IRELAND WELCOMES LEBANON UNSC RESOLUTION, WANTS

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000918 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS UN IS EI SUBJECT: IRELAND WELCOMES LEBANON UNSC RESOLUTION, WANTS IMMEDIATE CEASE-FIRE REF: STATE 128442 ¶1. (SBU) Ireland would welcome the passage of the draft UNSC resolution on Lebanon, according to Stephen Dawson, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) First Secretary for Middle East and North African Affairs, to whom emboffs delivered reftel demarche on August 8 (with Ireland observing a holiday on August 7). Dawson noted that the Irish Government recognized the difficulty of the diplomatic negotiations that had yielded the resolution text, which, he added, was impressive in scope. He observed that Ireland had no issue with the resolution's wording, but would have favored an additional "aspirational" reference to Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Given the Lebanese Government's initial criticism of the draft resolution, the Irish Government also had questions about the extent to which UNSC negotiators had coordinated with Lebanon and Israel on the text. Ireland nevertheless trusted that the UNSC was working with all parties to create the permissive environment necessary to implement the resolution's key provision: the proposed deployment of a multinational force between the Blue Line and Litani River. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: Through DFA press statements and media interviews with Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern, the Irish Government has taken a strong public stand in favor of an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon. A significant factor in the Irish position has been heavy media coverage of the civilian casualties of Israeli military actions, which has fueled several small-scale protests at both Post and the Israeli Embassy in Dublin. Another factor has been Irish Government concerns about the UNIFIL mission, which has included Irish troops since its establishment. It was one of the 17 current Irish UNIFIL members who repeatedly warned Israel prior to the July 25 bombing of the mission observer post that killed several UNIFIL officers. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit Dublin's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/dublin/index. cfm KENNY