WikiLeaks Says Berri Backed Attack on Hizbullah, Speaker Denies and Slams al-Mustaqbal

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Speaker Nabih Berri encouraged a military and a political strike against Hizbullah during the 2006 war so that the Israeli aggression against Lebanon doesn’t last long and so that the operation doesn’t have any repercussions, revealed a leaked U.S. Embassy cable published in al-Mustaqbal newspaper on Monday.

The WikiLeaks cable dated August 18, 2006, reported about a meeting between the speaker and then U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman during which Berri described Syrian President Bashar Assad’s speech on Aug. 15, 2006 as “stupid and unreasonable… because people forgot everything related to Israel.”

Speaking before the Fourth Annual Conference of the Syrian Journalists Union in Damascus, Assad declared in his speech that he viewed the results of the battles between Israel and Hizbullah as an important, and even historic, victory for Hizbullah.

He supported Arab resistance as the new paradigm of Arab nationalist struggle against a weakened Israel and criticized Arab leaders as "half men" who brought humiliation to the Arab world, reaffirming Syria's support of the "legitimacy of the central role of resistance as a viable alternative to conflict resolution when peace negotiations fail.”

Berri criticized during the meeting with Feltman “the obvious Syrian attempt to meddle in Lebanon’s affairs.”

Concerning the monitoring of the Syrian-Lebanese border to stop weapons smuggling, he wondered why doesn’t “the Lebanese cabinet order the army to deploy there. Suggesting that then United Nations chief Kofi Annan heads to Damascus and Tehran where the root of the problem is.”

According to the cable, Berri sought to use the money from the Council of the South, the main channel to distribute reconstruction funds in the south, so that he begins with the process of reconstruction.

He warned that any failure by the government to reconstruct the south will enable Hizbullah to carry out this mission.

In addition, Berri described the idea of an Israeli attack on Hizbullah to weaken its military forces and political role as a “positive development,” said another cable date July 17, 2006.

“Hizbullah underestimated the kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers… We want the implementation of (U.N. Security Council Resolution) 1559, this is what was stated in the national dialogue… we need to implement it…,” Berri said.

Feltman said that Berri expressed irritation from the prolonged Israeli aggression on Lebanon that might develop some sympathy from the Lebanese towards Hizbullah.

The U.S. official quoted him as saying: “The Israelis have additional four or five days (to carry out their attack on Hizbullah) after that people will turn against them.”

However, the speaker’s press office issued a statement on Monday denouncing the report.

Berri noted that the “report that is published over and over again proves the incredibility (of the report) and the bad intentions behind the timing of the publishing.”

The statement added: “AMAL never changed its position especially during the 2006 war from the Israeli enemy, and will remain an ally for the resistance and Hizbullah in particular.”

Berri sarcastically thanked al-Mustaqbal newspaper and the “former leaders” that are standing behind it for “publishing facts” even if they were false like holding onto the false witnesses.

The statement remarked that Berri’s press office submitted a request at the U.S. State Department through its embassy in Beirut to provide them with the original cables published by WikiLeaks, however, when the request wasn’t met “we were sure that it was a conspiracy.”

“This is why (Berri) refused to meet with (Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs) Feltman when he recently visited Lebanon.”

Comments 31
Default-user-icon Pong Lenis (Guest) 05 September 2011, 10:25

This shows that nobody even the Hezb beleives in the "resistance tale". It is just a propaganda tool to preserve their weapons and to steal electricity, lands, cars, and from time to time to execute terrorist acts like Antelias event.
The Hezb is not understanding that all the lebanese beside one sect want to build a decent state protected by one army.
Israel is waiting now for a new mistake to rage war and destroy once again our country. But of course aftermath we will emerge victorious :)

Default-user-icon marie (Guest) 05 September 2011, 11:04

We do not want leaders like berri, aoun, nasrala, suleiman, miqati, hariri, jumblat, et al...they are the source of our problems! Send them to Syria/Iran where they have friends and people who support them. Give them all the money they want but ask them to leave us alone! We want to build a state from the people upwards ( a bottom up approach ) and not a bottom down approach. We need to start from zero and clear out all the rubbish we have in place at present! And we need more women in power guys...This old system we have stinks and is full of shit as you can see and we continue to witness at the expense of the ordinary lebanese...

Default-user-icon M60 (Guest) 05 September 2011, 12:02

Marie you have my vote, on one condition and that is you don't turn out like the leaders you have just mentioned.

Default-user-icon Lancelot DuLac (Guest) 05 September 2011, 12:37

Of course noone buys the whole "Resistance" tale Lenis. There is no occupation to begin with. There has not been any for 11 years now.

Hizbullah is just a militia that Iran arms and pays. It is a pawn that the Iranian regime moves on the chess board of its political struggle with Israel and Western countries. No more, no less. Hizbullah has no ideological, religious, or patriotic "mission". All the talk about religious duty, national pride, etc. are just smoke and mirrors to hide just one fact: It is simply a militia controlled by the Iranian regime.

Default-user-icon fadi (Guest) 05 September 2011, 13:30

Marie if i were you I wouldn't talk politics. it clearly shows you know nothing. As for you Mr. Pong Lenis, don't believe everything that is written, this is the power of media. you can read but u can also use your brains to analyze...

Default-user-icon ASSAAD123 (Guest) 05 September 2011, 13:35

أنا أحافظ على الأمل بمستقبل هذا البلد فقط لآنني أعرف بأن المسولين لا يقصدون ما يصرحون به

Default-user-icon jabal amel (Guest) 05 September 2011, 13:42

i see mossad is working overtime.

first they fabricate cables, that they leave their shit on an nahar in form of "lebanese talking against hezbollah".

i wander if your bosses from zionist information war department are aware that all the noise you make, you achieve nothing and rockets will fall on you, no worry.
you will share the fate of the rest of zionist army.

Default-user-icon mazen (Guest) 05 September 2011, 13:54

yes believe what was leaked..

remember how ex minister of health Khalife (amal) was sidelined at the latest cabinet lineup?

He had also uttered similar statements revealed by wikileaks.. he was dumped very quietly after been noted as being the best of amal s contributions to any government ever???? his comments seem in line with those of his boss Mr. Berri.. I am not surprised, and I believe that Berri said what he said. I don t think that the USA embassy was fabricating tales that they cable to their ministry of foreign affairs. they might fabricate to the press, etc..not internal information meant to their secertary of state..

Thumb will_rogers 05 September 2011, 14:16

"Batikh ykasser Baado" I hope.

Default-user-icon G (Guest) 05 September 2011, 14:25

heres a link from Wikileaks but about Amal as well

http://wikileaks.org/cable/2004/11/04BEIRUT4941.html

Default-user-icon Georges (Guest) 05 September 2011, 15:01

I'm loving this. Amal vs Hizb round 100.....may you knock yourselves to hell and back.

Wars in Lebanon have nothing to do with religion or ideology. They have to do only with power hungry leaders/thugs/gangsters/criminals.......list goes on and on.

I say we all boycott the next elections unless they dissolve all political parties that participated in the 30 years of killing, stealing and pillaging of our country.

Default-user-icon grumpy on vac (Guest) 05 September 2011, 15:10

This confirms what everyone has suspected that Mr Berri is nothing but a coward and opportunist who hates and mistrust his so called friends and allies at the same time does not have the balls to be his own voice and for that we say shame on you Mr berri for not standing for what you believe in.

Default-user-icon jabal amel (Guest) 05 September 2011, 15:13

don't be naive...there is absolutely noting that secret service with budget in billions cannot falsify.
after all, how hard is to put 1 false cable in 100 true ones? especially since secret service (cia) works inside embassy everyone knows that.

Default-user-icon Disgrace to be lebanese (Guest) 05 September 2011, 15:18

Everyone knows that berri has no principles, all he cares about is remaining in power and stealing money. Even from sierra lone. This man is a crook and a murderer with tons of bloods on his hands. And since hezballah is a secterian party they will simply claim that this report is false in order to save the back of their ally this ultra thug and his disgusting blood stained corrupt party amal. If lebanese have dignity in us then we would have staged a 4-million man strong rally to protest against all the parties with blood or corruption on their hands and this means all our parties amal, fpm, LF, kataeb, marada, Hezballah, Mustaqbal, PSP, cedar guards, wiam wahhabs thugs and the rest of the filth would be banned from being politicly involved in lebanon. But unfortunatly all lebanese care about is money and secterianism, oh sorry i forgot plastic surgery.

Default-user-icon Beiruti (Guest) 05 September 2011, 15:31

More hypocracy revealed. The two faces of the Lebanese political class never seems to find an end. Berri, we all knew, did not like Hezbollah as it displaced his leadership among the Shia and in the 2009 elections, Hezbollah pushed Berri aside in Jezzine for Aoun's candidate slate to win. Maybe Hezbollah knew of this face of Berri, the one that is revealed in the WikiLeaks.

Another thing this leak shows is the true complete isolation of Hezbollah in Lebanon. In the public everyone praises the resistance -- because they must. But in private, they all, even the AMAL movement, seem to hate and resent it greatly.
All of the Sunni and the Christians oppose Hezbollah. Jumblatt opposes and fears them. Half of the Christian leadership opposes them and Aoun has deluded himself into thinking he can use Hezbollah to ride to power and so for, monthly rental payments, he provides cover for Hezbollah and it provides backing to his lunacy.

Default-user-icon Mehdi (Guest) 05 September 2011, 15:44

Obviously jabal amel ta7to's family evolved from ostriches some of that DNA is still visible.

Default-user-icon G (Guest) 05 September 2011, 16:02

hey naharnet, check this out...

http://wikileaks.org/cable/2006/04/06BEIRUT1072.html

Default-user-icon Lancelot DuLac (Guest) 05 September 2011, 16:13

Ah! Now we're back to conspiracy theorizing. Jabal Something believes that anyone disapproving of Hizbullah must be Israeli or paid by the Mossad. Wake-up buddy. No-one, beyond one community in Lebanon supports Hizbullah. And even within that community, there are people who oppose it. One simply needs to be equipped with a functioning mind to realize the extent of the cancer that Hizbullah represents in Lebanon. Israelis have other things to do than to scan our Lebanese forums and the Mossad doesn't need to pay anyone to oppose Hizbullah. Hizbullah made its own enemies by undermining Lebanese sovereignty.

Missing m.seraaly 05 September 2011, 16:28

to will_rogers: لا يا خيي ليس بتكسير البطيخ تبنى الأوطان

Default-user-icon Pacifier (Guest) 05 September 2011, 16:31

@ JABAL AHBAL , maybe you forgot that Berri's Amal was in an internal war not long ago with Hezbollah, dont ever think he forgot the fact that Nasrallah took away from him the Chiite leadership, and he has been since like a snake trying to get rid of him and Hezbollah to gain back the chiites and make peace with Israel and play the role of godfather for the chiites.

Well maybe in answer as well to Fadi , who thinks we should think logically, maybe you both dont remember who is the one that was negotiating on behalf of hezbollah for a cease-fire , it was BERRI, ahh, and guess what, he wasnt in a hurry because he wanted to give the israelis more time to finish the Hezb, and that fits perfectly with the leak that says he would give then 4-5 days more, He is a fox. thats it

Default-user-icon Arz10452 (Guest) 05 September 2011, 16:37

The Wikileaks are only believable in the eyes of Hizb supporters when they refer to M14 quotes, but they are a Mossad fabrication when it comes to Berri. This leak makes perfect sense, Berri has made his money, now he wants to enjoy it. Hiding like a rat ala Hassouni is not enjoying it

Default-user-icon Pacifier (Guest) 05 September 2011, 16:46

Dont you think that Hezbollah doesnt not know Berri wants them done? But they need him as a speaker for the chiite or it could still cause misunderstandings and maybe an internal chiite-chiite war , you are blinded people who do not see further than ur noses, nobody exept the brave are here to resist the Israeli, Iranian, Syrian, American if one day they would try to take over Lebanon, but these braves are not our leaders, and specially not Hezbollah. they are all foreign agents who their hearts have been seeking only money and power over their own. God help us all to seek the light that is inside us rather than walking in the shadows of infinite darkness, we are all brothers of blood , christians, chiites, sunnis, druzes, we are fighting each other although we have thousands of years in common, if we unite we can overthrow those pests polluting our society and come back to b family once again. Nobody has lived more wars than us in the arab world and nobody resisted like us. good luck

Thumb shab 05 September 2011, 18:00

The filthy nin-Islamic militia is hated by all Lebanese. Only few dare to say it loud.

Default-user-icon Le PheneChien (Guest) 05 September 2011, 18:13

Lebanon has borders, Syrian and Israelis, Mediterranean water/Cyprus.
Some people do not want to deal with Syria because of its current terrorist regime and what they did to us for 30 yrs, some do not want to deal with Israel because of course it's a Zionist and evil(Forgetting that Jordan, Egypt bordering with Israel live in peace). Are we to say that we need to live alone because it is very apparent that both Israel and Syria have interest in swallowing our Country? This is why we have politicians either with the West (automatically labeled Zionist) or Syrian (automatically labeled terrorist) because we need a backbone to survive and we need a partnership to survive simply because we can't live alone.

Default-user-icon The Truth (Guest) 05 September 2011, 19:05

So Wikileaks are the truth when it's bad for America and its allies but lies when it's about opponents of the US?

Default-user-icon jabal amel (Guest) 05 September 2011, 20:10

no shabl.

the glorious resistance is hated by all zionists.

i guess you write the post for local zionist propaganda, than you just open the search&replace menu, and replace "zionists" with "lebanese"

Default-user-icon Warheart (Guest) 05 September 2011, 20:18

So if the leak is about a March 14 official, then it's true, if it's about Mohammed Jawad Khalife, it is also true, but not the Astiz. Wlak you fought the bloodiest war against hizbullah, you can't stand them, Everybody knows that, even my friends in Amal say it out loud all the time, mashina Nabih.

Default-user-icon Chef Salade (Guest) 05 September 2011, 20:22

The more we live, the more we see proof that Berri is another filthy low-life, just like Jumblat, Hariri Mafia and his Christian Sunnis.

Default-user-icon Gabby (Guest) 05 September 2011, 22:12

Big trouble in Shia-ville. It won't long and this criminal gov't will be finished.

Default-user-icon Le Phenicien (Guest) 05 September 2011, 23:07

I forgot to add Bibo Kanaan , Farid Al Khazen , Simon Abi Ramia to the filthy low lives I mentioned before and not to forget the biggest one the convicted traitor Fayez Karam .

Default-user-icon Christopher Rushlau (Guest) 05 September 2011, 23:38

G's cable: http://wikileaks.org/cable/2006/04/06BEIRUT1072.html
Feltman's comments reveal that he prefers a weakened Syria over a strengthened Lebanon. He chastises the Saudi ambassador for preferring a strengthened Lebanon over a weakened Syria.
If Hezbullah is the only part of Lebanon that is defending Lebanese honor (what else does this electricity business mean, and this patriarch's conversation with Sarkozy about slowing the pace of change in the Arab world), then these people who say "nobody likes Hezbullah" must be speaking for their leaders are who going bankrupt. Obviously a lot of people like Hezbullah, including a lot who used to like Amal.
Waiting for the US and Israel (and France) to approve Hezbullah is going the wrong way down the one-way street of history. The future belongs to the people who can control the territory and protect the citizens.