Cablegate: Preserving the Democratically Elected Government

VZCZCXRO0473
RR RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHHE #1217 3421517
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 081517Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2811
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0089
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0057
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0636

S E C R E T HELSINKI 001217

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KDEM MOPS FI
SUBJECT: PRESERVING THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT
OF LEBANON - FINNISH RESPONSE

REF: SECSTATE 193090

Classified By: AMBASSADOR WARE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

1. (S) PolChief delivered subject demarche to Middle East
Officer Eija Rotinen Dec. 8. Rotinen thanked us for
sharing further information about SARG efforts to
destabilize the Lebanese government and expressed great
concern about what may happen next in Lebanon in light of
the recent murders and the Hizballah/Syria-sponsored
demonstrations that are occurring now. She called the
Gemayel murder "shocking and horrifying," adding that
"things are going exactly the wrong way, and if Syria is
behind it nothing good will come of this."

2. (S) Rotinen reiterated the efforts that the Finnish EU
Presidency has made to press for a common demarche to Syria
highlighting the Union's concerns (reftel), which she
described as "quite in line" with ours. The French
continue to reject a joint EU demarche, citing the need to
isolate Syria diplomatically. Nevertheless, Rotinen
continued, the US and all EU member state governments agree
on the message that needs to be made clear to Syria, even
if they don't agree on how to deliver it. She said that
Spain, Finland, Germany and other EU member states continue
to hold talks at various levels with Syrian officials,
impressing upon them that the SARG's destabilizing actions
in Lebanon are unacceptable and that the international
community will not accept Syria's playing the "spoiler" of
the fragile peace process in Lebanon.
WARE

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