL sought continued 
improvements.  The establishment of diplomatic relations 
between Lebanon and Syria was a sign of progress, but the two 
countries also needed to work on more substantive issues, 
such as border demarcation and delimitation and resolving the 
cases of missing persons from the civil war.  Smuggling, 
Sleiman said, would never stop completely, but cooperation 
 
BEIRUT 00000130  002 OF 002 
 
 
between Lebanon and Syria could significantly reduce it.  The 
issue of Palestinian military bases on the border between the 
two countries was also an important issue, he said.  Sleiman 
reported that Syria signed a bilateral agreement with Lebanon 
attesting that Sheba'a Farms is Lebanese territory.  The 
U.S., he advised, should deal with Syria because it plays a 
key role in the region, especially in Lebanon, he said. 
 
¶5. (C) Rep. Smith questioned Sleiman about his plans for 
Lebanon's relationship with Israel.  Sleiman responded that 
Lebanon respects the 1948 armistice agreement between the two 
countries, but that Israel needed to withdraw from its 
occupation of Ghajar and Sheba'a Farms.  If Israel did so, 
then there would not be any dispute, he said.  Asked about 
the Iranian nuclear issue, Sleiman said he did not support 
any nuclear regime in the region, unless it was for peaceful 
means. 
 
LEBANON SHOULD BE A MODEL 
TO REGIONAL NEIGHBORS 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) In response to Rep. Nye's question about the prospects 
for sovereignty after the June 7 parliamentary elections, 
Sleiman believed it would be preserved.  Sleiman 
characterized his military experience as useful for managing 
relations between Lebanon's varied political leaders, but 
said it was tough "day to day."  He called himself an 
"experienced manager" after working with the different 
confessional sects as Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) commander. 
The LAF was the most integrated institution, he said.  He 
thanked the U.S. for continued assistance to the LAF and said 
that the LAF shared the same values as the U.S. military, if 
not its strength.  He explained that he maintained a neutral 
political position and was not "biased" towards any sect or 
political party. 
 
¶7. (C) Sleiman did not agree with Rep. Giffords' suggestion 
tht changing demographics in Lebanon could impact Leanon's 
multi-confessional system.  On the contray, he said, Lebanon 
would retain Christian and Muslim representation in its 
leadership because of the system.  He argued that Lebanon's 
Christian population, approximately 35-40 percent of the 
total, he said, would be preserved and Lebanon should be a 
model for its regional neighbors. 
 
SISON