NO LUXEMBOURG DECISION ON HOW TO SUPPORT UNIFIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L LUXEMBOURG 000461 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2011 TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL UN LE LU SUBJECT: NO LUXEMBOURG DECISION ON HOW TO SUPPORT UNIFIL REF: A. LUXEMBOURG 448 ¶B. STATE 134133 ¶C. LUXEMBOURG 438 ¶D. STATE 132517 Classified By: A/DCM Dan Foote; Reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) A/DCM discussed the issue of contributions to UNIFIL with MFA Deputy Defense Director Serge Alzin on August 22. An uncharacteristically tight-lipped Alzin mentioned that the Defense Directorate was working on the issue; he expects a GOL decision on the composition of a contribution within one week. When pressed to provide details of options under consideration, including potential support to the urgent first tranche of UNIFIL forces hoped to deploy by next week, Alzin replied only that no options were currently off the table. ¶2. (C) Also on August 22, emboff raised this issue with Desk Officer Daniel Da Cruz in the MFA's vacation-depleted Political Directorate. Da Cruz reiterated the stance that Luxembourg wants to contribute to UNIFIL under the right circumstances but continues to await further clarification regarding UNIFIL's composition, mandate, and rules of engagement. He expressed his hope that EU discussions at the August 23 PSC meeting and further UN dialogue would soon provide sufficient clarity for the GOL to arrive at a decision. ¶3. (C) Comment: While Luxembourg appears ready to commit to participation in Lebanon on some level, it is apparent that the GOL will not be among the first to reach a decision. The GOL is likely to closely and cautiously watch the situation develop and make its decisions based, in part, upon both the terms of the expanded UNIFIL mission and upon synergies with other participants. Luxembourg's historic contributions of small numbers of troops to international missions have largely been in the context of embedded deployment with other nations' forces. While Belgium has been its main partner in such missions, Luxembourg's current participation in KFOR is shifting to a French battalion in Kosovo. Deputy Defense Director Alzin's admission that his directorate is working on this issue signals that some stage of military planning is underway for potential troop deployment; the question the GOL must answer is whether Luxembourg will contribute troops, logistics, funding, or some combination thereof. We expect this issue to be discussed at the GOL's August 25 Council of Ministers meeting. End comment. WAGNER