ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL DEMARCHE: OMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 001327

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2016
TAGS: PREL LE SU MU
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL DEMARCHE: OMAN

REF: A. MUSCAT 1317

B. STATE 145279

Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) Summary: Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs
Yusef bin Alawi will not attend the Arab League Ministerial
in Cairo. Alawi is supportive of UNSCR 1701, but criticized
Israel for refusing to lift its blockade of Lebanon. On
Sudan, Alawi said that Oman will join its Arab League
counterparts in rejecting any UN resolution or plan to
address the situation in Darfur that does not have the
consent of the Sudanese government. End Summary.


2. (U) The Ambassador on September 4 delivered ref B points
to Minister Alawi in advance of the upcoming Arab League (AL)
Ministerial in Cairo. Alawi noted that while he planned to
attend the September 5 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting
in Jeddah, he would not attend the AL Ministerial. Oman
would instead be represented in Cairo by the head of its
diplomatic mission in Egypt.


3. (C) On Lebanon, Alawi characterized UN Security Council
Resolution 1701 as a "victory" for proponents of peace, and
said that he hoped that all relevant parties would support
its implementation. He continued, however, that Israel was
not in compliance with UNSCR 1701 as it had yet to lift its
blockade of Lebanon. Alawi said that he did not see the need
for continuation of the blockade with the deployment of
UNIFIL troops and a Syrian pledge to respect the UN
resolution. He added that the blockade was of limited
effectiveness since there was already "plenty of arms" within
Lebanon, and that smugglers would not be easily deterred by
the blockade from sneaking weapons into the country.


4. (C) Responding to the points on Sudan, Alawi strongly
criticized the passage of UN Security Resolution 1706. He
stated that any resolution or plan to address the situation
in Darfur that did not have the consent of the Sudanese
government would "cause more problems than it would solve."
He also commented that sending an international force to
Darfur without Khartoum's approval could be seen as "an act
of war."


5. (C) Alawi acknowledged that the international community
"cannot sit back and do nothing" in response to the situation
in Darfur, and stressed that Oman was fully supportive of
continued negotiations between Khartoum and the United
Nations to address humanitarian concerns in Darfur. But he
stated firmly that Sudan must agree to any proposed course of
action and that Oman, like the rest of the Arab League, would
support Khartoum's position on this matter.


6. (U) Alawi's statements on the contested election for the
GRULAC seat on the UN Security Council are reported in ref A.
GRAPPO