Wednesday 16 March 2011

Wikileaks: Boutros Harb: "I strongly advise Israel to advance & occupy Hezbollah strongholds, ... before it becomes the 'region's Rambo'.."

Via"friday-lunch-club"

Document number 2513/Beirut
(Excerpts below. Original to be released later)
August 1, 2006.
Meeting between Ambassador Feltman & MP Boutros Harb.
Harb, a presidential hopeful, lamented that albeit the toll of Israeli war on Lebanon was steep, it 'remains without a good conclusion.'... Harb worries that Nasrallah could still cpme out a 'winner' from this debacle, because he is seemingly destroying the myth of an invincible IDF, and gaining international sympathy ...
Harb worries that the war is now in its 20th day, and that is giving Arabs in general that Israel can be defeated and ultimately destroyed... He also warned that the attack on Qana was playing into Hezbollah's hands and gaining it popular support ...
Harb was saddened to see that the Israeli war did not weaken Hezbollah and stressed that a cesafire was going to make Hezbollah the 'region's Rambo!'.
Harb further stressed that it was going to be a 'catastrphy' should Hezbollah come out of all this 'stronger'... Harb warned Feltman that if this happened, Hezbollah would be well positioned to impose the Wilayat al Faqih on all Lebanese, ... and ultimately, spark the Sunni-Shii' showdown it longs for.
Harb went on and made some 'policy recommendations' but acknowledged that it was 'easier said than done'. Harb said that it was unfortunate that Hezbollah's physical presence was not centralized, making it military defeat difficult. But Harb still hoped for a military defeat of Hezbollah, although he predicted that this defeat would be coensated by an increase in Hezbollah's popularity.
Harb proposed that Israel advances into Lebanon, and occupies Hezbollah's strogholds in Marun el Rass & Bint Jbeil .. Harb stressed the importance of this happening before the US imposition of a cease fire...."
Posted by G, Z, or B at 8:20 AM
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

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