US embassy cable - 03BEIRUT795

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000795 
 
D FOR BARRY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, LE, IZ 
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: LEBANESE, PALESTINIAN FACTIONS UNITED IN 
OPPOSITION TO IRAQ WAR 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR VINCENT M. BATTLE; REASONS 1.5 (B), (D). 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY.  THE LEADERS OF 34 LEBANESE POLITICAL 
PARTIES AND 11 PALESTINIAN FACTIONS, A GROUPING THAT MEETS 
SEVERAL TIMES ANNUALLY, HELD AN "EXCEPTIONAL AND URGENT" 
MEETING MARCH 19.  THE GROUP ISSUED A COMMUNIQUE CALLING FOR 
BOYCOTTING U.S. PRODUCTS, "ENCIRCLING" U.S. AND COALITION 
EMBASSIES, AND DENOUNCING THE SYRIAN ACCOUNTABILITY ACT.  THE 
STATEMENT ALSO PRAISED THE PALESTINIAN INTIFADA AS THE BEST 
"ROAD" FOR THE PALESTINIANS VICE THE "SO-CALLED ROADMAP," AND 
REASSERTED THE RIGHT OF THE "RESISTANCE" TO CONFRONT ANY 
ISRAELI AGGRESSION.  SOLIDARITY ACROSS FACTIONS HAS BEEN 
BUILDING THROUGHOUT THE BREWING REGIONAL CRISIS.  HIZBALLAH 
SECRETARY GENERAL HASSAN NASRALLAH EMERGED AS THE GATHERING'S 
SPOKESPERSON, SUGGESTING THAT THE OTHER LEADERS CONSIDER HIM 
TO BE THE ACTOR BEST ABLE TO RALLY NATIONAL UNITY DURING THIS 
CRISIS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  THE LEADERS OF MANY OF LEBANON'S DIVERSE, 
CONFESSIONALLY-BASED POLITICAL PARTIES AND 11 PALESTINIAN 
FACTIONS HELD AN EMERGENCY MEETING MARCH 19 TO DEVISE A 
"NATIONAL" APPROACH TO THE WAR IN IRAQ.  FOLLOWING THE CLOSED 
SESSION, HIZBALLAH SYG NASRALLAH HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE. 
NASRALLAH SAID POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS WERE UNITED IN THEIR 
OPPOSITION TO THE U.S. WAR AGAINST IRAQ.  HE CALLED ON ALL 
ARABS TO CONTINUE TO REJECT WAR, TO BOYCOTT U.S. PRODUCTS AND 
THE U.S. DOLLAR, AND TO "ENCIRCLE" U.S. AND COALITION 
EMBASSIES WORLDWIDE.  NASRALLAH STRESSED THE "READINESS OF 
THE RESISTANCE TO MEET ANY ISRAELI AGGRESSION," AND WARNED 
THAT EVENTS IN IRAQ WOULD LEAD TO A REDRAWING OF THE REGIONAL 
MAP WITH INTERNATIONAL REPERCUSSIONS.  HE ANNOUNCED THAT A 
NATIONAL EMERGENCY COMMITTEE WOULD BE FORMED TO COORDINATE 
PLANS AND THAT ANTI-SYRIAN CHRISTIAN OPPOSITION GROUP QORNET 
SHEHWAN WOULD BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE.  DRUZE LEADER WALID 
JUMBLATT APPLAUDED THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT LAHOUD AND THE 
MARONITE PATRIARCH FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF SYRIAN PRESIDENT 
ASAD, AND STATED THAT WHILE NO ONE SUPPORTS SADDAM HUSSEIN, 
"DEMOCRACY CANNOT BE BROUGHT IN ON AN AMERICAN TANK."  A 
WORKING LEVEL MEETING OF THE SAME FACTIONS IS SCHEDULED FOR 
MARCH 20 TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT:  POLITICAL LEADERS' EXPRESSION OF UNITY IN 
OPPOSITION TO WAR IN IRAQ APPEARS PREDOMINANTLY AIMED AT 
PROVIDING POLITICAL COVER, GIVEN SYRIAN PRESSURE TO KEEP A 
LID ON LEBANON DURING THE CONFLICT.  AMBASSADOR SPOKE WITH 
PRIME MINISTER HARIRI AND DRUZE MINISTER OF THE DISPLACED 
MARWAN HAMADEH ON MARCH 20, BOTH OF WHOM USED THE PHRASE 
"SIT-IN" TO DESCRIBE PLANS FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES DIRECTED 
AT COALITION EMBASSIES IN BEIRUT.  FORMER MP MARWAN ABU FADEL 
TOLD US THE MEETING AND RESULTING COMMUNIQUE WERE NECESSARY 
IN ORDER TO DEFLATE TENSION IN THE STREET BY EXPRESSING 
CONDEMNATION OF THE WAR. 
 
4.  (C)  COMMENT CONTINUED:  HIZBALLAH SYG NASRALLAH'S 
EMERGENCE AS THE GATHERING'S KEY SPOKESMAN MAY BE 
SIGNIFICANT.  THERE APPEARS TO BE TACIT, IF BEGRUDGING, 
AGREEMENT AMONG CONFESSIONAL LEADERS THAT NASRALLAH IS THE 
ONLY FIGURE WHO CAN PUT SUBSTANCE BEHIND THEIR CALL FOR A 
UNIFIED POSITION.  NASRALLAH'S CREDENTIALS AS LIBERATOR OF 
SOUTH LEBANON ARE WIDELY ACCEPTED BY LEBANESE OF ALL 
FACTIONS, HE LEADS A FORCE WHICH IS WELL PLACED TO THREATEN 
TO RESPOND TO ISRAELI ACTIONS DIRECTED AT LEBANON; AND HE IS 
COMFORTABLY UNDER THE ULTIMATE CONTROL OF BROTHER SYRIA. 
NASRALLAH, WHOSE ACTIONS IN PAST MONTHS SUGGEST AN INCREASING 
DESIRE TO PLAY A MORE ESTABLISHMENT ROLE, MAY BE CAPITALIZING 
ON THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE HIS TWO-PRONGED PUBLIC 
RELATIONS CAMPAIGN -- ONE FOR THE WEST AND ONE FOR THE 
REGION. (SEPTEL).  END COMMENT. 
 
 
BATTLE