US embassy cable - 05CAIRO5746

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 005746 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ECON, ETRD, EG, SY, LE, Arab League 
SUBJECT: EGYPT AND ARAB LEAGUE PRIVATELY PRESSING SYRIA TO 
END BORDER BLOCKADE OF LEBANON 
 
REF: A. STATE 136239 (NOTAL) 
 
     B. STATE 136754 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified by Charge Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C) The Charge raised the issues of Syria's blockade of 
Lebanon's border and prevention of terrorist transit to Iraq 
(refs A and B) July 26 with Presidential Spokesman and Senior 
Advisor Soliman Awad.  Awad said that the GOE took the 
respective issues seriously and said that President Mubarak 
continued to press President Asad hard on Syria's behavior. 
The Syrian President was expected soon in Egypt, at which 
time the Lebanon and Iraq issues would again be discussed. 
In separate conversations, senior GOE and Arab League 
contacts confided that the GOE and Arab League were quietly 
and forcefully pressing the Syrian government to curtail its 
border blockade and other harrassment of Lebanon.  President 
Mubarak called President Asad July 17 to stress the need for 
Syria to avoid raising tensions over Lebanon.  Amre Moussa 
reportedly warned the Syrian President and Foreign Minister 
during a July 17-18 trip to Damascus to avoid causing 
problems with Lebanon.  End summary. 
 
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Presidency on Syria-Lebanon Border and Insurgency 
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2.  (C) In a meeting with Senior Presidential Advisor and 
Spokesman Ambassador Soliman Awad July 26, the Charge raised 
Syria, asking for Egypt's assistance on the issue of Syria's 
closure of its border with Lebanon and on pressing Syria to 
do more to prevent foreigners from entering Iraq to engage in 
terrorism (refs A and B).  Awad said that President Mubarak 
was continually pressing Bashar.  In a July 17 phone call, 
Awad said Mubarak had sternly told Bashar that Bashar was 
"wading into problems" by creating issues for the Lebanese. 
Mubarak said that even though Syrian troops and "most" of the 
intelligence personnel had been withdrawn from Syria, Bashar 
should realize that the Lebanese people would never accept 
continued meddling by Syria.  Mubarak had raised a package of 
issues with Bashar including Syrian interference in Lebanese 
goverment formation, detention of Lebanese fishermen, 
demanding exorbitant compensation for Syrian civilian deaths 
in Lebanon, and the border blockade issue.  Awad said that he 
was personally in touch with UN Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen on 
the subject and said that every time that Awad gave Mubarak a 
read-out indicating Syria was causing problems, Mubarak 
immediately called Bashar. 
 
3.  (C) Awad said that Mubarak had been expecting Bashar to 
come to Egypt "this week" and said that this would have been 
another opportunity for Mubarak to counsel the Syrian. 
Bashar, however, sought a visit by Mubarak to Damascus 
instead - an offer rejected by Mubarak.  Awad said Mubarak 
told him (Awad) that he had rejected the offer since "any 
visit to Damascus now would be seen as a sign of support for 
the Syrians."  Bashar was not expected to visit Cairo this 
week, Awad continued, since he was working on a government 
"reshuffle."  Nevertheless, he noted, Asad was expected soon. 
 
 
4.  (C) On the issue of infiltration of extremists through 
Syria (ref B), Awad said Mubarak had raised the issue with 
Bashar forcefully and that Bashar had claimed to be taking 
some actions including fortifying parts of the border with 
"barbed wire and sand ditches."  Although Awad agreed that 
Bashar could do more he noted that the problems in Iraq would 
not be solved even if the border was sealed.  Finally, Awad 
reiterated President Mubarak's message to the Secretary that 
the U.S. should establish a back channel with Syria to 
directly communicate our requirements.  He assured the Charge 
that President Mubarak nonetheless would continue to press 
Bashar on these issues. 
 
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Demarches to MFA and Arab League 
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5.  (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche on the Syria/Lebanon 
border issue July 25 to MFA cabinet staff member Amr 
Sherbiny.  Sherbiny noted that the GOE was very concerned by 
Syrian actions and noted that President Mubarak called Asad 
July 17 to discuss the issue.  Sherbiny said Mubarak told 
Asad "not to create problems," not to blockade Lebanon's 
borders, and to help Lebanon form a new government.  Sherbiny 
was unaware of the Syrian response to Mubarak's intervention 
but noted that a Lebanese Government was formed the following 
day, hinting that Mubarak's call had had a positive impact. 
Sherbiny added that the Egyptian Embassy in Damascus reported 
to Cairo its observation that the Syrian Government's 
seemingly punitive actions toward Lebanon were popular among 
Syria's elite and general populace.  Poloff stressed that the 
Syrian actions were troubling and inconsistent with the 
development of peace and stability in the region. 
6.  (C) During a separate meeting July 25 with a senior Arab 
League Secretariat official, poloff pressed reftel points on 
the Syrian blockade of Lebanese borders and requested the 
League to do all it could to pressure Syria to end its 
economic harassment of Lebanon and bring the current crisis 
to a close.  The official, after assuring poloff that the 
message would be conveyed to the Arab League Secretary 
General upon the latter's return from New York, said that 
Secretary Moussa took the situation seriously and had already 
 
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been actively engaged on the subject directly with senior 
Syrian and Lebanese leaders.  Moussa reportedly met with 
Syrian President Asad July 17 and with the Syrian Foreign 
Minister July 18, during which the Arab League Secretary 
General was "very forceful" on the topic.  He said that the 
Secretary General considered the issue to be important and 
 
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that the latter would continue to follow up.  Responding to a 
question on whether Moussa's intervention had any positive 
impact, he suggested that the nine Lebanese fishermen briefly 
detained by the Syrians were released after Moussa made a 
phone call to the Syrian Foreign Minister urging their 
release. 
 
 
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JONES