US embassy cable - 85BEIRUT1013

UNCLAS BEIRUT 01013 
 
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 
 
E.O. 12356:  NA 
TAGS:  PGOV, PINT, PTER, LE, IR 
SUBJECT:  FURTHER ON HIZBALLAH "MANIFESTO" 
 
REF:  BEIRUT 992 
 
1.  AS REPORTED REFTEL, HIZBALLAH PUBLISHED ON FEBRUARY 16 
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN LEBANON A POLITICAL "MANIFESTO." 
HIZBALLAH'S PRIMARY OBJECTIVES, AS CITED FROM THE 
MANIFESTO BY THE LOCAL FRENCH-LANGUAGE PRESS, FOLLOW. 
 
BEGIN TEXT. 
 
--  THE DEPARTURE OF THE ISRAELIS, PRELUDE TO THE 
ANNIHILATION OF ISRAEL AND THE LIBERATION OF THE HOLY CITY 
OF JERUSALEM. 
 
--  THE DEFINITIVE DEPARTURE FROM LEBANON OF THE UNITED 
STATES, FRANCE, AND THEIR ALLIES AND THE END OF THE 
INFLUENCE OF ANY COLONIALIST STATE OVER THE COUNTRY. 
 
--  THE JUDGMENT OF PHALANGE PARTY MEMBERS FOR ALL THE 
CRIMES THEY HAVE COMMITTED AGAINST MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS, 
WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL. 
 
--  THE RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION FOR ALL THE SONS OF OU 
PEOPLE, AND FREEDOM OF CHOICE OF THE POLITICAL REGIME 
WHICH THEY DESIRE. 
 
WE DO NOT HIDE, HOWEVER, OUR PREFERENCE FOR AN ISLAMIC 
REGIME AND CALL ON EVERYONE TO CHOOSE IT, BECAUSE IT ALONE 
GUARANTEES JUSTICE AND DIGNITY FOR ALL AND PREVENTS ANY 
ATTEMPTS AT NEOCOLONIALIST INFILTRATION INTO OUR COUNTRIES 
 
END TEXT. 
 
2.  ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL PRESS, THE ABOVE OBJECTIVES 
WERE CONTAINED IN A FIFTY-PAGE MANIFESTO ENTITLED "OPEN 
LETTER TO THE OPPRESSED OF LEBANON AND THE WORLD."  THE 
MANIFESTO WAS PRESENTED BY SHEIKH HASSAN GHIBRISS, 
SPOKESMAN OF THE "HIZBALLAH NATION," TO A GATHERING OF 
ABOUT 1000 SUPPORTERS ON FEBRUARY 16 IN THE SOUTHERN 
BEIRUT SUBURB OF SHIYAH. 
 
3.  SEVERAL SHIITE AND SUNNI RELIGIOUS LEADERS REPORTEDLY 
ATTENDED THE GATHERING, MOST NOTABLY SHEIKHS SOBHI TUFAYLI 
HASSAN NASRALLAH, AND JALAL EDDIN ARKANDAN.  HOWEVER, BOTH 
HIZBALLAH "SPIRITUAL GUIDE" SHEIKH FADLALLAH AND TAWHIID 
MOVEMENT LEADER SHEIKH SHA'BAN WERE ABSENT DUE TO THEIR 
CURRENT VISIT TO IRAN WHERE, ACCORDING TO LEBANESE 
TELEVISION, THEY WERE RECEIVED BY AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI ON 
FEBRUARY 15. 
 
4.  WE WOULD ALSO DRAW ADDRESSEES' ATTENTION TO FBIS 
GF190720 AND GF190722 IN WHICH TEHRAN RADIO REPORTS 
A MEETING ON FEBRUARY 16 BETWEEN SHEIKH FADLALLAH AND 
GRAND AYATOLLAH MONTAZERI FOLLOWING WHICH THE TWO 
RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALLED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN 
ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT IN LEBANON. 
 
 
BARTHOLOMEW