US embassy cable - 05BEIRUT3341

C O N F I D E N T I A L  BEIRUT 003341 
 
 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/POUNDS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KDEM, KPAL, SY, LE, IS 
SUBJECT: MGLE01:  A/S WELCH MEETING WITH LEBANESE FOREIGN 
MINISTER SALLOUKH 
 
Classified By: JEFFREY FELTMAN, AMBASSADOR.  REASON:  SECTION 1.4 (B) 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  On October 12, NEA A/S Welch, accompanied 
by Ambassador and PolChief (notetaker), met with Lebanese 
Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh at the Office of the Foreign 
Minister in Beirut.  With respect to the UN Mehlis 
investigation into the murder of Rafiq Hariri, Salloukh said 
the GOL would be willing to send a written request to the 
UNSYG asking for extension of the Mehlis mandate to December 
15.  FM Salloukh spoke encouragingly of the results of his 
recent diplomatic efforts in the region and during his U.S. 
trip.  Salloukh described the Lebanon-Syrian relationship as 
one evolving into a relationship based on mutual respect.  He 
said his country's political class is holding its breath in 
anticipation of the report of UNIIIC Chief Detlev Mehlis. 
End summary. 
 
Lebanon has strong support 
internationally 
-------------------------- 
 
2.  (C)  A/S Welch thanked Foreign Minister Salloukh for his 
helpful statements on his return from meetings in New York, 
in which Salloukh had portrayed positively Core Group efforts 
in support of Lebanese reform.  The Foreign Minister had 
corrected inaccurate press reports that Lebanon was presented 
with specific conditions and timetables on which 
international assistance was to be conditioned.  The Minister 
graciously accepted A/S Welch's remarks saying, "one can't 
trust what one reads in the press."  The Minister explained 
that upon his arrival on Lebanese soil in late September, he 
taken the first opportunity to set the record straight on 
Lebanon's engagement with its friends in the international 
community.  This was an important step in correcting the 
impressions and expectations of the Lebanese people. 
Salloukh said it was important to let people in Lebanon know 
that the measures discussed in New York were measures 
designed to help the Lebanese people, not hurt some other 
party, nor succumb to foreign dictates.  Of his own role in 
New York, Salloukh said, "We carried out discussions in the 
service of our country." 
 
3.  (C)  A/S Welch encouraged the Foreign Minister to view 
the United Nations as a partner in protecting Lebanon's 
sovereignty.  All the measures undertaken by the UN Security 
Council speak of protecting and preserving Lebanese 
sovereignty.  A/S Welch asked the Foreign Minister about the 
trip that he and the Prime Minister took to the UAE last 
week.  Salloukh said that bilateral discussions centered on a 
review of Lebanese compliance with UN Security Council 
resolutions, and the overall economic situation in Lebanon. 
The Prime Minister also used the occasion to invite the UAE 
to participate in the proposed donor meeting to take place in 
Lebanon regarding international support for a Lebanese reform 
program. 
 
4.  (C)  A/S Welch described his recent visit to Saudi 
Arabia, reassuring Salloukh that the Saudis were supportive 
of Lebanon's independence.  He added that Egypt was also 
ready to support Lebanon and would be act as a good friend. 
Turning to the larger regional context, A/S Welch told the 
Foreign Minster that he had held meetings with Mahmoud Abbas 
and Ariel Sharon.  Abbas had assured A/S Welch that the 
Palestinians in Lebanon would behave as guests of the GOL. 
The Lebanese would be in charge of the security of refugee 
camps and no Palestinians would undertake any action that 
would undermine the security of Lebanon.  Salloukh added that 
Abbas had spoken to Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora by phone, 
saying essentially the same thing, and adding that no 
Palestinian weapons would be allowed outside of the Lebanese 
refugee camps.  Abbas also promised that the weapons inside 
of the camps would be "organized and placed under control." 
Ambassador Feltman noted that PM Siniora recently proposed 
Lebanese diplomat Khalil Maqaoui to lead a commission for the 
Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue.  The Foreign Minister said he 
knew Maqaoui, who had spent five years at the UN, and was 
pleased to see him take the position.  A/S Welch added, that 
Sharon in a meeting with A/S Welch on October 11, had pledged 
that the GOI had no interest in interfering in Lebanon. 
Salloukh seconded this sentiment saying "we too don't want 
any violation from either side of the border." 
 
Syrian-Lebanese relations "active" 
---------------------------------- 
 
5.  (C)  When A/S Welch asked the Foreign Minister about the 
state of the Lebanese-Syrian relationship, Foreign Minister 
Salloukh answered ambiguously, "active".  He went on to say 
that Lebanon still respects Syria and deals with the Syrians 
with respect.  "They are our neighbor, and we have many 
family as well as commercial connections with Syria.  But 
they must deal with us with mutual respect."  Salloukh said 
that Lebanon was in the process of reviewing its bilateral 
agreements with Syria.  The Syrians maintain that many of the 
agreements are more beneficial to Lebanon than to Syria. 
This may be literally true when reviewing the texts.  But the 
implementation of the agreements has been poor, Salloukh 
explained.  Practically speaking, Salloukh acknowledged, 
there were no current problems between the two countries. 
Traffic was moving smoothly in both directions across the 
Lebanese-Syrian border.  Salloukh stressed that Lebanon and 
Syrian had to discuss bilateral issues openly.  "We need to 
open more doors."   But Syria would have to accept that 
Lebanon's decisions would be for Lebanon and "made in 
Lebanon."  Much, Salloukh said, will depend on the Mehlis 
report when it is released.  "Mehlis will clarify everything." 
 
The Mehlis report 
----------------- 
 
6.  (C N/F) FM Salloukh began his discussion of the upcoming 
Mehlis report by acknowledging that Lebanon is paralyzed in 
anticipation of the report.  "Journalists come to me and ask, 
what will be in the report?  How will we react?  How can I 
react to a report that has not been written?"  Salloukh said 
that he was concerned about two possible shocks to Lebanon 
emanating from the Mehlis report.  One shock will come if the 
truth is revealed, and the guilty parties are identified.  A 
different kind of shock will result if the report is 
ambiguous.  Suspicions and doubts would remain and the 
country might remain paralyzed by uncertainty. 
 
7.  (C/NF)  Salloukh also refuted newspaper articles that 
claimed he refused the PM's request that Salloukh draft a 
letter to the UNSYG requesting an extension of Mehlis' 
mandate.  The Foreign Minister insisted that he had not been 
asked to draft such a request, and that he would not have 
refused the PM's request.  But the Foreign Minister added 
that such a request should not be needed as the resolution 
mandating Mehlis' commission allowed for an extension by the 
Secretary-General without further requests.  A/S Welch 
explained that a request from Lebanon for Mehlis' extension 
would be helpful to the United Nations.  Salloukh said the 
Council of Ministers would discuss the issue of Mehlis' 
extension in its next meeting scheduled for October 13.  But 
he added, "If the Secretary General needs a letter, I will 
not hesitate."  The Foreign Minister went on to say that the 
GOL had no problem with UNSCR 1595, which created the Mehlis 
commission.  But he added that on "UNSCR 1559, we are working 
on a mechanism, and the U.S. understands or concerns better 
after our meetings in New York and Washington." 
 
8.  (C)  A/S Welch assured Salloukh that the USG was prepared 
to support Lebanon in its efforts to create a new future for 
its people.  We are also anticipating the results of the 
Mehlis investigation, A/S Welch explained.  But the policy of 
the United States toward Lebanon would not change because of 
the report results. 
 
9.  (U)  This message has been cleared by A/S Welch. 
 
 
FELTMAN