VZCZCXRO7985
RR RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #1247/01 2381506
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251506Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2842
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001247 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER/MCDERMOTT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON SOCI PREL PGOV LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: AOUNIST SOCIAL AFFAIRS MINISTER SEEKS BIGGER ROLE; 
TALKS OF NEW ALLIANCES IN 2009 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) During a visit by Charge Grant, newly appointed Minister of 
Social Affairs Dr. Mario Aoun explained that the Ministry of Social 
Affairs' (MOSA) main challenges in implementing social reform were 
overlapping responsibilities with other ministries and a small 
budget.  Aoun said he hoped to revitalize the role of MOSA's Social 
Development Centers, to be better able to provide for those in need. 
 Politically, Aoun, a long-time of the Free Patriotic Movement 
(FPM), welcomed the establishment of bilateral relations with Syria 
and defended the FPM's MOU with Hizballah as the only way to prevent 
civil strife.  End summary. 
 
MINISTRY CHALLENGED BY OVERLAPPING RESPONSIBILITIES, 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On August 20, Charge Grant, accompanied by LES Economic 
Specialist, paid a courtesy call on newly appointed Minister of 
Social Affairs Dr. Mario Aoun, along with his advisor Dr. Khalil 
Hamade.  Aoun expressed his support for the social and health 
components of the Paris III agreement, most of which were included 
in the GOL's recent ministerial policy statement, although he hoped 
that his ministry would be more involved that in the past in 
implementing the GOL's social policies. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In Aoun's view, the main challenges faced by the Ministry 
of Social Affairs (MOSA) stem from the wide range of sectors that 
MOSA covers, including regional development, social protection, 
health, and education services, as well as the fact that many of its 
responsibilities overlap with those of other ministries.  With the 
government having no strategy in place to deal with coordination 
among ministries, finding and implementing solutions to issues such 
as child labor (which involves MOSA, and the ministries of Public 
Health, Justice, Interior, and Labor) is problematic, he said.  He 
complained that MOSA suffers from an insufficient budget relative to 
the scope and importance of its responsibilities. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Commenting on ongoing UNDP and World Bank projects aimed at 
assisting with social sector reforms, Aoun expressed his frustration 
that money allocated for such projects was wasted on studies, rather 
than on implementation.  "We don't need more studies to tell us 
there are poor people in Lebanon!" he argued, saying that funds 
should be used instead for services.   He estimated that $200,000 
has been spent so far on such studies. 
 
REVITALIZING SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CENTERS 
-------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Although Aoun had not yet fully familiarized himself with 
the ministry or developed a clear strategy on how to implement 
social reform, he emphasized the importance of MOSA's Social 
Development Centers (SDC) located across Lebanon.  He made a pitch 
for assistance to help equip these centers, and thus increase and 
improve the services they provide to citizens (free medical 
consultations and medication, food rations, and distributing basic 
necessities).  He also asked that the USG continue providing 
assistance to combat child labor, as it has done in the past through 
USDOL-funded projects. 
 
HIGHER RELIEF COMMISSION NEEDS 
TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO MOSA 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) As part of his way to increase MOSA's role and available 
resources, Aoun mentioned the need to reintegrate the Higher Relief 
Commission (HRC) to MOSA.  Aoun said that in 1996, former PM Rafiq 
Hariri had detached it from MOSA, so that it now answers directly to 
the PM's Office.  Since then, it has enjoyed a bigger budget and, in 
Aoun's view, has been used to benefit a selected number of people 
based on political considerations.  Aoun has recently brought this 
to the attention of PM Siniora, who said he was considering 
abolishing the HRC altogether.  But Aoun believes that it would be 
important to maintain the HRC, and as part of MOSA. 
 
DEFENDING THE AOUNIST LINE 
-------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) A long time member of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), 
Aoun (who is not related to FPM leader General Michel Aoun) said 
that although the cabinet does and will have differences of opinion 
on certain issues (such as high-level nominations and the electoral 
law), it would work as an unified cabinet.  He welcomed the 
establishment of diplomatic relations with Syria, adding that it is 
the best framework in which to solve bilateral problems, such as 
 
BEIRUT 00001247  002 OF 002 
 
 
amending agreements ratified in the 1990s, as well as addressing the 
issue of the Lebanese detained in Syrian prisons. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Aoun reiterated the FPM's belief in the need to deal with 
Syria and not continue to criticize it after its withdrawal from 
Lebanon.  "We were against Syria when it was present in Lebanon," he 
said, "and would be their toughest opponents if they were to come 
back, but we cannot aim at changing their regime.  If the U.S. wants 
to do so, fine."  Aoun explained the FPM's rationale for what its 
members insist on calling its memorandum of understanding with 
Hizballah, saying that reaching agreement with Hizballah was the 
only way of preventing sectarian strife, and was not aimed against 
the U.S.  Hizballah is too powerful militarily to ignore, he argued, 
and the MOU managed to "reintegrate" Hizballah into Lebanese 
society.  Aoun suggested that the USG pressure Israel to withdraw 
from the Sheba'a farms, removing a major excuse used by Hizballah to 
keep its weapons. 
 
WEAK CHRISTIAN LEADERS 
-------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Aoun believed that General Michel Aoun should have been 
elected as Lebanon's president, saying he is the most popular and 
representative of all Christian candidates.  He said that positions 
that are filled by Christians (such as the presidency) are 
traditionally given to "weak Christian candidates," as opposed to 
the Speaker of Parliament and Prime Minister, both of which are the 
most popular figures within their religious communities (Shia and 
Sunni, respectively).  Regarding the 2009 parliamentary elections, 
Aoun hinted that he may be running for the Maronite seat in the 
Chouf district, where he ran and lost in 2005.  He also did not 
completely reject the idea of an alliance between the FPM and Walid 
Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party, a key player in the 
majority, in that region. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) In the previous cabinet, MOSA was headed by March 14 MP 
Nayla Mouawad.  Minister Aoun's appointment in the new cabinet 
shifted the seat to the opposition camp.  Rumors abound about 
corruption and political favoritism in its work.  Although Aoun 
seemed committed to leaving his mark on improving some of the 
services, mainly health services, he seemed to realize that his 
short term in office, until the parliamentary elections next spring, 
will not give him enough time to implement significant reform.  End 
comment. 
 
GRANT