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RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0129
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3744
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4282
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000044 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2020 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MEPP PTER PINR UNSC MARR SY IS LE
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR SEMEP GEORGE MITCHELL'S JANUARY 
19-20 VISIT TO LEBANON 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  Embassy Beirut warmly welcomes your January 
19-20 visit to Lebanon.  As the country emerges from a 
six-month struggle to form a new national unity government, 
your meetings with President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister 
Saad Hariri, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Foreign 
Minister Ali Chami and UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon 
(UNSCOL) Michael Williams will show that Lebanon is an 
integral partner in efforts to achieve a comprehensive Middle 
East Peace.  Your visit to Beirut will also highlight 
continued U.S. support for Lebanon's sovereignty and 
stability while underscoring the state's obligation to exert 
control over all of its territory.  President Sleiman and PM 
Hariri, in particular, will seek assurances that Middle East 
peace negotiations will take into account their concerns 
about Palestinian refugees resident in Lebanon.  Meanwhile, 
Speaker Berri will strongly encourage you to visit south 
Lebanon and will lobby for Israel to restart negotiations 
with Syria.  UNSCOL Williams will likely express his concerns 
regarding Israeli backsliding on withdrawal from occupied 
Ghajar.  You will likely also hear criticisms of Lebanon's 
inclusion on the list of "countries of concern" by the U.S. 
Transportation Security Administration and objections about 
HR 2278, the "Anti-American Incitement to Violence" 
legislation that would apply sanctions to media providers 
that broadcast Hizballah's "Al Manar" and "Nour" television 
and radio stations.  End Summary. 
 
KEY U.S. OBJECTIVES 
------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Strengthening Lebanese state institutions continues to 
be the primary U.S. objective in Lebanon.  The U.S. has 
committed over $500 million in security assistance to the 
military and police since 2006 in order to support the GOL in 
extending control over all Lebanese territory, including in 
areas dominated by Hizballah.  President Obama underscored 
this objective by emphasizing the importance of controlling 
arms smuggling into Lebanon during President Sleiman's 
mid-December visit to Washington.  Your visit here offers an 
opportunity to reaffirm U.S. support for the various 
Lebanon-related UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs), 
such 1559 and 1701, that call for extending the state's 
control over all its territory.  Your interlocutors will be 
keenly interested in U.S. engagements in the Arab world, with 
an emphasis on the U.S. relationship with Syria and our role 
in restarting Middle East peace negotiations.  They will 
likely emphasize Lebanese opposition to settling Palestinian 
refugees in Lebanon under any such deal. 
 
GOL CRITICIZES U.S. ACTIONS 
--------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Meanwhile, officials throughout the GOL, including 
President Sleiman, have publicly and privately objected to 
the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) decision to 
place Lebanon on the "countries of concern" list in the wake 
of an attempted terrorist attack in the U.S. in late 
December.  Presidency Director General Naji Abi Assi argued 
to the Ambassador that the differentiation between state 
sponsors of terrorism and other countries of concern was not 
properly made and the resulting sense of humiliation and 
embarrassment would only benefit extremists.  Concerns about 
TSA policies continue to be raised with visiting U.S. 
officials to Lebanon, including recent Congressional 
delegations.  We expect the issue will also be raised with 
you and with National Security Advisor James Jones during his 
January 15 visit. 
 
¶4. (C) Separately, President Sleiman and others continue to 
object to the U.S. House of Representatives bill, HR 2278, on 
"Anti-American Incitement to Violence in the Middle East," 
which would penalize satellite and other media providers that 
broadcast outlets affiliated with Foreign Terrorist 
Organizations, including Hizballah's "Al Manar" and "Nour" 
television and radio stations.  Sleiman, in particular, has 
in recent days referenced the bill, including during his 
annual address to the diplomatic corps resident in Beirut on 
January 12.  He emphasized GOL commitment to "freedom of the 
 
media and expression" and objected to legislation that would 
prohibit it.  At the reception that followed, Sleiman 
explained to the Ambassador that he felt "strongly about this 
issue," but he was quick to reassure her that the GOL 
appreciated all military and other assistance provided by the 
U.S. 
 
GHAJAR: IMMINENT WITHDRAWAL UNLIKELY 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (C) The GOL informally affirmed its support for the UN 
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) proposal for Israeli 
withdrawal from Ghajar and was prepared to welcome the 
withdrawal in the context of UNSCR 1701.  However, as UNIFIL 
has continued discussing the logistics of such a withdrawal 
with Israel, the Israeli side has raised additional security 
concerns which suggest that an imminent withdrawal is 
unlikely.  UNSCOL Michael Williams expressed concern on 
January 12 that rhetoric was escalating on both sides, thus 
diminishing the possibility that an agreement would be 
reached soon.  We expect Williams will seek your assistance 
in pressuring the GOI to step back from its new demands. 
Williams will also debrief you on his recent visit to 
Damascus and his consultation with the incoming UNIFIL Force 
Commander. 
 
RECENT SECURITY INCIDENTS 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) As the new government has begun its work, two security 
incidents have highlighted the continued threat facing 
Lebanon because of the inability of its security forces to 
operate in certain areas.  A bomb exploded at the Hamas 
headquarters in the Hizballah-controlled southern suburbs of 
Beirut on December 26, and Hizballah initially prevented the 
security forces from reaching the scene.  While the Lebanese 
Armed Forces (LAF) took on the investigation once Hizballah 
authorized its access, the incident highlighted the army's 
inability to work freely in areas under Hizballah control. 
Fighting on January 2 between gunmen from Fatah and Jund 
al-Sham in the Ain al Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp 
similarly displayed the Lebanese security forces' limited 
ability to access the camps and the resulting potential for 
violence to spread and destabilize the country.  The LAF is 
fortifying its existing perimeter security around the Baddawi 
refugee camp, near the Nahr al-Barid camp that was nearly 
destroyed in 2007. 
 
"CANCELLATION" OF 1559 
---------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Syria's allies in Lebanon have launched a campaign for 
the "cancellation" of UNSCR 1559, which they see as 
punitively aimed at Syria and its Lebanese allies. 
Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri claimed to the Ambassador 
that with the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon and the election 
of Michel Sleiman as president, there is no longer any reason 
for the resolution.  Foreign Minister Ali Chami added that 
the issue of militia weapons is a domestic issue outside the 
purview of the international community.  Meanwhile, PM Hariri 
has asked the Ambassador for "ongoing U.S. support" for UNSCR 
1559, although some observers now believe the issue will not 
reach the cabinet because of lack of consensus.  Hariri 
advisor Mohamad Chatah explained that Lebanon is calling for 
a broader interpretation of the resolution, including Israeli 
violations that would otherwise be covered by UNSCR 1701, to 
avoid provoking Syria.  The issue will likely continue to 
fester as the preparation of the next 1559 report this spring 
nears. 
 
SEAT ON THE SECURITY COUNCIL 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Lebanon was unanimously elected to a rotating two-year 
U.N. Security Council seat, beginning in January 2010. 
President Sleiman fought personally for the seat, which he 
views as an opportunity to bolster his and Lebanon's 
international prestige and reconfirm its sovereignty.  While 
Lebanon's vote will generally follow Arab League consensus, 
some issues, especially those related to Iran, Middle East 
peace, or Lebanon itself, could cause significant political 
 
friction in Beirut.  While we understand Lebanon's delicate 
domestic environment, we want to stress that membership on 
the Council is an opportunity for the Lebanese to demonstrate 
responsible leadership. 
 
HARIRI'S OUTREACH TO OTHER REGIONAL PLAYERS 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Prime Minister Saad Hariri, after finally forming a 
national unity government in December, visited Damascus on 
December 19-20 to establish a relationship with Syrian 
President al-Asad as part of a regional detente between Syria 
and Hariri's primary backer, Saudi Arabia.  Prior the visit, 
Hariri told the Ambassador that he "must go to Damascus to 
better relations," and he cast the visit as "a new form of 
achieving sovereignty and independence."  Following the 
visit, the PM's chief of staff (and cousin), Nader Hariri, 
emphasized that the trip was a necessary adaptation to 
changing regional and international dynamics.  The Syrians, 
he reported, were "comforting" and the Syrian President 
sought to establish a "personal relationship" with the PM. 
Nader Hariri said that the PM "heard all the right things" 
from al-Asad, whom he described as seeking a new paradigm 
based on economic cooperation rather than ideological 
conflict, on the model of Syria's blossoming relationship 
with Turkey.  The prevailing mood in Hariri's camp following 
the visit is relief, although they remain suspicious that the 
Syrians will deliver on their promises.  Most recently, 
Hariri visited Turkey January 10-12 to boost bilateral ties 
as part of his continued outreach to regional capitals. 
 
SLEIMAN STRIVES FOR UNITY 
------------------------- 
 
¶10. (C) President Sleiman has committed himself to 
representing all Lebanese and to striving for unity among 
Lebanon's sectarian groups.  Although the Christian 
president's powers are limited by the constitution, Sleiman 
has emphasized that his absolute priority is maintaining 
stability in Lebanon by balancing internal and external 
political forces.  Sleiman has also sought to return Lebanon 
to its place among the international community, as evidenced 
by his push for Lebanon's Security Council seat.  During his 
December 14-15 visit to Washington, when you last saw him, 
Sleiman publicly emphasized the need for continued U.S. 
security assistance to Lebanon, complained of Israeli 
violations of Lebanese sovereignty, and called on the U.S. to 
ensure that any peace agreement between Israel and the 
Palestinians addresses Lebanese concerns on Palestinian 
refugees.  Sleiman's advisors tell us that the message he 
heard in Washington on the danger that arms smuggling to 
Hizballah poses to Lebanon continues to resonate with him. 
We expect that he will emphasize the challenges that Lebanon 
faces in implementing relevant UNSCRs and ask for U.S. 
commitments to constrain any possible escalation arising from 
security incidents along the Israeli border. 
 
BERRI AS LEGISLATIVE POWERBROKER 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (C) Nabih Berri, first elected speaker of parliament 
under the Syrian occupation, has held the position for 18 
years and exerts a strong measure of control over the 
institution.  Berri also heads the Amal Party and partners 
with Hizballah to represent the Shia community in Lebanon, 
which is predominantly resident in the south.  He will likely 
emphasize that this will be your first meeting with him and 
argue that you should visit south Lebanon at the earliest 
opportunity.  Since the formation of the new government, 
Berri has publicly advanced a series of reforms, including 
the abolition of sectarianism in the Lebanese political 
system.  Berri is a vocal opponent of international 
resolutions that target Hizballah's arms, which he believes 
should be addressed through the National Dialogue process. 
Berri will likely lobby for U.S. pressure on Israel to 
restart peace negotiations with Syria. 
 
PM'S OFFICE TO TAKE THE LEAD ON PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶12. (C) Prime Minister Hariri accepted the resignation of 
 
Ambassador Khalil Makkawi, previous head of the 
Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee (LPDC), effective at 
the end of January, and Makkawi's close advisors have already 
been pushed out.  Maya Majzoub, who has worked closely with 
Saad's aunt, Bahia Hariri, on Lebanese-Palestinian issues 
related to Saida's Ain al Hilweh camp, will assume the LPDC 
portfolio, which is supported by the UN Development Program. 
SISON