Feltman to Siniora: "You country is really strange; it's even stranger than when I left it!"

Thursday 24 May 2012

Feltman to Siniora: "You country is really strange; it's even stranger than when I left it!"

Via FLC

Al Akhbar has Feltman-Leak segment; (Actually it's the minutes of a meeting between Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman, Fuad Siniora, Ambassador Maura Connelly & a few 'Future movement' MPs. Notice what a trusted door-mat of an interlocutor Siniora is:

"...Jeffrey Feltman, started the meeting with the Syrian crisis, and was careful to explain the position of his country, saying: «We have no appetite for a military operation in Syria, we do not believe that the military action is wise; because it will benefit the Syrian regime and the Iranians who in reality, will drag us to THEIR fight!. As to our aid to the insurgency, this is another issue, whether through humanitarian aid or non-military equipment, I do not know at this time. But we have to be flexible in determining the issue of non-military gear, and must move more to persuade countries that may exert pressure on the Syrian and Iranian regimes, and on Russia, China & others ».The U.S. official added: «For China, there is the possibility to have pressure exerted by Gulf Arab countries; because Beijing needs energy supplies and consumer products. You must keep the pressure on the country. I sense that the Chinese might respond to pressure. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is there now, and the Syrian file tops her agenda, ... the Chinese are not 'militants', like the Russians ».Here, Feltman asked Prime Minister Fouad Siniora: «What is your advice for our approach to the Russian position? I heard that they do not care about the fate of the (Syrian President) Bashar al-Assad, that it's all 'interests'..... ».

Siniora replied: «I have told the Russians they are the only country in the region who can remove Bashar.... We have reminded them that, in our region, we are usually used to burning the American flag, and today we have Russian flag burnings, ....».Feltman: «It appears that you do not have enough Russian flag burnings....

that we welcome your ideas about Russia ».Siniora continued: «I have returned from Egypt a short time ago, and there I met sheikh Al-Azhar and others. The situation in Egypt is unclear, but it seems that the Islamic forces are in retreat ».Fletman (surprised): «Is this true? Why? ».Siniora: «First, because the Islamists promised us at the outset that they will not run as candidates for the presidency, and they did the opposite, they also sought to obtain more parliamentary seats than they previously advertised»....(continue, here. On Aoun, Jumblatt and how to undermine Mikati to slip through the back door to the 2013' elections ...Hopefully, the English version will be available, shortly)