VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLB #0895 2220927
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 100927Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5500
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS BEIRUT 000895 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EEB/EPPD SMITH-NISSLEY 
NEA/ELA ALLEN, NEA/RA MCCLOUD 
COMMERCE FOR LOUSTAUNAU, SAMS, WIEGLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT BEXP ECON ELAB ETRD KSEP SENV LE
SUBJECT: DUE DILIGENCE ON BEIRUT'S NOMINEE FOR THE 
SECRETARY OF STATE'S 2009 AWARD FOR CORPORATE EXCELLENCE 
 
REF: STATE 78538 
 
¶1. (SBU) The following are answers to the due diligence 
questions posed in reftel: 
A) Post sees no risk of U.S. embarrassment resulting from the 
selection of Cisco for the Secretary's Award for Corporate 
Excellence.  Many of Cisco's Corporate Social Responsibility 
(CSR) activities in Lebanon were part of the "Partnership for 
Lebanon" initiative established after the 2006 war between 
Hizballah and Israel with the encouragement of the USG. 
 
B) Cisco's CSR activities led to job creation in the U.S. as 
those activities are supported by Cisco and NGO employees in 
the U.S. who were recruited specifically to carry them out. 
 
C) Cisco, one of the leading U.S. technology providers, 
believes its international CSR activities have boosted its 
brand image and hence international demand for its products, 
which have more than 60% U.S. content. 
 
D) Cisco abides by local labor laws everywhere it operates, 
including in Lebanon, though its small staff here is not 
unionized. 
 
E) There is no litigation pending in Lebanese courts 
involving Cisco. 
 
F) Embassy,s Chief of Mission and officers involved in the 
nominating process do not hold shares of stock or have 
financial interests in Cisco. 
SISON