POPE/ARAFAT - URGES USG ON MONITORS

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 004064 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR: NEA/IAI, EUR/WE (SDEAN); DEPT PLEASE PASS NSC FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 129/001 E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/11 TAGS: PREL PGOV XR VT SUBJECT: POPE/ARAFAT - URGES USG ON MONITORS CLASSIFIED BY A/DCM GHFROWICK, REASONS E.O. 12958 1.5 (B), (D) . CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 04064 030845Z ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: VATICAN FM TAURAN CONVOKED CHARGE EVENING OF AUGUST 2 TO DISCUSS THE POPE'S AUDIENCE WITH PA PRESIDENT ARAFAT EARLIER IN THE DAY. TAURAN SAID THE POPE WAS "EXTREMELY WORRIED" AT THE PERSISTENCE AND SCOPE OF VIOLENCE IN THE HOLY LANDS; ARAFAT TOLD THE POPE THAT HE WANTS MONITORS NOW, TO HELP BUILD CONFIDENCE AND BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE. ARAFAT WOULD ACCEPT ANY SORT OF MONITORS, INCLUDING JUST U.S. ONES. THE POPE WISHED TO CONVEY TO PRESIDENT BUSH HIS PERSONAL WORRY AT THE STATE OF THINGS AND TO URGE THE PRESIDENT TO INTERVENE WITH THE GOI TO PERMIT THE "THE MECHANISM OF OBSERVATION TO START." TAURAN ALSO SHARED WITH US THE POPE'S PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE ARAFAT MEETING (EMBASSY INFORMAL TRANSLATION AT PARA THREE) AND HIS OWN PERSONAL VIEWS ON THE SITUATION. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) AT 7:00 THE EVENING OF AUGUST 2, VATICAN FM EQUIVALENT JEAN LOUIS TAURAN CONVOKED CHARGE AND A/DCM TO DISCUSS THE MEETING BETWEEN THE POPE AND PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PRESIDENT ARAFAT EARLIER ON THE DAY. TAURAN HAD HAD A CONCURRENT MEETING WITH ARAFAT'S DELEGATION, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF ARAFAT'S NEGOTIATING TEAM. TAURAN UNDERSCORED THE VATICAN'S VIEW THAT THE SITUATION IS QUITE SERIOUS, AND THEIR VIEW THAT THE VIOLENCE HAD CROSSED AN IMPORTANT AND WORRISOME THRESHOLD AT THE WAILING WALL EARLIER IN THE WEEK. (NOTE: A VATICAN PRIORITY IN THE MEPP IS PROTECTION OF THE HOLY PLACES). TAURAN SAID THE POPE WANTS THE PRESIDENT TO KNOW ARAFAT IS READY TO ACCEPT ANY TYPE OF OBSERVERS IN ORDER TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE. THE POPE SPECIFICALLY ASKED THAT PRESIDENT BUSH EXERCISE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 VATICA 04064 030845Z PRESSURE ON THE GOI, IN ORDER TO PERMIT "THE MECHANISM OF OBSERVATION TO START" AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE POPE BELIEVED PRESIDENT BUSH "HOLDS THE KEY TO THIS." RESPONDING TO CHARGE'S QUERY, TAURAN UNDERSCORED THAT ARAFAT TOLD THEM HE WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS OF ANY SORT -- INCLUDING JUST U.S. ONES. ¶2. (C) TAURAN ALSO SAID EGYPTIAN FM MOUSSA RECENTLY CALLED AND SAID THAT THE SITUATION WAS "VERY SERIOUS," WHICH TAURAN TOOK TO MEAN THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE VIOLENCE SPREADING WAS GROWING. IN RESPONSE TO CHARGE'S QUESTION, TAURAN ADMITTED THAT THE VATICAN HAS NOT HAD ANY RECENT CONTACTS WITH THE ISRAELI SIDE. (NOTE: TAURAN DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE ISRAELI HOLY SEE AMBASSADOR'S NAME -- AN INDICATION OF HOW DISTANT THE VATICAN NOW IS FROM THE GOI). TAURAN REMINDED US THAT HE HAD FIRST MENTIONED THE NEED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER FORCE LAST NOVEMBER. WHILE THE VATICAN SUPPORTS THE MITCHELL PLAN, TAURAN BELIEVED THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VIOLENCE NOW IS WITH THE HELP OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY (IE. AN OBSERVER FORCE). ¶3. (C) IN A SIDE NOTE, TAURAN, WHO HAD TOLD US LAST YEAR THAT HE THOUGHT ARAFAT WAS "LOSING IT" BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, NOW OBSERVED ARAFAT TO BE MENTALLY SHARP AND ENGAGED, WHILE PERHAPS DETERIORATING PHYSICALLY WITH PARKINSON'S-LIKE SYMPTOMS. ¶4. (U) EMBASSY INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF PRESS RELEASE: BEGIN TEXT: CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 VATICA 04064 030845Z POPE JOHN PAUL II RECEIVED MR. YASSER ARAFAT, PRESIDENT OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, AT HIS RESIDENCE AT CASTEL GANDOLFO THIS MORNING. THE MEETING FOCUSED ON THE STATUS OF THE PEACE PROCESS AND THE PERSISTENT SITUATION OF UNPRECEDENTED VIOLENCE THAT CONTINUES TO PRODUCE VICTIMS, ABOVE ALL AMONG THE DEFENSELESS CIVILIAN POPULATION, AND THAT DOES NOT EVEN SPARE THE MOST HOLY PLACES. HIS HOLINESS, WHILE EXPRESSING HIS SYMPATHY FOR THE MANY VICTIMS OF THE ONGOING CLASHES, FIRMLY STRESSED THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY OF ENDING EVERY FORM OF VIOLENCE, BOTH DIRECT ACTION AND RETALIATION, AND THAT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THE HOPED FOR NEGOTIATIONS WHICH ARE THE SOLE MEANS CAPABLE OF GIVING HOPE FOR ACHIEVING PEACE, WILL BEGIN. END TEXT. MERANTE CONFIDENTIAL > 2001VATICA04064 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL