O 101429Z SEP 03
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7318
INFO ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 003697 
 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARN, S/CT AND INR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2013 
TAGS: PTER PINR KISL IR LE SY
SUBJECT: FORMER HIZBALLAH LEADER RESURFACES TO DENOUNCE ... 
ALMOST EVERYONE 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR VINCENT M. BATTLE; REASONS 1.5 (B), (D). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  SPEAKING AT THE FUNERAL OF HIS FATHER, 
FORMER HIZBALLAH SECRETARY GENERAL SHAYKH SUBHI TUFAYLI 
DENOUNCED GOL OFFICIALS AS "MONSTERS," HIZBALLAH AS "BORDER 
GUARDS FOR ISRAEL," AND IRAN AS AN ALLY OF THE UNITED STATES. 
THIS WAS THE FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE IN TWO YEARS BY 
TUFAYLI, FOR WHOM THE GOL HAS ISSUED SEVERAL ARREST WARRANTS. 
HOWEVER, HE IS EXPECTED TO EXIT THE LEBANESE POLITICAL STAGE 
AS QUICKLY AS HE REAPPEARED LAST WEEK.  END SUMMARY. 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶2.  (U) SHAYKH TUFAYLI, WHO SERVED FROM 1987 TO 1989 AS 
HIZBALLAH'S FIRST SECRETARY GENERAL, WAS STRIPPED OF HIS 
OFFICIAL POSITION WITHIN THE PARTY AFTER OPPOSING ITS 
DECISION TO TAKE PART IN THE 1992 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. 
AFTER BEING FURTHER DISTANCED, AND THEN EXPELLED FROM THE 
PARTY IN JANUARY 1998, TUFAYLI AND HIS SUPPORTERS SEIZED 
CONTROL OF A HIZBALLAH RELIGIOUS SCHOOL ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF 
BAALBEK.  LAF TROOPS ATTEMPTED TO STORM THE BUILDING AND AT 
LEAST EIGHT PEOPLE WERE KILLED, INCLUDING AN LAF OFFICER AND 
A FORMER MP, SHAYKH KHODR TLEISS, TUFAYLI'S CLOSEST AIDE. 
SINCE THEN, SEVERAL ARREST WARRANTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR 
TUFAYLI; HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NO SERIOUS ATTEMPTS TO 
ARREST HIM AND HE IS KNOWN TO CONTINUE TO RESIDE IN HIS HOME 
VILLAGE OF BRITAL (NEAR BAALBEK) -- VIRTUALLY A NO-GO ZONE 
FOR THE GOVERNMENT. 
 
DENOUNCES IRAN'S ROLE IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER, TUFAYLI RESURFACED 
ON SEPTEMBER 8 TO SPEAK AT A BRITAL MOSQUE.  THERE, HE LASHED 
OUT AT IRAN (AND THE U.S.), SAYING "THE PARTICIPATION OF 
IRAN'S IRAQI SUPPORTERS IN IRAQ'S INTERIM GOVERNING COUNCIL 
IS AN ENDORSEMENT OF AMERICAN PRESENCE THERE."  TUFAYLI HELD 
HE U.S. RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AUGUST 31 ASSASSINATION OF 
MOHAMMAD BAQR AL-HAKIM, SAYING "THE ONLY BENEFICIARY OF THIS 
CRIME IS AMERICA."  HE ADDED THAT "AMERICA'S DEFEAT IN IRAQ 
IS MUCH EASIER THAN ITS DEFEAT IN LEBANON."  TURNING TO 
AFGHANISTAN, TUFAYLI SAID, "THERE ARE COUNTRIES BORDERING 
AFGHANISTAN WHO CLAIM THEY ARE MUSLIM NATIONS AT A TIME THEY 
ARE HELPING THE AMERICANS." 
 
CHALLENGES HIZBALLAH AND GOL LEADERSHIP 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) CHALLENGING HIZBALLAH'S CURRENT LEADERSHIP, TUFAYLI 
CALLED FOR OPENING LEBANESE BORDERS TO DEFEND PALESTINIANS, 
SAYING THE PROPER DUTY OF THE "ISLAMIC RESISTANCE" IS TO 
FIGHT ISRAEL.  TUFAYLI SAID HIZBALLAH HAS TURNED INTO A 
"BORDER GUARD FOR ISRAEL."  TUFAYLI ALSO DENOUNCED GOL 
OFFICIALS, SAYING "WE DO NOT HAVE A GOVERNMENT, BUT RATHER 
MONSTERS," AND WARNING "EVERY THIEF TO RETURN TO THE TREASURY 
WHAT HE HAS STOLEN." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶5.  (C) TUFAYLI IS A TRUE DEAD-ENDER, REPRESENTING THE MOST 
EXTREME, RETROGRADE STRAIN OF KHOMEINI-ISM WITHIN HIZBALLAH. 
HIS UNEXPECTED, HIGH-PROFILE REAPPEARANCE CALLS INTO QUESTION 
THE CREDIBILITY OF THE GOL, WHICH HAS NEVER MADE ANY SERIOUS 
ATTEMPT TO ARREST HIM.  HIS INFLAMMATORY REMARKS ABOUT 
HIZBALLAH AND IRAN COULD REIGNITE FRICTIONS BETWEEN THE 
HIZBALLAH LEADERSHIP AND TUFAYLI'S SUPPORTERS, ESPECIALLY IN 
THE BAALBEK-HIRMIL REGION, WHOSE SUPPORTERS THERE MAY 
INTERPRET TUFAYLI'S REAPPEARANCE AS A SIGN OF SYRIAN BACKING 
FOR HIS CAUSE.  (NOTE: WE DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS THE CASE.) 
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER NABIH BERRI TOLD AMBASSADOR SEPTEMBER 9 
THAT, WHILE THE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT TUFAYLI LIVES IN BRITAL, 
THE "DEAL" HAS BEEN THAT HE WILL BE LEFT ALONE AS LONG AS HE 
REMAINS OUTSIDE THE POLITICAL DISCOURSE.  IN THIS INSTANCE, 
BERRI EXPLAINED, THE SYRIANS "CLOSED THEIR EYES" BECAUSE OF 
THE DEATH OF TUFAYLI'S FATHER.  BERRI ASSURED US THAT TUFAYLI 
WILL FADE BACK INTO THE WOODWORK -- AND IN FACT, MAY ALREADY 
HAVE DONE SO.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
BATTLE