H/W NID CABLE 021/02 FOR 26 JANUARY 2002

Created: 1/26/2002

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

4. LEBANON: MANY SUSPECTS IN ASSASSINATION

//FORMES LEBANESE FORCES (LF) COMMANDER ELIE KOBEIKA, MURDERED THIS WEEK. HAD MANY ENEMIES.// POSSIBLE CULPRITS INCLUDE FELLOW CHRISTIANS, OTHER MEMBERS CF THE LEBANESE ELITE, PALESTINIANS, AND

ACCORDINGESTERN MF.WS AGENCY, A PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN ANTI-SYRIAN SROU?. "LE3ANESE REE AND INDEPENDENTAS CLAIMED KESTONSIBILITY. THE CLAIM MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH RIGHTWING MARONITE CHRISTIANS, WHORUDGE AGAINST IIOBF.IKA BECAUSE HE BETRAYED THE LF AND THE ISRAELIS BY SWITCHING ALLEGIANCE TO THE SYRIANS IN THE. HOBEIKA ALSO WAS ACTIVE IN CHRISTIAN INFIGHTING DURING LEBANON'S CIVIL WAR.

-- PALESTINIANS DESPISE HOBEIKA BECAUSE HE ALLEGEDLY DIRECTEDOF APPROXIMATELYCO PALESTINIANS IN THE REFUGEE CAMPSAND SHATILLA IN AN ISRAELI COMMISSION IN OF CARRYING OUT THE MASSACRE AND HELD THEN DEFENSESHAHCN INDIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACK.

//MANY LEBANESE SUSPECT ISRAELI INVOLVEMENT BECAUSE HOBEIKA HAD SAID HE WOULD TESTIFY AGAINST SHARON IF THE BELGIANS WENT FORWARDRIAL ACCUSING SHARON OF GENOCIDE AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY FOR HIS RCLE IN SA3RA ANDELGIAN COURT NEXT MONTH WILL RULE ONUDICIAL INVESTIGATION INTO SHARON'S ROLE CAN PROCEED.

-- PRESIDENT LAHUD CLAIMS HOBEIKA WAS KILLED TO STOP KIM FROM TESTIFYING, ACCORDING TC PRESS REPORTS, ENTIMENT ECHOED BY OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

HERE IS NO DIRECT EVIDENCE OF ISRAELI INVOLVEMENT IN 3UT HIGHLIGHTING AN ISRAELI CONNECTION COULE HELPAVOID THE INTERNAL FRICTION THAT WOULD ARISE IF AWERE BLAMED.