US embassy cable - 01BEIRUT2254

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 002254 
 
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2011 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PTER, LE 
SUBJECT: TFUS01:  LEBANESE EXPRESS OUTRAGE AND SYMPATHY, 
APPEAL TO CONTAIN SENTIMENT AGAINST ARABS AND MUSLIMS 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR VINCENT BATTLE.  REASON 1.5 B&D 
 
1. (C)  SUMMARY.  AS THE MASSIVE SCALE OF TRAGEDY UNFURLED 
DRAMATICALLY ACROSS THE WORLD, LEBANESE OF ALL PERSUASIONS 
OFFERED FRESH OUTPOURINGS OF CONDEMNATION AND SYMPATHY FOR 
THE ATTACKS ON AMERICA.  ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF OFTEN 
FRACTIOUS SECTARIAN GROUPS, THE NATION UNITED IN THE 
CONVICTION THE ATTACKS WERE MORALLY REPUGNANT.  PRESIDENT 
LAHOUD, WHILE ACCEPTING AMBASSADOR'S CREDENTIALS SEPTEMBER 
12, STRESSED LEBANON'S DISAGREEMENT WITH ATTACKS ON INNOCENT 
CIVILIANS, WHILE PM HARIRI VOWED TO SUPPORT THE U.S. IN 
RESPONDING TO TERROR.  AT THE SAME TIME, HARIRI AND MANY 
OTHERS FEAR THE INVESTIGATION WILL CREATE A MENTALITY OF 
REVENGE AGAINST ARABS AND MUSLIMS.  THEY HOPE THE U.S. WILL 
INSTEAD FOLLOW UP ON THE SECRETARY'S VOW TO INCLUDE MUSLIMS 
IN A COALITION TO FIGHT TERROR.  WE FOUND CONCERN IN SOME 
QUARTERS THAT ISRAEL WILL USE THE RECENT ATTACK AS A COVER 
FOR ACTION IN LEBANON.  CAPITALIZING ON THE RARE POLITICAL 
CONSENSUS, LEBANON'S MYRIAD RELIGIOUS LEADERS UNLEASHED 
APPARENTLY HEARTFELT SENTIMENT TO CONDEMN THE ATTACKS, 
CALLING THEM UGLY, INHUMAN AND UNJUST.  IN A SURPRISING MOVE, 
HIZBALLAH'S DE FACTO SPIRITUAL LEADER, SHAYKH HUSAYN 
FADLALLAH, HARSHLY CONDEMNED THE ATTACKS AS WELL AS THE 
CONCEPT OF JIHAD AGAINST CIVILIANS.  FADLALLAH'S STATEMENT 
MAY NOT REPRESENT HIZBALLAH'S LEADERSHIP, WHICH REMAINS 
SILENT ON THE EVENTS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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OFFERS OF SUPPORT, FEARS OF BACKLASH 
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2. (C)  CLOSELY FOLLOWING EVENTS IN WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK, 
LEBANESE (AND LEBANESE-AMERICANS) OF ALL BACKGROUNDS CONTINUE 
TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR HORROR AND GRIEF, WITH LEBANESE 
OFFICIALS LEADING THE PACK.  REINFORCING YESTERDAY'S OFFICIAL 
STATEMENT AND REMARKS TO THE AMBASSADOR (WHILE ACCEPTING HIS 
CREDENTIALS), PRESIDENT LAHOUD SPOKE OUT AGAIN LATE SEPTEMBER 
12 TO EXPRESS "LEBANON'S SORROW FOR THE TRAGIC RESULTS OF THE 
DRAMATIC EVENTS IN NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON."  SPEAKING IN A 
CNN INTERVIEW ON SEPTEMBER 12, PRIME MINISTER HARIRI VOWED 
THAT LEBANON STANDS READY TO HELP THE U.S., NOTING "EVERYONE 
IS SUFFERING AND FEELS THE SHOCK AND PAIN OF VICTIMS AND 
FAMILIES."  HE ADDED THAT THE GOL WOULD SUPPORT ANY U.S. 
DECISION TO PUNISH THOSE RESPONSIBLE, AS LONG AS CONCRETE 
EVIDENCE CONFIRMED GUILT.  WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT CELEBRATIONS 
IN PALESTINIAN CAMPS, HARIRI SAID THAT SUCH CELEBRATIONS DID 
NOT REPRESENT THE FEELINGS OF THE MAJORITY OF ARABS OR 
MUSLIMS, WHO WERE HORRIFIED BY "ATTACKS THAT VIOLATE 
EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE IN." 
 
3.  (C)  HARIRI, IN A MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR SEPTEMBER 
13, EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT HINTS OF ARAB INVOLVEMENT IN THE 
ATTACKS, AND SKEWED COVERAGE OF ARAB/MUSLIM REACTIONS, COULD 
LEAD TO A PUNITIVE U.S. ATTACK THAT WOULD PARALYZE RELATIONS 
WITH THE ARAB WORLD.  IMPLYING THE U.S. MIGHT CONSIDER A MOVE 
AGAINST AFGHANISTAN TO AIM AT BIN LADEN, HE SAID THAT A 
PRECIPITOUS ATTACK IN THE MUSLIM WORLD WOULD REVERBERATE VERY 
BROADLY.  AMBASSADOR EMPHASIZED TO THE PM AND IN COMMENTS TO 
THE PRESS THAT THE U.S. WOULD REPSECT THE RULE OF LAW AND 
ENSURE A TRANSPARENT INVESTIGATION, ONLY PASSING JUDGMENT ON 
THE BASIS OF AN EVIDENTIARY PROCESS. 
 
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CONCERN OF ISRAELI ACTIONS ON BLUE LINE 
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4.  (C)  IN PHONE CALLS, FAXES, AND OFFICIAL CONDOLENCE 
CALLS, MANY HUNDREDS OF LEBANESE OFFERED BLOOD, CASH, AND 
SHELTER.  THEIR GRIEF IS GENUINE, TRANSCENDING POLITICAL 
UNDERCURRENTS THAT OFTEN COLOR SUCH "POPULAR" ACTIONS.  MANY 
HAVE TOLD US "THE ATTACK ON THE U.S. IS AN ATTACK ON US ALL." 
 (INDEED, LEBANESE-AMERICANS ARE ALREADY AMONG THE VICTIMS.) 
AMID THE CONDOLENCES, LEADERS ARE ASKING WHAT EFFECT THE 
ATTACKS WILL HAVE ON LEBANON.  SEVERAL SPECULATE THEY WILL 
CREATE A MORE PERMISSIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR ISRAEL, WHILE U.S. 
AND WORLD ATTENTION IS DIVERTED.  THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILY 
STAR RAN THE HEADLINE "ATTACKS IN AMERICA MAY BE FELT HERE: 
ISRAEL TO HAVE A FREE HAND IN THE EVENT OF TROUBLE ALONG (ITS 
NORTHERN) BORDER."  NABIH BERRI WAS AMONG THOSE WHO WERE 
WARILY CASTING THEIR EYES SOUTHWARD, POINTING TO "ISRAELI 
PROPAGANDA AND INDICATIONS ON THE GROUND" AS EVIDENCE THE GOI 
MAY AGGRAVATE LEBANON.  TURNING TO THE U.S. ANGLE IN HIS 
MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR SEPTEMBER 13, BERRI SAID HIS 
FAMILY IN THE U.S. WAS ALREADY FEELING THE EFFECTS OF A NEW 
ANTI-ARAB SENTIMENT. 
 
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THE CLERGY SPEAKS OUT, FADLALLAH SURPRISES 
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5.  (U)  IN A RARE DISPLAY OF UNITY, LEBANON'S RELIGIOUS 
COMMUNITY, UNIFORMLY CONDEMNED THE ATTACKS.  SPEAKING FOR THE 
SUNNI, LEBANON'S GRAND MUFTI SHAYKH MOHAMED QABBANI CONDEMNED 
THE ATTACK AS AN "UGLY TERRORIST ACTION AIMED AT INNOCENT 
PEOPLE."  MARONITES PATRIARCH SFEIR EXPRESSED SORROW THAT THE 
"INCIDENT" TOOK PLACE, DESCRIBING IT AS "SHOCKING AND 
INHUMAN."  IN TURN, THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE HIGHER 
ISLAMIC SHIA COUNCIL (HISC) SHAYKH ABDEL AMIR QABALAN SAID 
THAT THE ATTACKS ARE CONDEMNABLE ON BOTH RELIGIOUS AND LEGAL 
GROUNDS, ADDING THAT "INNOCENT CIVILIANS SHOULD BE LEFT 
UNSCATHED FROM POLITICAL DISPUTES." 
 
6.  (U) CAPPING THE THEOLOGIANS' DISPLAY OF UNITY, 
HIZBALLAH'S SPIRITUAL LEADER, HUSAYN FADLALLAH, DELIVERED A 
GROUND-BREAKING SPEECH ON SEPTEMBER 12 WHICH CONDEMNED THE 
ATTACKS, AND REFUTED THE LEGITIMACY OF JIHAD AGAINST 
CIVILIANS.  BYPASSING HIZBALLAH'S PROPAGANDA ARM, AL-MANAR -- 
POSSIBLY INDICATING THAT THE GROUP DOES NOT AGREE WITH HIS 
POSITION -- FADLALLAH TOLD LEBANESE TV THERE WAS NO 
JUSTIFICATION UNDER ISLAMIC LAW FOR THE ATTACKS IN NEW YORK 
AND WASHINGTON.  SAYING "NO RATIONAL PERSON CAN ACCEPT ANY 
PEOPLE BEING EXPOSED TO WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN 
EXPOSED TO."  HIMSELF AN AUTHOR OF FATWAS IN SUPPORT OF 
HIZBALLAH TERRORIST OPERATIONS, FADLALLAH CHALLENGED THE CORE 
CONCEPT OF JIHAD SAYING, "THERE IS NO ROOM TO SUPPORT ANY 
KIND OF ATTACK ON CIVILIANS OF ANY RELIGION.  THERE IS NO 
DECLARED WAR BETWEEN ANY PARTIES INVOLVED IN THIS ATTACK, AND 
THUS THEY ARE COMPLETELY INNOCENT.  MUSLIMS ARE NOT 
TERRORISTS."  STEPPING EVEN FURTHER AFIELD, THE SHIA LEADER 
EMPHASIZED "WE REJECT METHODS OF THIS SORT."  IN AN EVEN 
RARER OUTREACH TO THE U.S. -- FADLALLAH HAS BEEN LEADING THE 
CALLS FOR A LEBANESE BOYCOTT OF AMERICAN PRODUCTS -- HE 
ACKNOWLEDGED HIS DIFFERENCES WITH THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S 
POLICY, BUT ADDED, "WE WANT TO REACH OUT TO THE AMERICAN 
PEOPLE TO ESTABLISH JUST POLICIES ON SECURITY, ECONOMICS, AND 
POLITICS."  ALSO OUT OF CHARACTER, HIZBALLAH LEADERS CONTINUE 
TO REFRAIN FROM COMMENTING ON THE NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON 
ATTACKS.  MOREOVER, THE GROUP MYSTERIOUSLY CANCELED A RALLY 
SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 12 IN BEIRUT'S SOUTHERN SUBURBS. 
 
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COMMENT 
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7. (C)  COMMENT:  WHILE THE SHOCK AND HORROR HAVE BEEN 
VIRTUALLY UNIVERSAL IN LEBANON, AS TIME PASSES WE EXPECT THE 
FOCUS WILL SHIFT TO THE ISRAELI POLITICAL/MILITARY CALCULUS 
IN SOUTHERN LEBANON AND THE POSSIBLE REPERCUSSIONS OF A 
FEARED RETALIATORY ATTACK BY THE US AGAINST MIDEAST/MUSLIM 
PERPETRATORS.  WHILE PM HARIRI'S OFFER OF SUPPORT IS GENUINE, 
ANY REQUESTS FOR GOL ACTION WILL BE VIEWED THROUGH THE PRISM 
OF LEBANON'S LOCAL AND REGIONAL POLITICS, WHICH MAY PROVE A 
DIFFICULT OPERATING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE GOL.  COMMENTS BY 
FADLALLAH (COUPLED WITH HIZBALLAH SILENCE AND ASAD'S 
CONDEMNATION), ARE PERHAPS AN ATTEMPT TO DISTANCE HIZBALLAH 
FROM THIS ATTACK ON CIVILIANS AND DIFFERENTIATE IT FROM THEIR 
OWN CONFLICT WITH ISRAEL.  LEBANON SURELY WOULD ASSIST THE 
USG IF THE PERPETRATORS PROVE TO BE SUNNI EXTREMISTS, 
PARTICULARLY BIN LADEN.  HOWEVER, THE GOL LIKELY WILL ONLY 
RESPOND IF WE LINE UP A COALITION THAT IS FOCUSED ONLY ON 
INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS THAT PROVE DIRECTLY CULPABLE IN THESE 
ATTACKS.  THE QUESTION FOREMOST ON THE MINDS OF LEBANESE 
LEADERS TODAY IS WHETHER THE U.S. COALITION TO FIGHT THIS 
BRAND OF TERRORISM WILL INCLUDE THEM OR BE LINED UP 
FORESQUARE AGAINST THEM.  END COMMENT. 
 

BATTLE