Via FLC
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIRUT 000060
12. (S) The Saudis had come through with a USD 10 million cash injection to Jumblatt himself three months ago, he told us openly. Jumblatt, who employs a legion of retainers and security personnel and is obligated by his quasi-feudal position in Druze society not only to spread cash around but to outdo the patronage of his Druze rivals, had nearly run out of money in mid-late 2006. The new Saudi money, he said, would last him for "a couple of years only." (Comment: The revelation that Jumblatt had just received a cash lifeline might explain a number of observations about his recent behavior. Not only had he seemed calmer and more confident in the last few months but bolder, assailing Hizballah in public with allegations of involvement in Rafiq Hariri's assassination and the attempt on Marwan Hamadeh's life.
Jumblatt told us in earlier meetings that Rafiq Hariri used to give him about $3 million a year to keep Druse loyalty on his side. End Comment.) Jumblatt said that he would visit Saudi Arabia following the Prime Minister's next visit.
13. (SBU) Jumblatt is concerned about low birth rates among Druze (whose religion severely restricts intermarriage with other faiths) and their migration to other parts of Lebanon, and noted that the Chouf's "theoretical" population is 150,000 but that its current population is closer to 30,000.
In an attempt to reverse the trend, Jumblatt launched, in conjunction with the new Sheikh al-Akl (whom Jumblatt installed over the objections of March 8 Druze) a program to assist Druze families having more than one child, a program made possible by his new Saudi financing.
14. (C) Jumblatt hailed as a "good trend" the denunciation of Hamas by Muslim Brotherhood parliamentarians in Egypt for Hamas' ties to Iran. The Brotherhood in Jordan had made a similar statement, he said,...
15. (C) Nevertheless the specter of a Sunni-Shia conflict in Lebanon is exerting a moderating influence in the current crisis. Not only do the various Lebanese sides fear a return to civil war, but Syrian Sunnis could threaten the Damascus regime in such a case. At present, those Sunnis cannot act as long as Arab states do nothing to help them, he added.
The only leader concerned with their fate is King Abdullah, while by contrast, Algeria, Libya and Morocco are supporting Asad....
18. (C) Jumblatt told us that Charles Rizk was prepared to make important compromises to establish the tribunal, including dropping Article 3, which makes superiors culpable for the acts of their subordinates. Jumblatt wondered out loud "can we drop the tribunal?" -- for a moment, he seemed to seriously consider it -- and concluded "no, we cannot!
The tribunal is a psychological tool to rally the Sunni masses; how else can it be done?" Asked for suggestions as to what the international community can do to help, Jumblatt shrugged and said simply, "There has not been enough pressure on Syria."
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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