(S/NF) In a September 12 meeting with the Ambassador,
Daniel Bellemare, Commissioner of the UN Independent
International Investigative Commission (UNIIIC) made three
specific requests for USG assistance and additional requests
for USG action.
Full Document
Reference ID 08BEIRUT1348
Date 2008-09-15 02:18
Released
2010-12-01 19:07
Classification SECRET//NOFORN
Origin Embassy
Beirut
VZCZCXRO3042
PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #1348/01 2591418
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 151418Z SEP
08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3034
INFO
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA
WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT
OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION
USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2905
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03
BEIRUT 001348
NOFORN
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA,
IO/FO-HOOK, WARLICK,
IO/UNP-AMORRISON, L/FO-JBELLINGER, JTHESSIN,
L/AN-LJACOBSON,
L/UNA-TBUCHWALD, INR/GGI-MARGULIES,
CIA/CNC-JFINKEL, JBRODERERICK,
CIA/CTC-JBEAN, DOJ-JEVY,
USUN-KHALILZAD, WOLFF, SCHEDLBAUER, NSC FOR
ABRAMS/RAMCHAND/YERGER/MCDERMOTT
E.O.
12958: DECL: 09/12/2018
TAGS: PREL, PTER, PGOV, PINR, UNSC, LE, SY
SUBJECT:
LEBANON: BELLEMARE ANXIOUS FOR MORE USG ASSISTANCE
THAN HE HAS SEEN
REF:
THE HAGUE 744
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for
reasons 1.4 (b), (d)
SUMMARY
-------
1. (S/NF) In a
September 12 meeting with the Ambassador,
Daniel Bellemare,
Commissioner of the UN Independent
International Investigative
Commission (UNIIIC) made three
specific requests for USG assistance
and additional requests
for USG action. First, he asked that the USG
provide
intelligence information that UNIIIC has formally requested.
Second,
that the USG loan UNIIIC two criminal investigators
TDY. UNIIIC
needs "investigators who can question a witness"
to interview some
200 persons currently in prison who may
have some relevant
information. Third, that the USG urge the
UK to do more to help
UNIIIC, particularly with intelligence
information (the UK has
provided loaned personnel).
2. (S/NF) In addition, Bellemare
asked for USG support when
the Management Committee considers the
Tribunal operating
budget on September 25 -- the same day that
Lebanese
President Sleiman will meet President Bush in Washington. He
also
raised the prospect of consultations among the P-5 on a
new
resolution to clarify some legal issues. Finally he
repeated earlier
requests for a USG reaction to 26 sketches
of possible suspects that
UNIIIC had given the USG and asked
about getting access to alleged
Hizballah defectors
reportedly in the U.S.
3. (S/NF) On other
matters, Bellemare said that the GOL has
not asked that UNIIIC
investigate the latest political
assassination (the September 10
attack on opposition Druze
member Saleh Aridi). He is concerned about
a new
Telecommunication Ministry directive that may impede his
plans
for using wiretaps. End Summary.
GOL HAS NOT ASKED THAT UNIIIC
INVESTIGATE
LATEST ASSASSINATION
--------------------------------
4.
(S/NF) The Ambassador and DCM met on September 12 with
Daniel
Bellemare, Commissioner of the UN Independent
International
Investigative Commission (UNIIIC), in his
office in Monteverde. The
Ambassador asked if UNIIIC would
investigate the case of Saleh Aridi,
a Druze political
official assassinated in a car bomb attack near
Beirut on
September 10. Bellemare explained that for UNIIIC to take
on
a case, first the GOL must ask the UN SYG, then the SYG and
Security
Council must approve. He said that the GOL had
shown no indication
that it would request that UNIIIC
investigate the Aridi killing.
UNIIIC is interested in
finding out more about the Aridi attack,
since details are
similar to other cases it is investigating. If it
is not
invited to investigate but wants information about a case,
UNIIIC
must submit a request to the Lebanese chief
prosecutor. The criteria
the GOL uses to decide on
requesting UNIIIC assistance is "a mystery
to me" Bellemare
said. (NOTE: The Aridi assassination is the first
of a
pro-Syrian politician. END NOTE.)
WIRETAPPING
-----------
5.
(S/NF) Bellemare was concerned about something he had
learned the
day before that might affect wiretapping. The
Telecommunications
Ministry had directed two private telecom
companies in Lebanon to
inform the Ministry about any
requests for wiretapping. He noted that
it is well known
that the Internal Security Forces (ISF), the
national police,
conduct wiretapping even though the legal basis for
their
authority to do so is weak. The Telecom Ministry's move may
have
been directed against the ISF. The order, however, also
could limit
the ability of UNIIIC to conduct wiretaps if the
phone companies fear
that they will have to report those
BEIRUT 00001348 002 OF 003
efforts
to the Telecommunications Ministry.
6. (S/NF) The Ambassador
asked if Bellemare believed the
action was targeted at UNIIIC, noting
that the new
Telecommunications Minister is from the opposition.
Bellemare
replied that he was not in a position to say. At
his meeting with PM
Fouad Siniora earlier in the week, on
September 8, Siniora told
Bellemare to inform him if he runs
into any problems with cooperation
from government officials.
He said he might discuss this with the PM
if it looks as if
this new telecom directive will be a problem, but
first he
will meet with officials of the two telecom companies next
week.
The Ambassador offered to support his efforts at
resolving this
issue.
7. (S/NF) Bellemare noted that at his August 14 meeting in
The
Hague with the USG Interagency Working Group (IWG), he
had asked for
USG help with wiretapping capability. He said
that trying to work
wiretapping through the Lebanese ISF or
military intelligence would
be like "putting the names (of
targets) in the paper". He explained
that UN legal experts
were currently looking into the possibility
that UNIIIC has
legal authority to carry out wiretaps. Beyond legal
authority
for wiretapping, though, Bellemare said he needs
technical
capability.
ASSISTANCE FROM THE USG
-----------------------
8.
(S/NF) Bellemare expressed frustration that USG has not
provided
more in response to his requests for assistance, and
noted that he
has discussed this with State Department
officials. He outlined three
requests for USG assistance for
his investigation.
-- One,
provide intelligence information that UNIIIC has
formally requested,
or inform him that it cannot be provided,
so that he knows not to
pursue the requests.
-- Two, provide two loaned criminal analysts
on TDY. UNIIIC
needs "investigators who can question a witness" to
interview
some 200 persons currently in prison who may have some
relevant
informtion.
-- Three, using USG influence, urge the U government
to
provide more to UNIIIC, particulaly regarding intelligence
information.
Bellemare said he has requests in to MI-6, but
has not received
much. On personnel, Scotland Yard has
provided a loaned investigator.
9.
(S/NF) Bellemare showed a good understanding of the
problems
associated with complying with the first two
requests from his
several meetings with USG officials, but
his frustration was
nonetheless evident. "You are the key
player. If the U.S. doesn't
help me, who will?" The USG has
"a big investment in the Tribunal"
and being more forthcoming
on UNIIIC's requests is a way of making
that investment pay
off, he said.
10. (S/NF) During the
meeting, Bellemare made several other
requests for USG action:
--
USG support when the Committee considers the Tribunal
operating
budget, scheduled for September 25, the same day
that Lebanese
President Sleiman will meet President Bush in
Washington. He warned
that the budget includes high travel
costs, but that these are
necessary because of the need for
frequent travel between the Hague
and Lebanon. Bellemare
thanked the USG for what he said was a much
improved attitude
on the part of the Tribunal Management Committee.
His
requests have been more favorably received than was the case
previously.
--
He raised the prospect of consultations among the P-5 on a
new
resolution to clarify some legal issues. He mused about
the
possibility of getting Chapter VII authority for the
BEIRUT
00001348 003 OF 003
Tribunal via such a new resolution, but
seemed to think that
was not doable in the Council.
-- He
asked for a reaction to the 26 sketches of possible
suspects that
UNIIIC had given the USG.
-- Finally, he asked about getting
access to alleged
Hizballah defectors reportedly in the U.S., or a
definitive
negative response to the request. The answers the USG has
given
him so far on this subject, he said, have been not
sufficiently
definitive.
INTERVIEWS IN SYRIA
-------------------
11.
(S/NF) On this issue, Bellemare repeated what he said in
the IWG
meeting (reftel): that he did not want to go to Syria
until the USG
or other sources had provided names of leads he
should ask to
interview and other information. If Syria
denied his request to
interview these people, then he would
have evidence of Syrian
non-cooperation. Just asking would
give some indication to others in
Syria where his
investigation might be headed, which could provoke
more
cooperation "if I hit the right person."
12. (S/NF)
Bellemare emphasized the urgency for responding
to his request
related to Syria, first, because UNIIIC's
mandate and with it Chapter
VII authority expires at the end
of the year, and second, the
importance of conducting the
interviews before the interviewees
disappear by being killed
or other means.
OTHER ISSUES: NEW
MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
UNIIIC PRESS SPOKESPERSON
------------------------------
13.
(C) Bellemare said he had a very positive impression of
new GOL
Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar, who had told
Bellemare he wanted to
be helpful. Najjar's predecessor,
Charles Rizk, was a vocal supporter
of the Tribunal but also
known for public criticisms of Bellemare
and the previous
Commissioner, Serge Brammertz. Bellemare, a
Canadian, noted
that Najjar had taught at McGill University in
Montreal and
they had some mutual acquaintances.
14. (SBU)
UNIIIC now has a press spokesperson who started
work the week before,
Bellemare reported. The official had
good relevant experience as the
spokesperson for the
Yugoslavia Tribunal and most recently for the
UN Legal
Affairs office. The new spokesperson is currently working up
a
strategy for UNIIIC's press interaction.
15. (C) Bellemare said
he had been advised by several
persons to not make statements in
public that might be seen
as disrupting the current relative calm in
Lebanon. He
planned to follow that advice, (NOTE: Bellemare traveled
to
Saudi Arabia September 15, we understand. We will seek
further
information from UNIIIC contacts. END NOTE.)
SISON