Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06USUNNEWYORK1392
2006-07-19 15:35:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:  

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES LEBANON; SEVERAL

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER UNSC KPKO LE IS 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUCNDT #1392/01 2001535
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O 191535Z JUL 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9647
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV IMMEDIATE 1198
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001392 

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER UNSC KPKO LE IS
SUBJECT: SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES LEBANON; SEVERAL
MEMBERS CALL FOR ACTION BEFORE NAMBIAR MISSION CONCLUDES

REF: BEIRUT 2403

Classified By: Ambassador John R. Bolton, per 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001392

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SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER UNSC KPKO LE IS
SUBJECT: SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES LEBANON; SEVERAL
MEMBERS CALL FOR ACTION BEFORE NAMBIAR MISSION CONCLUDES

REF: BEIRUT 2403

Classified By: Ambassador John R. Bolton, per 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. During closed consultations on July 17, the
UN Security Council heard briefings from DPA U/SYG Gambari
and DPKO A/SYG Lute on the situation in Lebanon and discussed
possible reaction from the Council. Gambari and Lute
condemned Hizballah attacks on Israel, expressed concerns
about the humanitarian consequences of Israel's response, and
called for an immediate end to hostilities. Gambari cited
SYG Annan's call for "time and space for diplomacy" and
proposal for Council consideration of a "package of actions,"
including a stabilization force. He reported SYG Special
Adviser Nambiar and his team had held "promising" talks in
Cairo and Beirut and would travel next to Israel and the West
Bank/Gaza. He said there was "an intention" to go to Syria,
and that the team could arrive in New York possibly by the
end of the week. Cataloguing threats to UNIFIL personnel
from IDF military action, Lute also expressed concern that PM
Olmert's assurances to SYG Annan of freedom of movement for
UNIFIL had not yet been fulfilled.


2. (C) Following briefings by the Secretariat, several
Council members proposed that the French Ambassador (as
President of the UNSC) deliver a press statement noting the
morning's consultations, declaring the UNSC's intent to
remain engaged on the situation in Lebanon, and urging
restraint and the importance of avoiding civilian casualties.
They noted that the G-8 and the Arab League had issued
statements calling on the Council to act. After Ambassador
Bolton argued strongly that the Council should wait for
Nambiar to return before pronouncing on the conflict, the
French Ambassador agreed to brief the press solely in his
personal capacity and not on behalf of the UNSC. Several
Council members expressed interest in Council action after a
Nambiar briefing, possibly as early as this Friday. End

Summary.

Secretariat Urges Restraint

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and Promotes Cease-Fire
--------------


3. (C) During their briefings to the Council, Department of
Political Affairs Under Secretary-General (U/SYG) Gambari and
Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Assistant
Secretary-General (A/SYG) Lute both condemned Hizballah

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attacks on Israel, expressed concerns about the impact on
civilians and civilian targets of Israel's response, and
called for an immediate end to hostilities. Warning of a
devastating impact on Lebanon and the broader region if the
situation continues to escalate, Gambari demanded that
Hizballah stop its "indiscriminate" attacks on Israeli
population centers. Noting that civilians are bearing the
brunt of the conflict, he also argued that Israeli targeting
of Lebanon's civilian infrastructure must end, and asserted
there is no viable military solution to the conflict.
Gambari expressed deep concerns that Israeli calls to
civilians in south Lebanon to leave their homes were breaches
of international law. He announced that the UN would
dispatch a four-person team from the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to help manage
humanitarian relief efforts.


4. (C) Turning to SYG Special Adviser Nambiar's mission to
the Middle East, Gambari told the Council that the UN
delegation held "promising" talks with Egyptian officials and
Arab League FMs in Cairo as well as GOL PM Siniora and
Speaker of the Parliament Berri in Beirut. Nambiar and his
team would travel on to Israel to raise with the GOI the
ideas they discussed with Siniora. If necessary, they would
travel on to the Palestinian territories and possibly return
to Beirut to continue consultations with the GOL. In
response to a question by Ambassador Bolton, Gambari
confirmed that the team intends to visit Damascus. He
expressed hope that the Nambiar team would return to New York
by the end of the week -- at which point they would brief the
Council on their mission. In appealing to the UNSC to play
its role in defusing the crisis, Gambari noted statements by
the Arab League and the G-8 -- as well as PM Siniora's
address on July 15 -- to emphasize the importance of an
immediate cease-fire, the release of the Israeli "abductees,"
and efforts to address the humanitarian situation. He also
referred to SYG Annan's suggestion that the Council consider
a package of measures, including a plan to ensure
implementation of UNSCRs 1559 and 1680 and a new UN
"stabilization force."


5. (C) Describing the status of UNIFIL personnel, A/SYG Lute

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expressed concern that assurances from Israeli PM Olmert to
SYG Annan about freedom of movement for UNIFIL personnel had
not yet been fulfilled, resulting in limitations on UNIFIL
operations. She reported 17 instances of IDF fire close to
UNIFIL positions on July 16 alone. UN position 833 (near
Houleh) had been hit by two IDF tank rounds, she said, which
had resulted in injury to one soldier assigned to UNIFIL; UN
position 644 (near al-Tirri) had also suffered a direct hit
with no casualties. Lute also said UNIFIL forces had been
put in danger when the IDF shelled UNIFIL conveys escorting
civilians leaving the Lebanese village of Marwahin. IDF
shelling of the city of Tyre, where UNIFIL personnel are
housed, had damaged an apartment building near UN housing but
had caused no injuries. (Note: The Israeli Mission to the UN
is compiling a response to DPKO,s briefing for USUN use in
future consultations. End Note.) UNIFIL had asked the IDF
for an eight-hour window July 17 to re-supply its positions,
which the IDF supported. She said the UN was planning sea
and land evacuations (to the north) of UN staff and
dependents out of Lebanon. In addition to describing the
status of UN forces, Lute also noted that UNIFIL had today
observed three IDF tanks crossing the Blue Line at Ras
Naqoura as well as IDF troops erecting concrete blocks at
Ghajjar inside south Lebanon.

Several Delegates Call for UNSC Action
Before Nambiar Mission Concludes
--------------


6. (C) After briefings by the Secretariat, the Danish
delegation expressed support for a UNSC press statement
noting the day's briefings and declaring the Council's intent
to remain engaged on the situation in Lebanon. Other
delegations, however, including the French, Argentines,
Greeks, Chinese, Tanzanians, and Ghanians, proposed a more
detailed statement in which the Council would also urge
restraint and reiterate the importance of avoiding civilian
casualties. While acknowledging differences of opinion about
calls for a cease-fire, the Qatari delegation argued that the
Council should support a truce to allow diplomatic efforts to
succeed. Ambassador Bolton argued strongly that the Council
should not cherry-pick substantive elements from the two-page
G-8 statement and should wait for the Nambiar mission to
return to pronounce on the issue. After a long discussion,
the French Ambassador agreed that he would brief the press in
his personal capacity on the morning's consultations and
would not make a statement on behalf of the entire Council.


7. (C) The French Ambassador announced he would hold
bilateral discussions with Council members to determine how
the UNSC should respond to briefings by Nambiar and his team.
He suggested preliminarily that the Council should support
the GOL, seek a lasting resolution of the conflict through
the full implementation of UNSCRs 1559 and 1680, and arrange
an immediate cease-fire. The UK DPR, recounting PM Blair's
comments during a joint press conference with SYG Annan about
a possible "international security presence" to help prevent
attacks by Hizballah on Israel, said the UK was ready to work
on the details of such a force as well as a plan to implement
outstanding UNSCRs. She suggested the Council agree on these
points by the time the Nambiar mission returns to New York.
China and Russia argued that the Council need not wait until
Nambiar returns to take action and both supported an
immediate cease-fire. Japan said it was flexible on the
question of UNSC action before Nambiar's return and expressed
its support for the principles contained in the G-8
declaration. Qatar reiterated the importance of a cease-fire
and insisted that Israel could not take it upon itself to
implement UNSCR

1559.
BOLTON