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Viewing cable 06BEIRUT437, MGLE01: SAAD HARIRI LEADS MASS RALLY IN BEIRUT ON

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06BEIRUT437 2006-02-14 16:48 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Beirut
VZCZCXRO6863
PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHLZ RUEHMOS
DE RUEHLB #0437/01 0451648
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141648Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2004
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000437 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WERNER/SINGH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KISL LE PGOV SY
SUBJECT: MGLE01:  SAAD HARIRI LEADS MASS RALLY IN BEIRUT ON 
THE ANNIVERSARY OF HIS FATHER'S ASSASSINATION 
 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
1.  (SBU)  On February 14, MP Saad Hariri led a massive rally 
in Martyrs' Square in downtown Beirut to commemorate the 
assassination of his father Rafiq Hariri.  Pleasant weather 
helped facilitate a large turnout carrying mostly Lebanese 
flags, but also Lebanese Forces and Progressive Socialist 
Party flags.  Press reports suggested that as many as one 
million Lebanese showed up, although we cannot not confirm 
this estimate.  Joining Hariri behind the bullet-resistant 
glass at the podium were MP Walid Jumblatt, Minister of 
Social Affairs Nayla Mouawad, MP Boutros Harb, former MP 
Nassib Lahoud, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Ja'Ja', Minister 
of Telecommunications Marwan Hamadeh, MP Bassem Saba, and 
former President Amin Gemayel.  Also speaking were Nayla 
Tueni, Dory Chamoun, and Gamea Islamiyya's Head of Political 
Office Assad Harmuch.  Journalist and assassination survivor 
May Chidiac spoke from Paris.  In his speech, Saad Hariri 
listed all the factions that attended, noticeably omitting 
the absent General Michel Aoun, and the Amal and Hizballah 
political parties.  Samir Ja'Ja' declared that "the 
Presidency is ours."  Walid Jumblatt delivered the most 
vitriolic speech saying that forgiveness of Syria and its 
allies was impossible.  Jumblatt rejected the Shebaa Farms 
pretext and instead called for liberating the "Farms of 
Baabda."  Some local observers found the speeches, the 
ubiquitous Lebanese Forces flags, and the omission of Aoun's 
Free Patriotic Movement to portray a divisive message.  All 
speakers called for the removal President Lahoud; each time 
they did so, the crowd roared with approval.  End summary. 
 
LARGE, PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION 
WITH IMPRESSIVE SPEAKER LIST 
---------------------------- 
 
2.  (U)  According to press reports, as many as one million 
Lebanese attended MP Saad Hariri's demonstration in Martyrs' 
Square in downtown Beirut on February 14.  The rally, held on 
the first anniversary of the assassination of former Prime 
Minister Rafiq Hariri, was organized and inspired by Saad 
Hariri upon his return to Lebanon after months of 
self-imposed exile in Paris and elsewhere.  Most of the key 
figures in the 2005 Independence movement and March 14 
coalition attended and spoke.  Weather was on Hariri's side, 
as the usually rainy chill of Lebanon's winters subsided in 
favor of a sunny, mild day.  The crowd was a sea of Lebanese 
flags, along with a large number of Lebanese Forces flags, a 
few Progressive Socialist Party flags, and a French flag. 
Television gave continuous coverage to the rally.  Images 
showed a diversity in age of the demonstrators, whose ranks 
included families with small children.  Government offices 
and most shops were closed for the day. 
 
3.  (U)  Hariri assembled an impressive group of speakers to 
deliver brief remarks behind the bullet-resistant glass 
encased podium.  Among the speakers were MP Saad Hariri, MP 
Walid Jumblatt, Minister of Social Affairs Nayla Mouawad, MP 
Boutros Harb, former MP Nassib Lahoud, Lebanese Forces leader 
Samir Ja'Ja', Minister of Telecommunications Marwan Hamadeh, 
MP Bassem Saba, and former President Amin Gemayel.  Also 
speaking were Nayla Tueni (daughter of Gibran Tueni), 
National Liberal Party leader Dory Chamoun, and Gamea 
Islamiyya Head of the Political Office Assad Harmuch. 
Journalist and assassination survivor May Chidiac spoke from 
Paris.  The speakers repeatedly invoked the names of Rafiq 
Hariri as well as the other Lebanese assassinated in the past 
year, including Gibran Tueni, Samir Kassir, and George Hawi. 
Former MP Nassib Lahoud garnered extra applause when he 
called for "one state, one nation, one army, one armament," a 
reference to disbanding Hizballah's state within a state and 
its militia. 
 
NOTABLE OMISSIONS, POTENTIALLY 
DIVISIVE LANGUAGE 
------------------------------ 
 
4.  (SBU)  Saad Hariri took the podium after an emotional 
visit to his father's gravesite accompanied by Sunni clerics. 
 Hariri gave a fairly generic speech thanking those who 
attended the rally and calling for the Syrians to withdraw 
from Baabda, a reference to President Emile Lahoud.  Hariri 
spent a considerable portion of his speech listing the 
factions and parties that attended the rally, noticeably 
omitting the absent Free Patriotic Movement, Amal, and 
Hizballah.  (Comment:  Our FSN political specialists 
 
BEIRUT 00000437  002 OF 002 
 
 
commented that Hariri sent a divisive message by listing only 
the factions that attended.  It suggested an "us versus them" 
approach towards Aoun and Amal-Hizballah.  End comment.) 
 
5.  (SBU)  Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Ja'Ja' was 
enthusiastically applauded as he took the podium.  The crowd 
affectionately chanted "Al Hakim" (in Arabic "The Ruler"). 
Ja'Ja's speech was fairly bland other than his statement that 
"the Presidency belongs to us" and "we will take it back." 
(Comment:  Our FSN political specialists interpreted Ja'Ja's 
statement as staking a claim on the Presidency at the expense 
of not only President Lahoud, but also Michel Aoun.  End 
comment.)  More notable were the chants of LF supporters in 
the audience: "God, Lebanese Forces, Al Hakim."  This 
appeared to be a reference to the top three loyalties of LF 
supporters, blatantly omitting mention of loyalty to the 
country of Lebanon.  The crowd also chanted:  "Lahoud get 
out!"  At the end of his speech, Ja'Ja' introduced Druze 
leader Walid Jumblatt and held hands with him in a victory 
gesture.  They were quickly joined on stage by Hamadeh and 
Hariri, who had virtually "body surfed" through the crowd to 
join them. 
 
6.  (SBU)  Druze leader Walid Jumblatt provided the most 
blustery speech.  He called Syria and its allies criminals 
and said that forgiveness for their crimes is impossible.  He 
repeated the word "impossible" in Arabic several times for 
effect.  Jumblatt said:  "We want revenge for Lahoud and 
Bashar."  Anjar is dead, continued Jumblatt, but said that 
real independence is impossible without the implementation of 
international resolutions.  He rejected the Shebaa Farms 
pretext and the Syrian-Iranian alliance.  Jumblatt, instead, 
called for the liberation of the "Farms of Baabda," a 
reference to removing President Lahoud from power. 
 
7.  (SBU) No member of Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement 
took part in the demonstration.  A deputy from Aoun's bloc 
told us his party was concerned for their "security and 
dignity" if they showed up at the event. Their concerns stem 
in part from a February 5 incident during which LF supporters 
attacked Aoun's car at a local church. 
 
FELTMAN