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### Viewing cable 08BEIRUT680, LEBANON: GENERAL RIFI SAYS ISF IS DOING ITS JOB

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
08BEIRUT680 | 2008-05-13 18:14 | 2011-05-06 00:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Beirut
Appears in these articles: http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11352 http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/11351

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    VZCZCXRO3316
    OO RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
    DE RUEHLB #0680/01 1341814
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 131814Z MAY 08
    FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1848
    INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
    RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
    RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2277
    RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2581
    RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000680

    SIPDIS

    DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
    ALSO FOR A/S SILVERBERG AND PDAS WARLICK
    INL FOR A/S DAVID T. JOHNSON
    USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/KUMAR/PHEE
    NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER/GAVITO

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2018
    TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR ASEC UNSC EAIR SA IR LE
    SUBJECT: LEBANON: GENERAL RIFI SAYS ISF IS DOING ITS JOB

    REF: A. BEIRUT 641
         ¶B. BEIRUT 669

    Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4
    (b) and (d).

    SUMMARY
    --------

    ¶1. (C) Director General of Internal Security Forces (ISF)
    General Ashraf Rifi reported on the tensions throughout
    Lebanon, expressing concern for the fighting in his hometown
    of Tripoli.  He confirmed that the ISF is doing a good job
    fulfilling its duty of community policing and maintaining law
    and order.  He characterized the relationship between the ISF
    and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as "O.K.," commenting on
    the failure of the LAF to prevent Hizballah from taking over
    Beirut.  Although Beirut International Airport is open for
    private planes, he cautioned against its use by the
    Americans.  He said the Rene Mouawad/Kleyate airport in the
    north could be operable for commercial airlines, but that big
    planes would need to cross Syrian airspace when landing.  He
    added that while the Beirut Port is closed for administrative
    reasons, the port in Tripoli can service large ships.

    ¶2. (C) Rifi said no ISF officers were resigning and
    attributed LAF resignations as symbolic, noting that those
    officers are still reporting to duty.  In appreciation for
    receiving U.S. assistance, Rifi showed the Charge the ISF's
    latest magazine which features the ISF graduating class
    marching in front of the Charge -- an image that angered
    Hizballah.  He also noted that six of the twelve U.S.-funded
    refurbished armored personnel carriers were deployed in
    Beirut, including in front of the Ministry of Interior.  End
    summary.

    FRUITS OF U.S. ASSISTANCE
    -------------------------

    ¶3. (C) The Charge, accompanied by A/RSO and PolOff, met with
    Director General of Internal Security Forces (ISF) General
    Rifi at the ISF headquarters on May 12.  He showed the Charge
    the current edition of the ISF's magazine, which featured on
    its cover the graduates of a $60 million INL-funded police
    cadet training program marching in front of the Charge.  This
    picture of ISF officers honoring the Charge received much
    criticism from Hizballah.  Rifi proudly told the Charge that
    he was not hesitating to distribute copies of the magazine.

    ¶4. (C) The Charge remarked to Rifi that we had passed by
    armored personnel carriers (APCs) in front of the Central
    Bank and the Ministry of Interior.  Rifi reported that six of
    the twelve refurbished APCs funded by the U.S. (INL) are now
    deployed.

    FIGHTING IN TRIPOLI
    -------------------

    ¶5. (C) Rifi, who is from Tripoli and has his family there,
    expressed his concern about the fighting.  He said the
    fighting was between the Alawi residents in Jabal Mohsin and
    the Sunni/Future Movement area of Bab al-Tabbaneh.  He noted
    that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) had been deployed in
    northern Tripoli, but that tensions remain.

    AND "ORDER" IN BEIRUT;
    CONCERNED SUNNI U.S.
    CITIZENS
    ---------------------

    ¶6. (C) Noting that the ISF, charged with maintaining law and
    order, does not have much involvement with controlling
    Beirut, he assessed that West Beirut is in a "tough"
    situation now.  He alluded to poor Sunni residents in Tariq
    Jdeideh, and noted to the Charge that the Sunni
    Lebanese-Americans living in Shia areas appear the most
    concerned about their safety.  Rifi dismissed reports of
    violence in the Hamra area earlier in the morning, saying it
    was an isolated incident.

    ¶7. (C) Rifi said the ISF is conducting regular community

    BEIRUT 00000680  002 OF 002

    policing in the Chouf and Aley districts, where there have
    been clashes between the Druze and Hizballah.  He said the
    situation today requires a military mission, not a policing
    mission.

    AIRPORT AND PORT
    OPERABILITY
    ----------------

    ¶8. (C) The road to the Beirut International Airport (BIA)
    remains closed, Rifi reported, though private planes have
    been landing and using local roads.  He cautioned against the
    Americans using BIA, even in emergency cases.  The Rene
    Mouawad/Kleyate airport in the north can be used, he
    suggested, but it would require the bigger planes to fly over
    Syrian airspace when landing.  Nevertheless, he said, the
    airport and runways are in good condition.  The Port is
    closes, Rifi reported, but only because the workers cannot
    get to work.  He said that the Tripoli port is operational
    and capable of servicing large ships.

    LAF - ISF RELATIONS
    -------------------

    ¶9. (C) Rifi told the Charge that the working relationship
    between the ISF and LAF is "O.K."  He clarified, "It is not
    acceptable that the LAF had let Hizballah control Beirut."
    He believes that the tendered resignations by Sunni LAF
    officers (Ref A) are a symbolic message to LAF Commander
    General Sleiman, telling him that the LAF has to protect the
    Lebanese citizens.  Rifi does not believe they intend to
    actually resign, noting that they are still reporting to
    work.  He added that there have been no ISF resignations.

    THE WAY FORWARD
    ---------------

    ¶10. (C) Now, we are just hoping for a political consensus,
    Rifi said.  If not, he continued, the situation will become
    worse.  He added that every political faction has been
    preparing for civil war by arming itself, citing the Sunnis
    in the north as an example: "They are preparing and they are
    not afraid of Hizballah."  If Hizballah enters Christian
    areas, Rifi predicted, it will embarrass Free Patriotic
    Movement leader Michel Aoun.  It would be a delicate
    situation, Rifi continued, saying that he could not guess how
    Aoun would react.

    ¶11. (C) He believed some Christians have been asking Lebanese
    Forces leader Samir Geagea to supply them.  (Note: We saw
    Rifi later in the afternoon at his close friend Saad Hariri's
    residence, and Geagea reported to us that he had also met
    with Rifi on May 12 to request Rifi's assistance in buying
    ammunition from other countries, Ref B.  End note.)

    ¶12. (C) Rifi expressed his concern that the Palestinian
    refugees could enter the conflict to join their fellow
    Sunnis, nothing that Mrs. Bahia Hariri (former PM Rafiq
    Hariri's sister) has been providing social services to the
    refugees from Ein el Hilwah camp.
    SISON

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