Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS5668
2006-08-24 12:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:
LEBANON/UNFIL: CHIRAC TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT ON
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHFR #5668 2361232 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 241232Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0627 INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 0428 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 005668
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2016
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR EUN LE KPKO UNSC FR
SUBJECT: LEBANON/UNFIL: CHIRAC TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT ON
FRENCH PARTICIPATION
REF: A. PARIS POINTS OF AUGUST 24 AND PREVIOUS
B. PARIS 5608
Classified By: CDA Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (B & D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 005668
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2016
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR EUN LE KPKO UNSC FR
SUBJECT: LEBANON/UNFIL: CHIRAC TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT ON
FRENCH PARTICIPATION
REF: A. PARIS POINTS OF AUGUST 24 AND PREVIOUS
B. PARIS 5608
Classified By: CDA Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (B & D).
1. (U) President Chirac will go on national television at
8:00 p.m. tonight, August 24, to announce the decision taken
earlier today, in his meeting with concerned cabinet
ministers (PM, MFA, MOD),regarding France's participation in
UNIFIL-plus.
2. (C) In an August 24 meeting of CDA with incoming MFA
Middle East A/S-equivalent Jean Felix-Paganon (discussing
Israeli FM Livni's August 23 visit, septel),Felix-Paganon
declined to offer details on the substance of Chirac's
message (the cabinet meeting was still ongoing). However,
he did affirm that Chirac's decision to go public in advance
of the August 25 EU Ministerial meeting undoubtedly meant
that France would be offering an additional contribution of
troops beyond the 200 announced earlier. He also expressed
confidence that the EU would agree on adequate contributions
at its August 25 ministerial meeting and that those forces
would be deployed within two weeks, if not earlier. He did
not venture a prediction on the dimensions of other national
contributions.
3. (C) In the lead-up to today's cabinet decision, PM
Dominique de Villepin suggested August 23, following his
meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Livni, that France,"as
the country most engaged and most present in Lebanon," wished
"to go further" provided that appropriate conditions were met
with respect to UNIFIL's mission, ROE's and chain of command.
Chirac's Middle East advisor, Dominique Boche, told us that
those French concerns had been largely resolved during
meetings in Paris August 21 with DPKO U/SGY Guehenno --
apparently paving the way for the decision taken today.
5. (U) The August 24 edition of Le Monde (see Paris Points
of August 24),in what appeared to be a well-sourced article,
reports several key elements of the likely GOF position, in
particular with respect to French concerns on ROE and command
arrangements, but stops short of offering numbers.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
Rosenblatt
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2016
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR EUN LE KPKO UNSC FR
SUBJECT: LEBANON/UNFIL: CHIRAC TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT ON
FRENCH PARTICIPATION
REF: A. PARIS POINTS OF AUGUST 24 AND PREVIOUS
B. PARIS 5608
Classified By: CDA Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (B & D).
1. (U) President Chirac will go on national television at
8:00 p.m. tonight, August 24, to announce the decision taken
earlier today, in his meeting with concerned cabinet
ministers (PM, MFA, MOD),regarding France's participation in
UNIFIL-plus.
2. (C) In an August 24 meeting of CDA with incoming MFA
Middle East A/S-equivalent Jean Felix-Paganon (discussing
Israeli FM Livni's August 23 visit, septel),Felix-Paganon
declined to offer details on the substance of Chirac's
message (the cabinet meeting was still ongoing). However,
he did affirm that Chirac's decision to go public in advance
of the August 25 EU Ministerial meeting undoubtedly meant
that France would be offering an additional contribution of
troops beyond the 200 announced earlier. He also expressed
confidence that the EU would agree on adequate contributions
at its August 25 ministerial meeting and that those forces
would be deployed within two weeks, if not earlier. He did
not venture a prediction on the dimensions of other national
contributions.
3. (C) In the lead-up to today's cabinet decision, PM
Dominique de Villepin suggested August 23, following his
meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Livni, that France,"as
the country most engaged and most present in Lebanon," wished
"to go further" provided that appropriate conditions were met
with respect to UNIFIL's mission, ROE's and chain of command.
Chirac's Middle East advisor, Dominique Boche, told us that
those French concerns had been largely resolved during
meetings in Paris August 21 with DPKO U/SGY Guehenno --
apparently paving the way for the decision taken today.
5. (U) The August 24 edition of Le Monde (see Paris Points
of August 24),in what appeared to be a well-sourced article,
reports several key elements of the likely GOF position, in
particular with respect to French concerns on ROE and command
arrangements, but stops short of offering numbers.
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm
Rosenblatt