Cablegate: Country Team Assessment of Fy 2010 1206 Request

VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLB #1152 2931430
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201430Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5922
INFO RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS BEIRUT 001152

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MCAP MASS LE
SUBJECT: COUNTRY TEAM ASSESSMENT OF FY 2010 1206 REQUEST

REF: STATE 92407

THIS CABLE IS A CORRECTED VERSION OF BEIRUT 1008 (TEXT ADDED)

1. (SBU) Embassy Beirut fully supports the FY10 section 1206
proposal as submitted by the Office of Defense Cooperation
ODC) Lebanon. This proposal, which addresses Lebanese Armed
Forces (LAF), special operations forces (SOF),
counter-terrorism (CT) and weapons support, reinforces the
mission's strategic goals of CT cooperation and
military-to-military engagement with the LAF. The proposal
provides mobile, heavy weapons (MK-19 40mm grenade launchers
and M2 .50 caliber machine guns) and organic indirect fire
support (120mm mortars) to the LAF,s SOF regiments. The
inherent versatility of the weapons platoon as part of the
SOF regiment makes it well-suited for use against
asymmetrical threats during CT operations. The release and
employment of the equipment identified in this proposal will
facilitate progress toward DoS, DoD and LAF shared goals.
Post is not aware of any credible evidence of gross
violations of human rights by the units who are proposed to
receive assistance.

2. (SBU) The LAF urgently requires assistance from the U.S.
to improve its ability to conduct CT operations and secure
its borders. The equipment identified in this proposal is
one step forward to increasing the LAF's capabilities and
securing its place as the country's dominant provider of
military power.

3. (SBU) This Section 1206 program will help build the
capacity of this partner nation's eligible forces to conduct
CT operations by providing equipment to build their
capability to provide indirect fire during CT operations,
especially in urban areas such as Nahr al-Bared and other
densely populated Palestinian refugee camps. Acting on the
proposal's requests will also provide the LAF increased urban
warfare capabilities to combat Sunni extremist groups and
Palestinian rejectionist groups which often use refugee camps
as safe havens.

4. (SBU) Indirect fire in future CT operations is an
important application for LAF artillery. However, the fire
direction limitations of the LAF's artillery prevent its
effective use in urban CT operations due to the potential for
high levels of collateral damage. Therefore, improved
artillery targeting systems which offer the LAF the ability
to identify and carry out high-precision fire are critical to
avoiding civilian casualties and reducing risks to
non-combatants.
SISON

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