Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06COPENHAGEN1094
2006-08-16 10:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Copenhagen
Cable title:
LEBANON: DANISH CONTRIBUTION TO UNIFIL
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHCP #1094 2281017 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 161017Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2686 INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 1481 RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 001094
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2016
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS UN LE DA
SUBJECT: LEBANON: DANISH CONTRIBUTION TO UNIFIL
REF: A. STATE 134133
B. COPENHAGEN 1074
Classified By: Pol/Econ Counselor Bill Mozdzierz, reasons 1.4b,d
C O N F I D E N T I A L COPENHAGEN 001094
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2016
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS UN LE DA
SUBJECT: LEBANON: DANISH CONTRIBUTION TO UNIFIL
REF: A. STATE 134133
B. COPENHAGEN 1074
Classified By: Pol/Econ Counselor Bill Mozdzierz, reasons 1.4b,d
1. (C) Denmark fully supports our view that new UNIFIL
contributions must be deployed as quickly as possible, Danish
MFA Head of Department for Middle East and Latin America
Tomas Anker Christensen confirmed August 16, in response to
ref (A) demarche. Christensen noted with alarm recent
suggestions from French officials that it could take up to a
year for UNIFIL to reach its full strngth of 15,000 troops,
arguing that such a delibrate pace would only embolden
Hezbollah further.As it is, Christensen observed, Lebanese
forces emain reluctant to move south of the Litani (while
taking note of our and French engagement to help ake that
happen) and the prospects for disarmingHezbollah appear to
be poor.
2. (C) The Danish government has not yet taken a formal
decision on its proposed UNIFIL contribution, although
Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller has mentioned publicly his
and Defense Minister Gade's agreement to send naval forces
(Ref B),even identifying by name the Danish corvette to be
sent in that case. Christensen explained that the Danish
offer is complicated somewhat by other military commitments
(the Danish navy plans to send a corvette to the Horn of
Africa as part of CTF-150) and by the virtual armada of ships
being offered to UNIFIL by other nations (other Nordic
governments, Germany and the UK). The Danish maritime
contribution could end up as part of a rotation, depending on
other participants and UNIFIL's as-yet-unidentified
requirements.
3. (C) Christensen used our discussion to assure us that the
Finnish EU presidency had been freelancing when it suggested
last week that the European Union might somehow get involved
in direct negotiations with Hezbollah. The Danes "totally
and fully" disagree with that idea, he said, adding that many
others in the EU had also objected strongly (Christensen
reported that French FM Douste-Blazy told Moeller in New York
that he had called his Finnish counterpart to register his
fierce disapproval).
CAIN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2016
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS UN LE DA
SUBJECT: LEBANON: DANISH CONTRIBUTION TO UNIFIL
REF: A. STATE 134133
B. COPENHAGEN 1074
Classified By: Pol/Econ Counselor Bill Mozdzierz, reasons 1.4b,d
1. (C) Denmark fully supports our view that new UNIFIL
contributions must be deployed as quickly as possible, Danish
MFA Head of Department for Middle East and Latin America
Tomas Anker Christensen confirmed August 16, in response to
ref (A) demarche. Christensen noted with alarm recent
suggestions from French officials that it could take up to a
year for UNIFIL to reach its full strngth of 15,000 troops,
arguing that such a delibrate pace would only embolden
Hezbollah further.As it is, Christensen observed, Lebanese
forces emain reluctant to move south of the Litani (while
taking note of our and French engagement to help ake that
happen) and the prospects for disarmingHezbollah appear to
be poor.
2. (C) The Danish government has not yet taken a formal
decision on its proposed UNIFIL contribution, although
Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller has mentioned publicly his
and Defense Minister Gade's agreement to send naval forces
(Ref B),even identifying by name the Danish corvette to be
sent in that case. Christensen explained that the Danish
offer is complicated somewhat by other military commitments
(the Danish navy plans to send a corvette to the Horn of
Africa as part of CTF-150) and by the virtual armada of ships
being offered to UNIFIL by other nations (other Nordic
governments, Germany and the UK). The Danish maritime
contribution could end up as part of a rotation, depending on
other participants and UNIFIL's as-yet-unidentified
requirements.
3. (C) Christensen used our discussion to assure us that the
Finnish EU presidency had been freelancing when it suggested
last week that the European Union might somehow get involved
in direct negotiations with Hezbollah. The Danes "totally
and fully" disagree with that idea, he said, adding that many
others in the EU had also objected strongly (Christensen
reported that French FM Douste-Blazy told Moeller in New York
that he had called his Finnish counterpart to register his
fierce disapproval).
CAIN