FRANCE/GAERC: GOF MAD ON LEBANON; SKEPTICAL ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 007337

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2016
TAGS: PREL FR EUN PGOV PHUM UNAUS YI SR BK CG IS
LE, IR, RS, UZ, CU, KPAL, TU, CY
SUBJECT: FRANCE/GAERC: GOF MAD ON LEBANON; SKEPTICAL ON
MIDDLE EAST; FM GOES TOO FAR ON TURKEY-CYPRUS

REF: STATE 183545

Classified By: A/DCM Josiah Rosenblatt for reasons 1.4 (B & D).


1. (U) We shared reftel points November 7 with MFA
DAS-equivalent for the Middle East Herve Besancenot,
DAS-equivalent for Iran Franck Gellet, DAS-equivalent for
Nonproliferation (Iran) Philippe Errera and Deputy David
Bertolotti, and DAS-equivalent for CFSP Emmanuel Cohet.
Separately, we raised with DAS-equivalent for Southern Europe
Marine du Carne FM Douste-Blazy's public statement suggesting
that Turkey needed to recognize Cyprus by the time of the EU
Summit in December.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
--------------

2. (C) Besancenot responded November 8 that he generally
agreed with U.S. points, with two notable exceptions. On
para 4 regarding implementation of the USSC Karni Plan,
Besancenot said that France's priority is ensuring that the
Rafah Crossing stays open. "We,ll talk about Karni when the
Rafah Crossing is really open," Besancenot said. He
explained that the Quai is unhappy with the status quo
whereby Israel allows the Rafah Crossing to open for a day or
two, and then closes the crossing for alleged security
reasons. Besancenot questioned the seriousness of those
security concerns, suggesting that Israel was instead using
closure of the crossing as a means of pressuring the PA to
facilitate the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.


3. (C) Besancenot also objected to the mention in para 5 of
PM Olmert,s agreement, in principle, to use frozen
Palestinian customs revenue transfers to support "limited
humanitarian projects." Besancenot said that agreement was
"good, but not sufficient" and that all of the frozen
revenues should be transferred via the Temporary
International Mechanism.

Lebanon/Syria
--------------

4. (C) Besancenot objected to the lack of mention of Israeli
overflights. "For us that,s not acceptable -- overflights
should be mentioned in the first line," said Besancenot. He
then recited the MFA,s standard litany on overflights: they
are contrary to international law and the spirit of UNSCR
1701; while France is sympathetic to Israel's security needs,
some overflights are clearly and unnecessarily provocative;
there is a linkage between ending overflights and enforcing
the arms embargo; and overflights undermine the position of
Lebanese PM Siniora. He complained that the Israeli Air
Force (IAF) was not under adequate civilian control, noting
that the Israeli MFA has told the Quai that complaints about
the overflights need to be taken up directly with the IAF )
an "irregular" response in Besancenot,s opinion. "One
cannot simply deal with the arms embargo without saying one
word on overflights," he concluded. (Comment: The French
position will likely have hardened further in the wake of MOD
Alliot-Marie's public statements that French forces came
close to firing in defense on Israeli aircraft. FM
Douste-Blazy convoked the Israeli Ambassador the morning of
November 9 to discuss the incident. End comment.)

Turkey-EU
--------------

5. (C) Separately, we raised FM Douste-Blazy's November 8
statement that France would deem it necessary to review
Turkey's EU membership timetable if Turkey did not recognize
"the 25 EU Member States" by the end of the year. Carne
affirmed that Douste-Blazy's statement represented "nothing
new" and that France was not about to raise the ante or
attach new conditions to Turkish obligations in the period
between the issuance of the Commission report and the EU
summit in December. She said France continued to subscribe
to the common EU declaration of last year: Turkey would need
to recognize Cyprus "in time," i.e., prior to eventual
accession, but that the immediate need was for the Turks, in
accordance with the Ankara Protocol, to open their ports to
Cypriot vessels in the next month.


6. (C) Asked whether France was now in favor of suspending
negotiations if Turkey did not take sufficient steps by that
time, Carne indicated that, here also, Douste-Blazy had
perhaps strayed a little too far. She said France would
await the results of Turkish actions in the coming weeks and
Finnish recommendations for the Summit before developing a
firm position on next steps. That said, the Douste-Blazy
statement suggests that France tends more to a harsh rather
than a soft response.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

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