KUWAIT: DEMARCHE ON UNSCR 1701

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003241 SIPDIS SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2016 TAGS: PREL MOPS UNSC LE KU IS SUBJECT: KUWAIT: DEMARCHE ON UNSCR 1701 REF: SECSTATE 132517 Classified By: CDA Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C/NF) CDA delivered reftel demarche points and copy of Secretary Rice's EOV to MFA Chief of Staff Shaykh Ahmad SIPDIS Nasser Al-Sabah on August 12. Shaykh Ahmad said the GOK was pleased that the vote had been unanimous and that the resolution provided support to PM Siniora and the GOL's Seven Point Plan. ¶2. (C/NF) He then asked what was to be made of media reports that the Israeli campaign against southern Lebanon appeared to be expanding--within hours of the resolution's passage. Waving aside reference to OP 1 language about Israel ceasing all offensive military operations, Shaykh Ahmad said that while diplomats and lawyers no doubt understood the difference between a cessation of hostilities and a ceasefire, the Arab public would see Israeli actions as flagrant disregard for the Security Council and the will of the international community. ¶3. (C/NF) Asking his notetaker to cease writing so he could speak "off the record", Shaykh Ahmad said that for the moderate Arab states, the "external" war between Israel and Hizballah did not cause much concern. However, real concern was felt about the "internal" war in Lebanon. Hizballah was seeking to overthrow and replace the legitimate government. With that war in mind, Hizballah wanted to see Israel continue to strike targets in Lebanon. Shaykh Ahmad urged that the USG keep front and center the need to prevent Hizballah from defeating the Siniora government. TUELLER