(C) UK FOREIGN SECRETARY PESSIMISTIC ON LEBANON

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 005861 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA, NEA/I, IO/UNP, P, EUR/UBI E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS UN IS LE UK SUBJECT: (C) UK FOREIGN SECRETARY PESSIMISTIC ON LEBANON SCR; TRAVEL TO NY DELAYED BY FOILED TERRORIST ATTACK REF: STATE 130906 Classified By: A/DCM John P. Caulfield, Reasons 1,4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett is pessimistic enough about the future of the draft Lebanon Security Council resolution that she planned to travel early this morning (August 10) to New York to do what she could to help the negotiations, Middle East/North Africa Director (NEA A/S-equivalent) Peter Gooderham told A/DCM August 10 in response to reftel demarche. However, Beckett was unable to travel because the thwarted terrorist attack on flights between the U.S. and UK severely delayed or cancelled flights (septel). Beckett is looking to travel to NY either later today or tomorrow (August 11). Gooderham praised UK-U.S. cooperation so far on the resolution and reiterated the UK's support for the U.S.-French draft, noting that a solo French resolution is a bad idea. He stressed the importance of answering remaining questions on the mandate and size of an expanded UNIFIL. He also reiterated the tremendous domestic pressure HMG is under to resolve the crisis. End summary. ¶2. (C) A/DCM delivered reftel demarche August 10 to Middle East/North Africa Director Peter Gooderham, who said HMG is pleased with U.S.-UK cooperation on the issue at the UN, through our respective embassies, and between London and Washington. He reiterated UK support for the U.S.-France draft resolution but said Foreign Secretary Beckett has become pessimistic about the future of the resolution, given the drift of the last 2-3 days. Beckett believes that she should go to New York to do what she can to bring the issue to closure at the UN, Gooderham said; she was under no illusions that her efforts would succeed but felt she had to try. Pointing to his packed suitcase, Gooderham said he had planned to accompany Beckett to New York this morning. The trip has been postponed, however, because the foiled terrorist plot to blow up flights between the U.S. and UK had made travel all but impossible. Beckett will try to travel either later today or early tomorrow, depending on the situation at the airports. ¶3. (C) On the concept of an expanded UNIFIL, Gooderham laid out the issues he considered still remained to be resolved: its mandate (like the U.S., the UK favors a Chapter VII mandate to support the LAF),its size (it needs to be sufficiently larger than the current ineffectual force, but we should be careful about setting the bar too high, he said),and the quickest way to deploy it. The UK is concerned that there may not be sufficient troop contributors to the expanded UNIFIL, and there are worries within HMG - unconfirmed by hard evidence, Gooderham stressed - that a strengthened mandate might cause current UNIFIL contributors India and Ghana to pull out. ¶4. (C) Finally, Gooderham reiterated the intense domestic pressure HMG in general and PM Tony Blair in particular are under to resolve the crisis as soon as possible. The PM is determined to resist this pressure until a durable, lasting solution is in place. In the meantime, the UK is seeking to stave off some criticism by focusing on facilitating humanitarian relief, especially fuel supplies. Gooderham noted that UK embassy officials in Washington had been in touch with various parts of the Administration August 9 on this issue. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm Tuttle