Cablegate: Further On Hizballah "Manifesto"

O 191237Z FEB 85
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1805
INFO AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY

UNCLAS BEIRUT 01013

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

E.O. 12356: NA
TAGS: PGOV PINT PTER LE IR
SUBJECT: FURTHER ON HIZBALLAH "MANIFESTO"

REF: BEIRUT 992

1. AS REPORTED REFTEL, HIZBALLAH PUBLISHED ON FEBRUARY 16
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN LEBANON A POLITICAL "MANIFESTO."
HIZBALLAH'S PRIMARY OBJECTIVES, AS CITED FROM THE
MANIFESTO BY THE LOCAL FRENCH-LANGUAGE PRESS, FOLLOW.

BEGIN TEXT.

-- THE DEPARTURE OF THE ISRAELIS, PRELUDE TO THE
ANNIHILATION OF ISRAEL AND THE LIBERATION OF THE HOLY CITY
OF JERUSALEM.

-- THE DEFINITIVE DEPARTURE FROM LEBANON OF THE UNITED
STATES, FRANCE, AND THEIR ALLIES AND THE END OF THE
INFLUENCE OF ANY COLONIALIST STATE OVER THE COUNTRY.

-- THE JUDGMENT OF PHALANGE PARTY MEMBERS FOR ALL THE
CRIMES THEY HAVE COMMITTED AGAINST MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS,
WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL.

-- THE RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION FOR ALL THE SONS OF OU
PEOPLE, AND FREEDOM OF CHOICE OF THE POLITICAL REGIME
WHICH THEY DESIRE.

WE DO NOT HIDE, HOWEVER, OUR PREFERENCE FOR AN ISLAMIC
REGIME AND CALL ON EVERYONE TO CHOOSE IT, BECAUSE IT ALONE
GUARANTEES JUSTICE AND DIGNITY FOR ALL AND PREVENTS ANY
ATTEMPTS AT NEOCOLONIALIST INFILTRATION INTO OUR COUNTRIES

END TEXT.

2. ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL PRESS, THE ABOVE OBJECTIVES
WERE CONTAINED IN A FIFTY-PAGE MANIFESTO ENTITLED "OPEN
LETTER TO THE OPPRESSED OF LEBANON AND THE WORLD." THE
MANIFESTO WAS PRESENTED BY SHEIKH HASSAN GHIBRISS,
SPOKESMAN OF THE "HIZBALLAH NATION," TO A GATHERING OF
ABOUT 1000 SUPPORTERS ON FEBRUARY 16 IN THE SOUTHERN
BEIRUT SUBURB OF SHIYAH.

3. SEVERAL SHIITE AND SUNNI RELIGIOUS LEADERS REPORTEDLY
ATTENDED THE GATHERING, MOST NOTABLY SHEIKHS SOBHI TUFAYLI
HASSAN NASRALLAH, AND JALAL EDDIN ARKANDAN. HOWEVER, BOTH
HIZBALLAH "SPIRITUAL GUIDE" SHEIKH FADLALLAH AND TAWHIID
MOVEMENT LEADER SHEIKH SHA'BAN WERE ABSENT DUE TO THEIR
CURRENT VISIT TO IRAN WHERE, ACCORDING TO LEBANESE
TELEVISION, THEY WERE RECEIVED BY AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI ON
FEBRUARY 15.

4. WE WOULD ALSO DRAW ADDRESSEES' ATTENTION TO FBIS
GF190720 AND GF190722 IN WHICH TEHRAN RADIO REPORTS
A MEETING ON FEBRUARY 16 BETWEEN SHEIKH FADLALLAH AND
GRAND AYATOLLAH MONTAZERI FOLLOWING WHICH THE TWO
RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALLED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN
ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT IN LEBANON.

BARTHOLOMEW

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