US embassy cable - 03BEIRUT908

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 000908 
 
D FOR BARRY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2013 
TAGS: PREL, IZ, SY, LE 
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: LEBANESE SPEAKER BERRI DISCUSSES SHI'ITE 
RESPONSE TO WAR IN IRAQ 
 
REF: (A) BEIRUT 896 (B) BEIRUT 899 (C) STATE 77620 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR VINCENT M. BATTLE; REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  AMBASSADOR MET WITH LEBANESE PARLIAMENT 
SPEAKER NABIH BERRI MARCH 31.  DISCUSSIONS CENTERED AROUND 
AMERICAN-LEBANESE RELATIONS, THE WAR IN IRAQ AND SHI'ITE 
REACTION TO THE COALITION'S CAMPAIGN, THE ROADMAP, AND USG 
WARNINGS TO SYRIA REGARDING TRANSSHIPMENTS TO IRAQ.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C)  MEETING WITH SPEAKER BERRI MARCH 31, AMBASSADOR 
HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED FOR GOVERNMENT OF LEBANON (GOL) ACTORS 
TO RECOGNIZE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ANTI-WAR AND 
ANTI-AMERICAN RHETORIC IN MAKING STATEMENTS ABOUT THE WAR, AS 
HE HAD PREVIOUSLY WITH OTHER GOL LEADERS (REFS A AND B). 
BERRI RESPONDED POSITIVELY -- "I AM WITH YOU ONE HUNDRED 
PERCENT" CONCERNING THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUED STRONG 
BILATERAL RELATIONS, HE SAID, ADDING THAT HE HAD TOLD THE 
BRITISH AMBASSADOR THE SAME THING EARLIER THAT MORNING. 
HOWEVER, BERRI CONTINUED, THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE ACCEPT OR 
EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN IRAQ. 
 
"THANKS TO YOU, SADDAM IS A HERO" 
--------------------------------- 
 
3.  (C)  AMBASSADOR ASKED THE SPEAKER WHY ANTI-WAR SENTIMENT 
COULD BE SO EASILY TRANSLATED INTO SUPPORT FOR SADDAM, 
PARTICULARLY AMONG SHI'ITES, GIVEN THE IRAQI REGIME'S HISTORY 
OF ATROCITIES AND REPRESSION AGAINST ITS OWN SHI'A 
POPULATION.  BERRI RESPONDED "NO WAY, WE ARE WITH THE IRAQI 
PEOPLE," NOT SADDAM, ADDING THAT SHI'ITE PARTICIPANTS IN 
ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATIONS IN LEBANON HAVE REFUSED TO CARRY 
PICTURES OF SADDAM.  AMBASSADOR PRESSED THE SPEAKER TO 
EXPLAIN WHY LEBANESE SHI'ITES ARE BOARDING BUSES TO IRAQ AS 
VOLUNTEER FIGHTERS ON THE SIDE OF SADDAM.  BERRI EMPHATICALLY 
DENIED THAT ANY AMAL SUPPORTERS WERE AMONG THIS GROUP, BUT 
DID ACCEDE THAT HE CANNOT SPEAK FOR ALL SHI'ITES (READ 
HIZBALLAH).  TO EXPLAIN ARAB ANTI-WAR FEELINGS TURNING 
PRO-SADDAM -- THE SPEAKER OFFERED THAT "YOU ARE MAKING HIM A 
HERO."  AS FOR THE SHI'ITES IN SOUTHERN IRAQ, BERRI 
CONTINUED, THE EXPECTATION THAT THEY WOULD WELCOME COALITION 
FORCES AS LIBERATORS AND FIGHT ALONG SIDE THEM BELIES RECENT 
HISTORY.  FOLLOWING DESERT STORM, THE U.S. HAD TURNED A BLIND 
EYE TO THE REPUBLICAN GUARD MASSACRE OF IRAQI SHI'ITES WHO 
REBELLED AGAINST SADDAM. 
 
IRAQ IS A PENCIL, ISRAEL A CANNON 
--------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C)  BERRI REITERATED THE ALMOST UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED 
BELIEF IN THE MIDDLE EAST THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL REGIONAL ISSUE 
IS THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT, NOT IRAQ.  "IRAQ IS A 
PENCIL, ISRAEL A CANNON" SAID BERRI, IN REFERENCE TO THE SIZE 
OF THE PROBLEM.  ARABS CANNOT SUPPORT U.S. ACTION IN IRAQ 
WHEN THE U.S. LISTENS ONLY TO THE ISRAELIS AND NOT TO ITS 
ARAB FRIENDS.  YOU CANNOT EXPECT THE ARAB WORLD TO ACCEPT 
AMERICA AS THE JUDGE OF THE IRAQI REGIME, THE SPEAKER 
CONTINUED, WHEN THE U.S. IGNORES THE INJUSTICES IN PALESTINE. 
 AS FOR THE ROADMAP, BERRI COMMENTED THAT ALTHOUGH ARAFAT HAS 
AGREED TO THE CHANGED CONSTITUTION AND ABU MAZEN HAS AGREED 
TO BE PRIME MINISTER, "STILL, SHARON WILL NEVER ACCEPT IT." 
 
5.  (C)   BERRI RAISED SECRETARY RUMSFELD'S WARNING TO SYRIA 
ON TRANSSHIPMENTS OF MILITARY MATERIAL TO IRAQ.  HE OPINED 
THAT THE SECRETARY WAS ATTEMPTING TO DEFLECT BLAME FOR THE 
CURRENT COURSE OF THE WAR IN IRAQ.  AMBASSADOR ASSURED THE 
SPEAKER THAT, TO THE CONTRARY, THE USG HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN A 
LONG AND INTENSE DIALOGUE WITH SYRIA THAT PRECEDES THE 
COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES IN IRAQ.  THE SPEAKER REMAINED 
UNCONVINCED, ADVISING THAT, GIVEN ITS POWER AND IMPORTANCE IN 
THE WORLD, "THE UNITED STATES SHOULD NOT GO AROUND ACCUSING 
SMALLER NATIONS OF THINGS UNLESS IT IS CERTAIN." 
 
6.  (C)  COMMENT:  BERRI EXPRESSED VIEWS WHICH PARALLEL HIS 
RECENT PUBLIC STATEMENTS.  IN RESPONSE TO SECRETARY 
RUMFIELD'S WARNING TO SYRIA, BERRI STATED MARCH 29 "THE REAL 
SMUGGLING ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, 
FROM ISRAEL TO THE UNITED STATES -- ISRAEL IS SMUGGLING IDEAS 
THAT EMBROIL THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION IN IRAQ."  BERRI 
DISCUSSED WHAT HE BELIEVES TO BE A FAILURE ON THE PART OF 
ARABS TO EMPLOY ARAB CAPITAL PRESENT IN THE U.S. TO INFLUENCE 
WASHINGTON, ADDING "I JUST HOPE I LIVE TO SEE THE DAY WHEN 
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WAKE UP FROM ISRAELI PROPAGANDA."  THE 
SPEAKER WAS UPBEAT, HOWEVER, ABOUT THE FUTURE OF 
U.S.-LEBANESE RELATIONS.  HE SEEMED QUITE GENUINE IN HIS LACK 
OF ANIMOSITY AS HE REFLECTED ON WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE 
CONSECUTIVE AMERICAN MISTAKES LEADING TO THE CURRENT STATE OF 
U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS AS WELL AS THE COURSE OF THE WAR IN IRAQ. 
 END COMMENT. 
 
 
BATTLE