Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANDARSERIBEGAWAN414
2006-08-16 08:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Cable title:
BRUNEI'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO LEBANON RELIEF AND
how-toVZCZCXRO1498 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHBD #0414 2280827 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 160827Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3475 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0010 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0015 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0086 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0022 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0021 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0038 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0476 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000414
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR P, EAP, EUR, NEA, EB, AND PM
SINGAPORE ALSO FOR DAO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2016
TAGS: EAID IR LE PREL BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO LEBANON RELIEF AND
RECONSTRUCUTION, SUPPORT FOR UNSCR 1701, VIEW OF IRAN
REF: BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 398 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Ambassador Emil Skodon, reasons 1.4 (b, d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000414
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR P, EAP, EUR, NEA, EB, AND PM
SINGAPORE ALSO FOR DAO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2016
TAGS: EAID IR LE PREL BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO LEBANON RELIEF AND
RECONSTRUCUTION, SUPPORT FOR UNSCR 1701, VIEW OF IRAN
REF: BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 398 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Ambassador Emil Skodon, reasons 1.4 (b, d)
1. (C) Government of Brunei (GOB) Foreign Minister II Pehin
Lim Jock Seng told Ambassador on August 15 that Brunei is
contributing BDOLS 1 million (approx USDOLS 633,000) for
immediate humanitarian relief in Lebanon in response to an
OIC appeal. Lim said the GOB may be willing to contribute
more for relief and reconstruction, but wants to wait for a
definitive needs assessment and better organization of the
reconstruction effort. He said the GOB has received
overlapping and apparently uncoordinated appeals for aid to
Lebanon directly from Prime Minister Siniora, the OIC, and
UNSYG Annan, and would like for these to be sorted out before
making further commitments.
2. (C) Lim, who had briefed the Sultan of Brunei on UNSCR
1701 the previous day, told Ambassador the Sultan had
believed strongly for the last month that the top priority in
southern Lebanon was to stop the violence as soon as possible
and supported 1701 as a means of achieving that aim. Lim
said that the Sultan and GOB recognize the need to build upon
UNSCR 1701 and secure a durable settlement in Lebanon. The
GOB will support steps in that direction, as well as any
renewed steps toward a comprehensive resolution of
Arab-Israeli differences.
3. (C) Ambassador told Lim the key to durable peace in
Lebanon was for Hezbollah and its backers to end the
untenable situation of maintaining a state within a state,
and accept that the Lebanese government should assert control
over its own territory. The USG hoped the GOB would support
that position in the OIC and other fora. Lim nodded
agreement but said the GOB would avoid taking a public stance
in favor of quiet diplomacy. He also cautioned that, based
on the GOB's recent experience with the Iranian Foreign
Minister in Kuala Lumpur at the Emergency OIC Meeting, the
Iranians continued to "talk tough" and were extremely
difficult to deal with.
4. (C) Lim said Teheran continued to push for the Sultan to
accept its invitation to visit Iran, but that he was inclined
to advise the Sultan not to do so. Ambassador urged that the
Sultan not visit Iran, since no matter what was said behind
closed doors, the Iranians would maintain that the Sultan had
supported their position on nuclear enrichment and other
issues, thus presenting His Majesty with the uncomfortable
choice of either tacitly accepting that characterization or
publicly calling his hosts liars.
SKODON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR P, EAP, EUR, NEA, EB, AND PM
SINGAPORE ALSO FOR DAO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2016
TAGS: EAID IR LE PREL BX
SUBJECT: BRUNEI'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO LEBANON RELIEF AND
RECONSTRUCUTION, SUPPORT FOR UNSCR 1701, VIEW OF IRAN
REF: BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 398 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Ambassador Emil Skodon, reasons 1.4 (b, d)
1. (C) Government of Brunei (GOB) Foreign Minister II Pehin
Lim Jock Seng told Ambassador on August 15 that Brunei is
contributing BDOLS 1 million (approx USDOLS 633,000) for
immediate humanitarian relief in Lebanon in response to an
OIC appeal. Lim said the GOB may be willing to contribute
more for relief and reconstruction, but wants to wait for a
definitive needs assessment and better organization of the
reconstruction effort. He said the GOB has received
overlapping and apparently uncoordinated appeals for aid to
Lebanon directly from Prime Minister Siniora, the OIC, and
UNSYG Annan, and would like for these to be sorted out before
making further commitments.
2. (C) Lim, who had briefed the Sultan of Brunei on UNSCR
1701 the previous day, told Ambassador the Sultan had
believed strongly for the last month that the top priority in
southern Lebanon was to stop the violence as soon as possible
and supported 1701 as a means of achieving that aim. Lim
said that the Sultan and GOB recognize the need to build upon
UNSCR 1701 and secure a durable settlement in Lebanon. The
GOB will support steps in that direction, as well as any
renewed steps toward a comprehensive resolution of
Arab-Israeli differences.
3. (C) Ambassador told Lim the key to durable peace in
Lebanon was for Hezbollah and its backers to end the
untenable situation of maintaining a state within a state,
and accept that the Lebanese government should assert control
over its own territory. The USG hoped the GOB would support
that position in the OIC and other fora. Lim nodded
agreement but said the GOB would avoid taking a public stance
in favor of quiet diplomacy. He also cautioned that, based
on the GOB's recent experience with the Iranian Foreign
Minister in Kuala Lumpur at the Emergency OIC Meeting, the
Iranians continued to "talk tough" and were extremely
difficult to deal with.
4. (C) Lim said Teheran continued to push for the Sultan to
accept its invitation to visit Iran, but that he was inclined
to advise the Sultan not to do so. Ambassador urged that the
Sultan not visit Iran, since no matter what was said behind
closed doors, the Iranians would maintain that the Sultan had
supported their position on nuclear enrichment and other
issues, thus presenting His Majesty with the uncomfortable
choice of either tacitly accepting that characterization or
publicly calling his hosts liars.
SKODON