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FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
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INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 3416
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIRUT 000129 
 
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: 01/30/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR UNSC MARR MOPS LE SY
SUBJECT: LEBANON: WITH CODEL SMITH, D.M MURR SAYS SYRIA 
WILL NOT SACRIFICE HIZBALLAH OR HAMAS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) CODEL Smith, accompanied by Ambassador and PolEconOff 
met with Defense Minister Elias Murr at his residence January 
¶30.  CODEL members were House Armed Service Committee members 
Adam Smith (D-WA), Susan Davis (D-CA), Gabrielle Giffords 
(D-AZ), Glynn Nye (D-VA), Frank Kravotil (D-MD); C.A. Dutch 
Ruppersberger (D-MD) from the House Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence and Ted Poe (R-TX) of the House 
Foreign Affairs Committee. 
 
¶2. (C) Representatives, noting Murr's January 28 trip to 
Syria, queried him about Lebanon's relationship with Syria 
and regional dynamics involving Syria, Iran, and Hizballah. 
For his part, Murr encouraged the U.S. to talk directly with 
all actors.  He noted, however, that Syria would drag its 
feet in any negotiations, allowing Iran to proceed with 
developing a nuclear program.  Murr described Hizballah and 
Hamas as, from the Syrian perspective, "untouchable" in any 
negotiations between the U.S., Israel, and Syria.  Murr said 
increased U.S. assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces was 
the best way to counter Hizballah in Lebanon.  He said that 
before Lebanon entered into talks with Israel, ongoing 
Syrian-Israeli peace talks would  have to prove Syria serious 
about finding a solution.  End summary. 
 
TALKING TECHNICALITIES IN SYRIA 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) During a January 30 meeting with visiting CODEL Smith, 
Minister of Defense Elias Murr expressed pleasure at the 
"perfect" protocol with which the Syrians treated him during 
his January 28 trip to Damascus.  Murr noted that his trip 
was the first time a Lebanese Minister of Defense had visited 
Syria as an independent leader in a sovereign Lebanese state, 
not as a Syrian minion. Murr also said he was surprised that 
the Chief of Staff of the Syrian army was prepared to discuss 
the technicalities of Lebanon and Syria's border issues. 
After their nearly three-hour meeting, the two agreed to 
establish checkpoints along the border, 300 to be operated by 
the Syrians -- whose army numbers nearly one million soldiers 
-- and 82 by the Lebanese. 
 
¶4. (C) According to Murr, the Lebanese were "tough" in their 
negotiating stance on the Palestinian camps which straddle 
the Lebanese-Syrian border.  Murr said he intends to build a 
wall around the Lebanese side of these camps, with gates 
operated by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to prevent free 
movement into the country.  Murr said Syrian President Bashar 
Asad, whom Murr also met, refused to acknowledge that weapons 
came from Syria, passed through the border camps, and ended 
up in Lebanon.  Murr said a joint Syrian-Lebanese team would 
be tasked to find a solution to the situation of the people 
living in the camps. 
 
¶5. (C) Murr expressed hope that, following his meetings in 
Syria, changes would start to become visible on the ground 
quickly.  (Note:  According to press January 29, Murr told 
Cabinet ministers that Lebanese-Syrian border control 
arrangements would start the following week, a message he 
reiterated to CODEL and Ambassador.  End note.)  Murr plans 
to brief UN Special Coordinator in Lebanon Michael Williams 
weekly on border developments.  Responding to a question from 
Rep. Ruppersberger as to why Asad chose to take the 
noteworthy step of inviting Murr to Damascus now, Murr 
assessed that Asad was trying to send a message to the 
international community.  Asad was trying to present a new 
face to the world by treating Lebanon as a sovereign nation, 
taking steps to address border issues, and making progress on 
UNSCR 1701. 
 
HIZBALLAH AND HAMAS: 
"UNTOUCHABLE" BARGAINING CHIPS 
------------------------------ 
 
 
BEIRUT 00000129  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶6. (C) Responding to a question from Rep. Ruppersberger 
regarding Asad's stance on Hamas, Hizballah, and Iran, Murr 
said that, for Asad, his positions on Hizballah and Hamas 
were non-negotiable.  Asad, according to Murr, views 
Damascus' support of Hamas and harboring of Hamas leader 
Khaled Meshaal as a "good bet," as it ensures Syria will be a 
main player in negotiations in the region.  On Hizballah, 
Murr recounted that Asad was clear during his meeting with 
Murr that Hizballah was much more than just an important 
ally, but was "part of Syria;" any attempt to diminish 
Hizballah would lead to "another May 7," when Hizballah 
turned its weapons on Lebanese and initiated fighting in 
Beirut.  Rep. Smith expressed concern about this stance and 
opined that Asad would have to change his viewpoint for any 
negotiations with the U.S. to be fruitful. 
 
¶7. (C) Murr told Rep. Ruppersberger, who asked where Iran fit 
into the puzzle, that Asad's ideal scenario was negotiations 
with Israel and the U.S. with Turkish mediation.  Asad's real 
goal, however, was not a solution, but a long drawn-out 
process that would enable Iran to continue developing its 
nuclear weapons program.  In Murr's assessment, Asad 
currently "cannot afford" to split with Iran or make peace 
with Israel.  Asad enjoys military and financial assistance 
from Iran, and the two share the "essential cards" of Hamas 
and Hizballah.  Murr noted, however, that Iran and Syria were 
not partners.  Responding to a question from Rep. Smith 
regarding Syria and Iran's relationship if Iran were to 
become a nuclear power, Murr assessed that Syria would be 
unafraid of becoming second-fiddle to Iran.  Asad assumes his 
"cards" -- which include Lebanon, a country Murr said Asad 
views as "in his pocket" -- ensure him a position of 
authority. 
 
¶8. (C) Rep. Smith asked Murr how the U.S. could be helpful 
regarding Hizballah, to which Murr reiterated the need for a 
strong Lebanese army to counter Hizballah's claims of 
defending Lebanon.  Murr requested Representatives' help in 
getting Lebanon "more serious" aid and more sophisticated 
weaponry for the LAF.  Murr said that the LAF would 
eventually take over Hizballah's weapons.  The LAF had proven 
itself during the 2007 fighting against Fatah al-Islam in the 
Nahr el-Barid Palestinian camp, he said, and would remain a 
unified force in the face of difficult situations, such as 
disarming Hizballah.  Responding to a question from Rep. 
Kravotil on what the U.S. could do to stop the re-supply of 
Hizballah's weapons, Murr replied, "nothing." 
 
LEBANON-ISRAEL 
PEACE NEEDS SYRIA 
----------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Rep. Smith asked Murr about Lebanon's future 
relationship with Israel.  Murr said that following the 2006 
fighting between Hizballah and Israel, Lebanon has retained 
contact with Israel through regular LAF meetings with the 
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on border issues.  He described 
the dispute over the status of the border town of Ghajjar as 
a "minor issue" and assessed that disagreements between the 
two countries would require only three weeks for resolution. 
Therefore, Murr said the peace process between Israel and 
Syrian would have to begin first, and continue for six 
months, before Lebanon would enter into talks with Israel. 
Lebanon would have to see that the Syrians were serious about 
peace before joining in any negotiations. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10. (C) Although Murr did not mention any discussion of 
internal Lebanese politics during his trip to Syria, some 
local observers, noting his "unscheduled" meeting with Asad, 
believe one purpose of the trip was to push Murr towards the 
camp of Michel Aoun.  Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement is 
threatened especially by the prospect of an independent, but 
anti-Aoun bloc, headed by Michel Murr, Elias' father, and 
probably hopes to pry Elias away from association with such a 
grouping.  End comment. 
 
 
BEIRUT 00000129  003 OF 003 
 
 
SISON