KUWAITI FM URGES P-5 TO SUPPORT UNSCR THAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003214 SIPDIS SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2016 TAGS: PREL LE KU SUBJECT: KUWAITI FM URGES P-5 TO SUPPORT UNSCR THAT STRENGTHENS SINIORA POSITION Classified By: CDA Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister convoked representatives of P-5 missions on August 9 to urge support for a UNSC resolution that would incorporate the fundamental elements of PM Siniora's 7 point plan. Kuwait sees the UNSC faced not just with a ceasefire resolution, but at a decision point regarding the future of Lebanon and moderate Arab states. He added that in its Lebanon deliberations, the UNSC needs to take into account rising dangers in the region from violence in Iraq and from the deadline for Iranian compliance with UNSCR 1696. Re the Saudi proposal for an AL summit meeting, he said the aim is to shore up Siniora's fragile internal consensus, and to get the international community to pay renewed attention to the Arab-Israeli peace process, especially King Abdullah's plan. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The Chinese Ambassador and CDAs of U.S., UK, France, and Russia were convoked by Kuwaiti FM Shaykh Muhammad Al-Sabah on August 9 to receive a message on the situation in Lebanon. In laying the background for his presentation, Dr. Muhammad lavishly praised the leadership being displayed by Lebanese PM Siniora. Against all odds Siniora had crafted a consensus of all Lebanese factions around his 7 point plan. The Council of Ministers decision to dispatch 15,000 LAF troops to the south was courageous and deserved full support. Nobody could have imagined the GOL being able to take these steps. That said, saying he was choosing his words carefully, Shaykh Muhammad described Siniora's internal position as fragile, with only a tenuous unity holding the Lebanese government together. ¶3. (C) For that reason, the UNSC ceasefire resolution needed to incorporate Siniora's 7 points. Shaykh Muhammad described this as critical to the sustainability of the Lebanese government. Siniora is the only person in a position to lead Lebanon along a sensible, moderate path. To prevent Lebanon from collapse and becoming a breeding ground for extremists, the international community needs to see the resolution as not just about a ceasefire, but about the future of Lebanon. It is not an exageration, Dr. Muhammad warned, to see the current crisis as a critical point for the future of the moderate, rational Arab camp. Kuwait was appealling to the international community to rein in those who were seeking to draw the region into further conflict. ¶4. (C) Shaykh Muhammad said the UNSC also needed to take into account two other ominous developments that the moderate Arab governments were watching with the utmost concern--the drift to violence in Iraq and the approaching deadline for Iran to comply with UNSCR 1696. His remarks on the situation in Iraq were more downbeat than we have heard before from him or other senior GOK officials. The GOK, he said, was studying the impact of different Iraq scenarios and was using the worst-case scenario of a full-fledged civil war in Iraq as the benchmark, preparing responses to limit the fallout for Kuwait. ¶5. (C) CDA asked about the aim of the AL summit meeting being called for by the Saudis. Shaykh Muhammad said Kuwait fully supported the Saudi call and there was lots of momentum building in favor of holding the summit. The first aim would be to support Siniora by applying "unifying pressure" on all the Lebanese factions. The second aim would be to address the real cause of violence in the region--lack of movement in the peace process. "Benign neglect" has led to the situation we are in now. The SAG hoped to reintroduce King Abdullah's peace plan and call on the international community to reciprocate with renewed focus on the Arab-Isreali conflict. ¶6. (C) The British CDA asked about the role the Syrians had played in the Beirut meeting. Shaykh Muhammad said Walid Mu'allem had been very helpful. While voicing some concerns about whether the 7 points reflected the totality of views of all Lebanese parties, he had accepted the GOL position and been supportive. The Syrian FM had called for a statement praising the courageous Islamic resistance. The ministers noted this but the language in the end was not reflected in the communique. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * TUELLER