Wikileaks: Saad Hariri: "Just fly a plane over Damascus or send the Sixth Fleet to Syria's shore!"

C O N F I D E N T I A L  02 BEIRUT 000663

SUBJECT: LEBANON: SAAD HARIRI: WHAT IS THE U.S. WAITING FOR?

... 2. (C) At 1500 local time on May 12, the Charge, accompanied

by PolOff, met with Future Movement and majority leader Saad Hariri, his cousin and advisor Nader Hariri, and senior advisor Ghattas Khoury, where the three were holed up at Saad's Qoreitam residence. An energetic Saad told the Charge that the Cabinet should withdraw its May 5 decisions to transfer the head of airport security and declare Hizballah's fiber optics network illegal (Ref A). "It is useless to let the opposition keep using these decisions as an excuse to keep fighting," Saad asserted. He noted that March 14/Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Walid Jumblatt concurred with him but that Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea did not. ... ... 3. (C) The Lebanese are greatly disappointed and have no more faith in March 14 and in the international community, Saad remarked. He quoted the May 9 White House statement on Lebanon, "We hope..." "What is this?" Saad declared. "'Hope' does not deter Syria. If the U.S. decision is to do nothing, then OK -- we know." Saad strongly urged that the U.S. "just fly a plane over Damascus as a threat." He also suggested the U.S. send the Sixth Fleet to Syria's shore. "Do something in Syria, not Lebanon," he pressed. Playing on something Prime Minister Fouad Siniora had told us the previous day, Ghattas Khoury said, "Because we are Arab nationalists, we want to see you do something in Syria!" 4. (C) Saad said that March 14 needed a clear position from the U.S., "We need something that goes beyond encouragement to" 'Stay strong,' he argued, adding that otherwise, "We will make a deal. This is becoming humiliating. We are breaking our bones and we don't want to lose anymore." He asserted that he and Jumblatt had agreed to stay strong, but, if they do not see any support from the U.S., he wondered, why should they should still be allied with the U.S. "Siniora does not want any blood spilled on his watch," Saad added. The more we stay in this conflict, Saad cautioned, the more we will lose. 

 'Hariri's Army of the unwilling& unable'

5. (C) Ghattas Khoury said that within the next 24 hours, he hoped the U.S. would demonstrate its support by imposing a no-fly zone over Syria, increasing its sanctions against Syria, and/or threatening Iran. Nader Hariri added, "It's about hours, not days! Otherwise, the Siniora government will fall. The PM has to feel a security network is supporting him and his government." Saad asked that the Charge tell Washington, "You know what you need to do. I don't know what you're waiting for." He continued, "Tell Washington, not me, to 'be strong'!" 6. (C) "Iran is taking over and the international community is watching," complained Saad. "In a few months, the problems will be much bigger," he predicted. Ghattas Khoury added, "We are currently in a civil war, and we need to come out!" ... ... ... 9. (C) Saad said he did not anticipate that the fighting against Hizballah in predominately-Sunni Tripoli would get out of hand. On the other hand, he said, what happened in Aley between Hizballah and Jumblatt's PSP Druze fighters was a disaster. He does not expect that fighting there will stop as easily. Saad believed Walid has made a major sacrifice in Aley and is concerned that Jumblatt will be killed by Hizballah ..."