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Viewing cable 06BEIRUT1482, MGLE01: GOL PROPOSES NEW PROGRAM FOR PALESTINIAN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06BEIRUT1482 2006-05-10 15:04 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Beirut
VZCZCXRO0026
OO RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHLZ RUEHMOS
DE RUEHLB #1482/01 1301504
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101504Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3478
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIRUT 001482 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WERNER/SINGH 
AMMAN FOR REFCOORD KANESHIRO 
STATE FOR PRM/ANE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IS JO KDEM KPAL LE PGOV PREL PTER SY
SUBJECT: MGLE01:  GOL PROPOSES NEW PROGRAM FOR PALESTINIAN 
REFUGEES 
 
1.  (U)  This messsage contains an action request.  See para 
24. 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
2.  (U)  PM Siniora called a 5/5 meeting of foreign 
ambassadors assigned to Lebanon to explain a comprehensive 
government-approved program of improvements for the 
Palestinian refugee camps located throughout the country. 
Siniora explained that deteriorating health and living 
conditions, longstanding neglect of water, sewer and 
electrical infrastucture, and a worsening security 
environment have made improvements to the camps a high 
priority goal of his government.  Over the past several 
weeks, GOL has worked with UNRWA to develop a list of 
projects that would address the most serious deficiencies. 
UNRWA Director Richard Cook briefed the meeting on the 
four-year, 32 project, USD 50 million program.  Siniora asked 
the assembled envoys to request immediate funding support 
from their respective governments.  Reaction from attendees 
was generally supportive, although concerns were expressed 
over funding sources, as well as possible political 
ramifications resulting from popular anxiety in Lebanon that 
Palestinian refugees intend to settle in the 
confessionally-balanced Lebanese society.  End summary. 
 
3.  (U)  PM Fouad Siniora informed his audience of 
approximately 22 envoys that his government has decided to 
take immediate and significant action to improve living 
conditions in Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps, and he 
was asking concerned governments to assist the GOL in the 
effort.  Admitting that serious problems in the camps have 
festered for decades, Siniora argued that unless substantive 
action was taken, the camps could become violent incubators 
of radicalism and instability.  He admitted that the GOL had 
allowed the situation to worsen due to a lack of confidence 
in the ability of the state to provide refugees an acceptable 
standard of life, while not encouraging them to settle 
permanently in Lebanon. 
 
IMPORTANT FOR REGIONAL STABILITY 
-------------------------------- 
 
4.  (U)  Due to his government's own economic difficulties, 
Siniora said Lebanon was seeking cooperation and funding 
commitments from its friends in the international community. 
He indicated it was important for regional stability to 
address some of the solvable grievances of the Palestinian 
community, and specifically, the lack of decent living 
conditions and the inability to earn a livelihood. 
 
5.  (U)  The pro-reform Prime Minister conceded that 
Lebanon's own history -- civil war, political instability, an 
unpredictable security environment -- had exacerbated 
conditions for refugees in the camps, but he insisted that 
almost all Lebanese now recognize that the impoverished state 
of the refugees is unacceptable for a country that considers 
itself a responsible member of the international community. 
 
6.  (U)  As he has explained in other fora, PM Siniora listed 
four "pillars" of his government's new Palestinian policy: 
genuine improvement in living conditions, establishment of 
formal bilateral relations with the Palestinian people, 
disarming Palestinian militias located outside the camps, and 
finally, disarming militias in the camps themselves while 
re-establishing GOL authority.  Siniora emphasized his 
government's intent to assume full responsibility for the 
security of the camps by declaring, "It is the right of the 
State to be the sole holder of arms in Lebanon." 
 
7.  (U)  Siniora also stressed that the four policy 
objectives were equal in importance and the accomplishment of 
each would be independent of the others.  Siniora maintained 
that one objective would not be predicated on another.  And 
to the best of its ability, Siniora promised that his 
government would move forward on all four tracks 
simultaneously. 
 
STEPS ALREADY TAKEN 
------------------- 
 
8.  (U)  Siniora claimed that his Cabinet had already taken 
some steps to improve refugee living standards. 
 
BEIRUT 00001482  002 OF 004 
 
 
Specifically, he said LAF troops now allowed building 
materials into the camps to fulfill longstanding renovation 
needs.  Additionally, the Labor Ministry was currently 
expediting the issuance of work permits to qualified 
refugees.  Although they are not yet implemented, the 
government will soon permit the ownership of real estate and 
stop the practice of canceling travel documents of refugees 
who work abroad.  In Siniora's view, these steps, along with 
the first-ever visit of Cabinet ministers to the camps, will 
not only improve living conditions, but should also provide 
assurance to the refugee community that the Lebanese 
government is credible and committed to addressing the 
refugee issues seriously. 
 
9.  (U)  The Prime Minister said that Lebanon wanted to help 
Palestinian refugees "preserve their identity until they find 
a way to return to a homeland."  To do otherwise, he argued, 
would ignore a "time bomb" of grievances.  He said the 
reports of his ministers convinced him that the situation was 
building to the point "where desperate people would resort to 
desperate measures."  He acknowledged the generous role 
already played by the international community, but emphasized 
that not only would this program address longstanding needs 
of the Palestinian refugee community, but would also provide 
important support for the creation of a secure, stable 
environment in Lebanon. 
 
UNRWA DIRECTOR EXPLAINS PROGRAM'S GOALS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
10.  (SBU)  Richard Cook, Director of UNRWA Affairs, Lebanon, 
supported the Prime Minister's contention that conditions in 
Lebanon's refugee camps were approaching a crisis.  Problems 
of population density, crumbling infrastructure, health 
issues, and squalor rivaled anything he had witnessed in his 
several decades of refugee work.  He pointed out tht the 
original 12 camps in Lebanon were designed in 1950 for 
approximately 127,000 refugees, while today they served 
several times that number.  Cook enumerated the factors he 
felt would inevitably lead to violence: severe overcrowding, 
no room to build badly needed education and health 
facilities, the poor security situation, impending structural 
failure in many buildings, degraded (or totally absent) 
water, sewer and electrical services, no space or facilities 
for increased numbers of refugee children, widespread 
unemployment, and increasing environmental damage to 
surrounding Lebanese communities.  Cook asked how one could 
not expect problems when 100 percent of the community tried 
to exist well below the poverty line. 
 
11.  (SBU)  UNRWA Director Cook informed his listeners that 
despite increasing responsibilities, especially from an 
increasing population of unregistered refugees, his 
organization was now seriously challenged by a slower growth 
of available resources.  He stated that UNRWA's 2005 Medium 
Term Plan was developed to achieve minimum international 
standards for refugees in Lebanon, but the majority of the 
planned projects remain unfunded and still on the drawing 
board. 
 
32 PROJECTS, USD 50 MILLION REQUIRED 
------------------------------------ 
 
12.  (SBU)  As a result of these shortfalls, UNRWA and the 
Government of Lebanon decided to jointly develop a 
comprehensive list of critical projects that could be 
evaluated by the donor community as an integrated solution to 
the refugee camps' most glaring problems.  The proposed 
four-year program (2006-2009) would require USD 50.4 million 
and comprises 32 projects that address each refugee camp in 
the country.  (Note:  The UNRWA project list has been 
transmitted to the Regional RefCoord.  The UNRWA Director 
said he will submit an updated version of the briefing paper 
to the UNRWA Advisory Commission at the next meeting in Amman 
in June 2006.  End note.)  If fully implemented, the 32 
projects would address the most serious infrastructure 
deficiencies and, according to UNRWA, would dramatically 
improve living, and especially health, standards in Lebanon's 
Palestinian refugee community. 
 
13.  (SBU)  The proposed projects are set out in three 
prioritized categories in the event the program cannot be 
fully funded.  There are nine projects on the "critical list" 
which are considered essential by the UN agency.  These 
 
BEIRUT 00001482  003 OF 004 
 
 
projects, which mainly address needs in the Ain el-Hilweh, 
Shatila, and Bourj Barajneh refugee camps, would require USD 
29.8 million over four years. 
 
14.  (SBU)  Director Cook concluded his brief by noting this 
was the first time the Lebanese government had "opened the 
door" to a focused, comprehensive effort to improve the 
living conditions of the Palestinian refugee community.  The 
UN Director urged donor countries to take this into 
consideration in their evaluation of the request. 
 
REACTION FROM ATTENDEES 
----------------------- 
 
15.  (SBU)  The Kuwaiti ambassador commented his country had 
always supported the Palestinian refugee community and would 
continue to do so with this request.  But he stated his 
country believes the entire international community has a 
responsibility to assist the effort.  He also suggested that 
UNRWA and GOL approach the business community to determine if 
additional funding would be available from that source. 
 
16.  (SBU)  The Italian ambassador noted dryly that his 
government had not been consulted on what appeared to be a 
major initiative that would have a significant impact on his 
country's foreign assistance package.  He also commented that 
Italy already supports several refugee projects through NGOs 
and the GOL directly.  Nevertheless, the envoy acknowledged 
the value of the initiative and would convey the request for 
new funds. 
 
17.  (SBU)  The French ambassador commended the Siniora 
government and UNRWA for the decision to develop a "fresh 
approach," but also noted that France already contributes 
significantly to NGOs and UNRWA.  He also asked those present 
to consider a "global approach" for Palestinian issues, 
including the current challenge of how to assist the 
Palestinian people, without assisting their government. 
 
18.  (SBU)  Norway applauded GOL's change in policy, but 
asked "where would the plan go from here?"  He asked those 
present whether their governments would simply move donated 
funds from UNRWA's General Fund to the program being 
discussed, or would contribute new funds.  He also asked 
UNRWA to be careful not to overload the donor system. 
 
19.  (SBU)  Ambassador Feltman reminded the meeting that the 
USG already was the largest contributor to UNRWA, but would 
carefully consider the new proposal.  The Ambassador 
expressed appreciation for the GOL's new Palestinian policy 
and UNRWA's program initiative, but also asked the government 
to take steps to ensure that donor countries would be 
insulated from accusations of trying to advance political 
agendas inimicable to Lebanon. 
 
20.  (SBU)  The Canadian ambassador stated his nation has 
always been a strong advocate for the Palestinian refugee 
community and regularly funds projects through UNRWA, the 
Canadian Embassy, and NGOs.  He reminded PM Siniora and his 
colleagues that Canada had sometimes been perceived as "being 
too keen" in helping Palestinians, but assured the Prime 
Minister his country would study the current request. 
 
21.  (SBU)  The German ambassador said his country would look 
favorably on the program, but also asked Siniora to consider 
an immediate and full implementation of the much-discussed 
GOL decree to issue work permits to qualifying refugees.  He 
said he understood the limited means of GOL to provide funds, 
but believed work permits were almost cost-free and held 
important symbolic value.  PM Siniora responded that his 
government was already looking into the issue, but was 
waiting for recommendations from a labor conference currently 
being conducted by the Swiss Embassy in Beirut. 
 
22.  (SBU)  The Japanese ambassador commented he had heard 
rumors that Siniora's government would be holding a "refugee 
donors conference" to raise further funds.  Siniora remarked 
that it would be far better if the funds could be obtained 
without yet another conference. 
 
SINIORA'S CONCLUSION 
-------------------- 
 
23.  (U)  PM Siniora concluded by stating that the GOL was 
 
BEIRUT 00001482  004 OF 004 
 
 
not only addressing urgent refugee needs, but was also 
attempting to set an example for the region, that is, by 
answering legitimate grievances through peaceful cooperative 
efforts.  He believed that, if successful, this program could 
significantly contribute to the disarmament of Palestinian 
militias, as well as security and stability, not only in 
Lebanon, but in the region as well. 
 
24.  (U)  Action request:  Post requests Department guidance 
in responding to this GOL refugee initiative. 
FELTMAN