US embassy cable - 05PARIS3235

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 003235 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, LE, FR 
SUBJECT: LEBANON: FRENCH VIEWS ON POLITICAL SITUATION 
FOLLOWING AOUN'S RETURN 
 
REF: A. PARIS 3053 
     B. PARIS 2944 
 
Classified By: CDA: Alejandro D. Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) MFA Political Director Stanislas de Laboulaye provided 
Charge with French views on the situation in Lebanon during a 
May 11 meeting on NATO's role in Darfur (septel).  Laboulaye 
reaffirmed that the GoF would have preferred that General 
Aoun had stayed in Paris, and that FM Barnier had urged him 
to do so during their meeting in Paris April 29 (ref B). 
Aoun, he said, had a large ego and many of the people around 
him were mediocre.  Aoun's return, he continued, was making 
the Christians uneasy. 
 
2. (C) Laboulaye said that not all the Syrians were out of 
Lebanon, and agreed that Syria is not in compliance with 
UNSCR 1559.  One of the problems, he said was that the 
Syria-Lebanon border was not well-defined.  It was important 
for UNSYG Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen to know where the Syrians 
were hiding. 
 
3. (C) Laboulaye offered that a pleasant surprise had been 
that PM Mikati was "not so bad."  Despite (or because of) 
being close to Syria, Mikati knew what the process was about, 
and his leadership could be the best solution for now and 
Mikati could also be useful in the future.  By contrast, 
Laboulaye continued, former PM Hariri's son S'ad was a 
political novice. 
 
4. (C) Laboulaye said that following the elections, Lahoud 
would be weaker.  He envisioned that Lebanon's May 29 
elections would take place in accordance with the 2000 
electoral law, notwithstanding that it was imposed by Syria. 
The ideal solution, according to Laboulaye, would have been 
for Lebanon to use the 200o law while allowing for smaller 
districts in central Lebanon. 
WOLFF