DEMARCHE DELIVERED: SOLITICITING UNIFIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 016302 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR P, EUR, NEA, PM, IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2016 TAGS: IS LE MARR MOPS PK PREL UN SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: SOLITICITING UNIFIL CONTRIBUTIONS REF: STATE 134133 Classified By: CDA Peter W. Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This cable contains an action request; please see para. 5. ¶2. (C) On August 18, poloff presented reftel points to MFA (UN) Director Haider Shah. Poloff also asked about the accuracy of August 18 reports in the Pakistani press quoting Foreign Minister Kasuri, traveling in the Middle East with an OIC delegation, as saying that the Lebanese PrimeMinister had specifically asked that Pakistan participate in the UNIFIL mission and that the Government of Pakistan (GOP) is seriously considering the request. ¶3. (C) After excusing himself to telephone his superiors in the UN Directorate, Shah returned saying that he was authorized to say only that the GOP has not/not made any commitment to contribute troops to UNIFIL. He could not comment on whether the press had quoted FM Kasuri accurately or whether the GOP is considering a contribution. Shah explained that the Pakistan Mission at UNHQ has attended meetings of troop-contributing countries (TCCs) organized by DPKO, but only in the capacity of a member of the peace-building committee, not as a contributor. ¶4. (C) Shah asked poloff about media reports (source unknown) that Israel opposes UNIFIL troop contributions by Moslem countries and/or countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Poloff replied that she had not seen such reports, but that she would seek additional information from Washington. ¶5. (C) Action request: Post requests guidance from the Department on any Israeli redlines regarding which UN member states it would consider acceptable as UNIFIL contributors. BODDE