Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUBLIN839
2006-07-14 16:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dublin
Cable title:  

PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE: IRELAND CALLS FOR MIDDLE EAST

Tags:  PREL UNAUS EUN YI MW SR BO IR IZ KPAL SU 
pdf how-to read a cable
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P 141640Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7232
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 0092
RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 0039
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000839 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2016
TAGS: PREL UNAUS EUN YI MW SR BO IR IZ KPAL SU
CG, EI
SUBJECT: PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE: IRELAND CALLS FOR MIDDLE EAST
RESTRAINT, PUSHES SUDAN ON UN FORCE

REF: A. STATE 114605


B. STATE 15346

C. STATE 115371

D. DUBLIN 799

Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Mary E. Daly, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000839

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2016
TAGS: PREL UNAUS EUN YI MW SR BO IR IZ KPAL SU
CG, EI
SUBJECT: PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE: IRELAND CALLS FOR MIDDLE EAST
RESTRAINT, PUSHES SUDAN ON UN FORCE

REF: A. STATE 114605


B. STATE 15346

C. STATE 115371

D. DUBLIN 799

Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Mary E. Daly, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: The Irish Government recognizes Israel's
right to self-defense, though not at the expense of
Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, according to Department
of Foreign Affairs (DFA) EU Correspondent Jim Kelly, to whom
emboffs delivered refs A-C demarches. Kelly cited a July 13
statement by Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern urging all
sides in the Middle East to exercise restraint and to
cooperate with diplomatic efforts to defuse the current
crisis. Kelly noted that Foreign Minister Ahern planned to
brief the July 17 GAERC on his recent discussions with the
Sudanese Government on EU/international support for a UN
force to replace AMIS by year's end. According to
participants in Ahern's visit to Sudan, the humanitarian
situation in Darfur is still troubling, but not as severe as
in previous months. Regarding the Balkans, Ireland and EU
Member States were focused on the challenge of helping Serbia
to play a more constructive role in the Kosovo status talks,
while at the same time insisting that Belgrade show full
cooperation with ICTY. Kelly added that Ireland was
guardedly optimistic about the July 30 elections in the
Congo, which could be a monumental step toward stabilizing
central Africa. He also noted previous DFA talking points
supporting the U.S. call for a return to the 6-party process
in the aftermath of North Korea's missile tests. End
summary.

Middle East
--------------


2. (C) Kelly observed that the July 17 GAERC would focus
intensely on the current Middle East crisis, and he cited
points from Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern's July 13 statement
calling for restraint on all sides. In the statement, Ahern

underscored Israel's right to defend itself, and he urged the
release of captured Israeli soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon as
well as the cessation of rocket attacks. The statement
noted, however, that Israel's right to self-defense should
not be exercised "at the expense of the lives and welfare of
Palestinian and Lebanese civilians" through "harshly
disproportionate military action." The statement concluded
that Israel should "end its blockade on Lebanon, stop the
destruction of civilian infrastructure in Lebanon and Gaza,
and act urgently to avoid a humanitarian crisis in the
Occupied Territories."


3. (C) More generally, Kelly agreed that Hamas and Hizbollah
had precipitated the crisis, but cautioned that the situation
in Gaza and Lebanon threatened to spiral out of control,
particularly with political engagement now in abeyance. He
added that international efforts were urgently needed to
convince all sides to step back from violence and to avoid
further civilian casualties. Kelly added that EU Foreign
Policy Chief Solana would travel to the region over the
weekend, though it was unclear whether he would be able to
engage with principals in the conflict.

Sudan
--------------


4. (C) Kelly said that Foreign Minister Ahern would brief
the GAERC on his July 2-5 visit to Khartoum and Darfur, the
first visit to Sudan by an EU Foreign Minister since the
signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). In his meeting
with Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol, Ahern emphasized
strong EU and international support for a transition from the
AMIS force to a UN peacekeeping operation. Lam Akol's
response was "not as negative as might have been expected,"
according to Kelly, who nevertheless cautioned that the
Foreign Minister was from southern Sudan and that views on
the UN force within Sudan's coalition government were still
fluid. He added that Ireland would make a pledge at the July
18 Donors' Conference in Brussels to bolster AMIS for its
extended mandate through year's end, but he did not know the
exact pledge amount.


5. (C) In his talks with Foreign Minister Akol, NGOs, and UN
Special Representative Jan Pronk, Ahern also highlighted the
need to remove impediments to humanitarian assistance in
Darfur, and he subsequently claimed to have received
assurances from the Sudanese government in that regard.
Kelly noted that Irish NGOs active in Darfur, including

DUBLIN 00000839 002 OF 002


Trocaire and Concern, had pressed Ahern strongly on
humanitarian access in the lead-up to the visit. Kelly cited
comments from DFA Political Director Rory Montgomery, who
accompanied Ahern to Sudan, that the humanitarian situation
in Darfur remained troubling, though seemingly not as bad as
earlier in the year. When emboffs asked for Ahern's general
views on the viability of the DPA, Kelly replied that the
challenge lay in signing all parties up to the agreement,
including factions whose leaders resided outside the region
and thus were removed from the tragedy on the ground.

Balkans
--------------


6. (C) Kelly expected GAERC discussions on the Balkans to
focus on Kosovo, with plans for UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari,
EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, and European
Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn to brief ministers on
progress in the final status process. Kelly said that Solana
and Rehn would likely concentrate on the major role to be
played by the EU in post-status Kosovo, a role that Ireland
would strongly support. Kelly also pointed out the challenge
of helping Serbia to play a more constructive role in the
final status talks, while at the same time insisting that
Belgrade show full cooperation with ICTY. He added that the
Irish Government was pleased with the successful Macedonian
elections, but shared U.S. concerns about isolated violence
that marked the event. He also noted that the GAERC would
likely not discuss Bosnia, due to the more pressing Middle
East concerns.

Congo
--------------


7. Like the United States, Ireland and EU Member States see
the DRC's July 30 presidential and parliamentary elections as
a monumental step toward resolving a conflict that has
destabilized central Africa, said Kelly. He noted that the
Irish Government was generally optimistic about the
elections' prospects, notwithstanding disappointments that
had marked previous optimistic phases in the conflict. Kelly
pointed out that the EU and Ireland had contributed euro 235
million and euro 1 million, respectively, to the DRC
electoral process. Ireland also planned to assign two
persons to the EU's election monitoring team.

North Korea
--------------


8. Kelly said that DFA points on North Korea remained those
conveyed to Post in ref D, in which Ireland supported EU-U.S.
solidarity in pressing for a return to the 6-Party diplomatic
approach. Kelly also commented on the difficulty of reading
Kim Jong Il's motives with the recent missile tests, noting
the "loopy" communication that North Korea's Foreign Ministry
had had with some EU Member States' diplomats in recent years.

Transnistria
--------------


9. The Irish Government agreed with ref C demarche points on
the need for diplomatic efforts, particularly by Russia, to
prevent the planned September 17 referendum on Transnistria's
independence, which Kelly described as a "surreal
development." He also recounted a discussion on the margins
of the informal EU Political Directors meeting in Helsinki
the week of July 3, in which EU diplomats speculated that the
Transnistrian Supreme Soviet's announcement on the referendum
was partly a response to a recent car bomb in Tiraspol that
killed nine ethnic Russians.
KENNY