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### Viewing cable 05BEIRUT3122, MGLE01: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH FOREIGN

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
05BEIRUT3122 | 2005-09-27 15:03 | 2011-04-08 00:12 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Beirut

Appears in these articles:
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/8639
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/8636
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/8635
http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/8637

`

    P 271509Z SEP 05
    FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
    TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9857
    INFO ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
    NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L  BEIRUT 003122

    NSC FOR ABRAMS/DANON/POUNDS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2015
    TAGS: KDEM LE PGOV PREL SY UNGA
    SUBJECT: MGLE01:  AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH FOREIGN
    MINISTER -- U.S.-LEBANESE COOPERATION GOING WELL

    Classified By: Jeffrey Feltman, Ambassador.  Reason:  Sections 1.4 (b)
    and (d).

    ¶1.  (C) Summary:  On September 27, Minister of Foreign
    Affairs Fawzi Salloukh met with Ambassador and Poloff to
    discuss the recent Lebanese meetings in the U.S.  The
    Minister was in good spirits.  He expressed his overall
    satisfaction with the reception he received in the U.S.,
    including a side visit that took the Minister to Dearborn,
    Michigan to meet with the Lebanese-American community there.
    The Minister said he was pleased with the degree of
    cooperation his government was enjoying with the USG and he
    hoped to continue that cooperation.  The Ambassador discussed
    local commentary on replacements for President Lahoud,
    Lebanese diplomatic appointments, and the arrival of the FBI
    team in Lebanon.  Pulling the Ambassador aside, the Minister
    highlighted the importance of not isolating the Shia
    community, and offered to serve as a messenger to Hizballah,
    an offer the Ambassador politely refused.  End Summary.

    Clearing the air on assistance
    and conditions
    ------------------------------

    ¶2.  (C)  The Ambassador thanked Minister Salloukh for his
    help in dispelling rumors that the Core Group interest in was
    linked to compliance with UNSCR 1559, or other conditions to
    be imposed on Lebanon.  The Minister launched into
    expressions of gratitude for the meetings in New York on the
    margins of the UNGA, and in Washington with USG officials and
    members of congress.  The Minister frequently repeated that
    he was happy with the meetings, and with the outcome the
    Washington discussions.  He was particularly pleased with his
    meeting with NEA A/S Welch, whom he described as "direct and
    transparent."  He said the local criticism that the meetings
    had drawn in Lebanon was unwarranted.  "Speaker Berri was
    critical of the form, not the substance of the meetings."
    Salloukh attributed the selected negative reaction in Beirut
    to a question posed by a Lebanese journalist about the
    conditionality to be imposed on assistance to Lebanon and on
    the subsequent misquoting of the Secretary's response to the
    question.  Salloukh volunteered that he circulated the real
    transcript of the interview to interested parties to correct
    the record.

    ¶3.  (C)  After Salloukh's description of his efforts to
    correct the atmosphere, the Ambassador thanked him for his
    work.  The unjustified verbal attacks on PM Siniora were of
    particular concern to the USG, the Ambassador explained.  The
    Ambassador noted that he had visited Walid Jumblatt, who had
    made negative comments about the New York meeting after
    reading local press reports, and presented him with the
    transcript of the interview as well.  Jumblatt disavowed his
    earlier criticisms.  Salloukh added that he found that
    Washington understood the Lebanese position.  The GOL
    understood that UNSCR 1559 was still on the table, but the
    USG had understood that Lebanon would work to "solve one
    problem after another."

    Dearborn and Washington both successful
    ---------------------------------------

    ¶4.  (C)  Salloukh was proud that he was the first Lebanese
    Minster for Foreign Affairs to visit the Lebanese-American
    community in Dearborn, Michigan.  The Minister said he was
    greeted in Dearborn by Christian as well as Muslim community
    leaders, including local bishops and sheikhs.  The Minister
    said he perceived the American-Lebanese community as
    Americans proud of their Lebanese heritage.  He said they
    seem satisfied with the level of bilateral cooperation.
    Salloukh explained that he had to interrupt his Michigan
    visit to rush to Washington to be at PM Siniora's side during
    his meetings there.  Outside of the Department, Salloukh met
    with Representatives Henry Hyde, Nick Rahall, Tom Lantos, and
    Darrell Issa.  These meetings were short, as the Minister had
    to attend an IMF meeting.  On his way out of the Capitol, the
    Minister and PM Siniora bumped into Secretary of Defense
    Rumsfeld.  Salloukh said Secretary Rumsfeld expressed support
    for a "strong and stable Lebanon."

    ¶5.  (C) The one unpleasant issue raised by the Minister was
    the publication of a comment, made off the record by the
    Prime Minister, regarding the potential need for President
    Lahoud to step down.  According to Salloukh, Siniora was
    speaking to a reporter off-the record.  That comment was
    published and topped with the headline "Siniora says Lahoud
    should resign."  Despite the published comment, the Minister
    said that relations between Lahoud and Siniora were good.
    When asked by the Ambassador, the Minister also characterized
    the relations between Siniora and Speaker Berri as good,
    although with noticeably less conviction than had accompanied
    his earlier statement.

    USG has no Presidential Candidates
    ----------------------------------

    ¶6.  (C)  On that topic, the Ambassador explained that the USG
    had no favored candidate for President of the Republic in
    Lebanon, if the presidency were to become vacant.  The
    decision to seek President Lahoud's early departure, or to
    pick a replacement for President Lahoud, was not a matter to
    be determined by the USG or any other actor in the
    international community, the Ambassador affirmed.  Salloukh
    agreed and added that although the Ambassador was free to
    discuss issues related to the presidency, or the possible
    character of a new president, Lebanese would never accept the
    "naming" of candidates by any foreign embassy.

    FBI team is welcome
    -------------------

    ¶7.  (C)  The Ambassador briefed the Foreign Minister on the
    arrival of the FBI technical team requested by PM Siniora.
    The team will work at the direction and under the
    responsibility of the Lebanese justice system.  They will not
    be independent actors.  The Prime Minister had requested the
    team and the Embassy had relayed that request directly to the
    FBI.  The Legatt from Jordan, with responsibilities for
    Lebanon, was already on site and working with local
    investigators.  The Minister expressed his gratitude for USG
    assistance.

    After Mehlis? -- We will see
    ----------------------------

    ¶8.  (C)  The Minister refused to speculate on what Lebanon
    would do once the Mehlis report is issued and the UNIIIC
    mandate under UNSCR 1595 came to an end.  Salloukh said the
    Ministry of Justice has the lead on those issues and he, as
    Minister for Foreign Affairs, did not wish to intervene in
    the matter.  However, the Minister did say that Lebanese are
    awaiting the report, and hope to have "the truth".  The
    Ambassador expressed the hope that local expectations for the
    Mehlis report were not too high.

    Diplomatic appointments will come
    ---------------------------------

    ¶9.  (C)  The minister, who had been very comfortable during
    the conversation, became visibly ill at ease when the
    Ambassador asked him about possible diplomatic appointments.
    Salloukh said, "We should do it." "I am preparing."  The
    Minister added that he had discussed the issue with the
    President, Prime Minister and Speaker of the Parliament and
    all agreed that appointments should be made.  The Ambassador
    reminded him that the Mission in New York was still without a
    Chief of Mission and Salloukh added that even Riyadh had only
    a Charge.  Then, he made a subtle comment about the Lebanese
    mission in Washington indicating he knew that changes were
    needed in that Embassy.  But the Minister, for all his
    visible concern, fell well short of announcing a schedule for
    appointments.

    Don't isolate the Shia
    --------------------------

    ¶10.  (C)  As the meeting ended the Minister (accompanied by a
    notetaker) pulled the Ambassador aside briefly.   Salloukh
    said that his meetings in Washington made it clear to him
    that the USG did not aim to isolate the Lebanese Shia
    community and that some Lebanese Shia were misguided in
    believing that USG policy was "anti-Shia."  Salloukh said
    that he wanted to work with the Ambassador in making sure
    that the Shia had an accurate understanding of USG foreign
    policy.  Even if the Shia were suspicious of some of the USG
    "principles" and did not like UNSCR 1559, the Shia needed to
    see that the USG would not work to isolate them as a
    community.  Salloukh also offered to serve as a conduit
    between the Ambassador and Hizballah.  The Ambassador
    demurred, explaining that we do not pass messages to
    Hizballah.

    FELTMAN

`