"Creating an Arab force backed by US and Nato air and sea power to intervene in Lebanon and destroy Hizbullah," one of the latest revelations of the US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.
According to a cable released on 14 May 2008, two years following the July war which thwarted "Israeli" attempts to destroy the resistance in Lebanon, and only five days following the May 5 decision to dismantle the Hizbullah Telecoms Network, KSA Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal suggests "An Arab force" to maintain security in Lebanon.
On May 10, as the cable mentions, Ambassador Daavid Satterfield and Multi-National Force (MNF-I) Baghdad team met with Saudi Arabia Government Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal in the US Embassy in Riyadh.
Saud brought up events taking place in Beirut and emphasized the need for a "security response" to what he called "Hizballah's military challenge to the Government of Lebanon."
The Lebanese government convened on May 5 and from outside that meeting's agenda, it took the decision to dismantle the telecommunications network, to consider it operating outside the law, accusing it of misuse of public funds and violating the sovereignty of the State. This led to clashes in the Lebanese capital between the Lebanese parties.
But the telecoms network was only a threat to "Israel". If we review the Winograd report which stated that among Hizbullah's elements and points of strength "Israel" must destroy or dismantle is the telecommunications network Hizbullah established. In other words, the Lebanese government's decision at the time wished to realized what "Israel" failed to accomplish over thirty three days of July war.
In first place, Hizbullah had no intention to establish a telecoms network for economic reasons, rather it was a network that enables protecting the resistance, its security and its confrontation with the enemy, especially that the Lebanese telecoms networks were all violated by "Israel" as proved by the latest revelations on the "Israeli" espionage and wiretapping on the Lebanese network.
According to the cable, the proposal made by the veteran Saudi foreign minister AlFaisal, to the US special adviser to Iraq, David Satterfield was to send an "Arab force" to create and maintain order in and around Beirut, which would be assisted in its efforts and come under the "cover" of a deployment of UNIFIL troops from south Lebanon, while the US and NATO would need to provide movement and logistic support, as well as "naval and air cover."
"Saud argued that the present situation in Beirut was "entirely military" and that the solution must be military as well. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were too fragile to bear more pressure; they needed urgent backing to secure Beirut from Hizbullah's assault. What was needed was an "Arab force" drawn from Arab "periphery" states to deploy to Beirut under the "cover of the UN" and with a significant presence drawn from UNIFIL in south Lebanon "which is sitting doing nothing." The US and NATO would be asked to provide equipment for such a force as well as logistics, movement support, and "naval and air cover." The cable read.
On his part, Satterfield asked what support this concept had from (Lebanese PM at the time) Siniora and from other Arab States, Saud responded that "Siniora strongly supports."
On the other hand, Saud said "No contacts had been made with Syria on any Beirut developments, adding, "What would be the use?"
Satterfield said that the "political and military" feasibility of the undertaking Saud had outlined would appear very much open to question. In particular, attempting to establish a new mandate for UNIFIL would be very problematic. Satterfield said the US would carefully study any Arab decision on a way forward.
Saud concluded by underscoring that a UN/Arab peace-keeping force coupled with US air and naval support would "keep out Hizbullah forever" in Lebanon.
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