Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04THEHAGUE251
2004-01-30 14:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

ICJ: US STATEMENT IN FENCE PROCEEDING SUBMITTED TO

Tags:  PREL KPAL ICJ 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000251 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR L - TAFT/SCHWARTZ, L/UNA -
MATHIAS/LAMOTTE/COGAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAL ICJ
SUBJECT: ICJ: US STATEMENT IN FENCE PROCEEDING SUBMITTED TO
COURT

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000251

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR L - TAFT/SCHWARTZ, L/UNA -
MATHIAS/LAMOTTE/COGAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAL ICJ
SUBJECT: ICJ: US STATEMENT IN FENCE PROCEEDING SUBMITTED TO
COURT


1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified.


2. (U) On January 30, Embassy Legal Officers delivered to the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) the U.S. written
statement in the proceedings concerning the UN General
Assembly's request for an advisory opinion as to the "legal
consequences of the construction of a wall in the occupied
Palestinian territory." Israeli Embassy officers were also
delivering Israel's statement at the same time, and an ICJ
legal officer said that more than a dozen such statements had
already been delivered by this morning. It was the latter's
expectation that approximately thirty written statements
would be submitted by day's end. The Court Registry will be
working over the weekend to copy all statements and make them
available to United Nations Member States on Monday. Upon
receipt, Embassy will transmit the documents to L.


3. (SBU) Emboffs have learned that one of the issues the
Court will be considering in coming weeks is the amount of
time to be devoted to the oral proceedings, scheduled to
begin on February 23. Registry legal officer explained that
the hearings could occur over two full weeks, though the
amount of time depends upon the number of participating
parties. It remains unresolved how much time each
participant would be allotted during the hearings. The Court
will also have to determine the order of the hearing and
whether to include a second (i.e. rebuttal) round. These
decisions will be taken after the February 13 deadline for
parties to indicate whether they intend to participate in the
oral proceedings. The registry officer indicated that,
assuming a desire to participate in oral proceedings, the UN
might be given the floor first, followed by Palestinian and
Israeli advocates (who would be given "more" time than other
participants),followed by other states (likely in
alphabetical order),and lastly the two organizations (i.e.
the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Countries) that
the Court has already authorized to participate.
RUSSEL