NEA DAS GRAY'S NOVEMBER 15 MEETING WITH DEPUTY FM PAROLIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000239 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2016 TAGS: PREL VT SUBJECT: NEA DAS GRAY'S NOVEMBER 15 MEETING WITH DEPUTY FM PAROLIN VATICAN 00000239 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher Sandrolini, Deputy Chief of Mission, EXEC, State. REASON: 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. During a November 15 meeting, NEA DAS Gray discussed Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Holy See deputy foreign minister Parolin. Parolin reminded Gray of the Holy See's great concern for Lebanon, which it had expressed consistently during the conflict this summer along with pleas for Israeli moderation. Parolin said Hizbullah has been strengthened, and he wondered whether assistance funds are being used properly in Lebanon. Parolin described Syria as a problematic regime but questioned the wisdom of attempting to destabilize it. He asked if dialogue could be pursued with Iran. The Holy See also remains very concerned about the humanitarian situation facing Palestinians and the lack of peace in the region; the Vatican favors dialogue, as it always has. Parolin hoped a creative solution could be found leading to a way forward there. He also suggested that the USG should recognize differences between different Hamas leaders, as well as distinguish between global terrorists such as al Qaeda and more localized groups such as Hizbullah. DAS Gray responded to Parolin's points, emphasizing USG commitment to solutions in each area and dedication to the issues. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador Rooney and Gordon Gray, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, called on Monsignor SIPDIS Pietro Parolin on November 15. Parolin is the Under Secretary of State for Relations with States (equivalent to deputy foreign minister). DCM also attended. Lebanon -------------- ¶3. (C) Parolin recalled personally expressing to us -- earlier this year -- the Holy See's great concern over the conflict in Lebanon and the possibility that Hizballah would destabilize the Lebanese government. Now it's happened. The Lebanon conflict had proved counterproductive, as the Holy See had warned, resulting in great violence, disproportionate use of force, and the unfortunate strengthening of Hizballah. It had also led to divisions between Christians. Lebanon is extremely important for the Holy See, as a moderate society where Muslims and Christians can coexist peacefully, and the Vatican is committed to its preservation. Parolin said "we are afraid" about the future in Lebanon. ¶4. (C) Gray noted that President Bush's September 19 address to the UNGA focused mostly on the Middle East, and Secretary Rice then traveled to the region and consulted widely with Arab countries, expressing support for Siniora; her interlocutors had agreed. Gray agreed that anyone perceived to stand up to Israel, or the US, tended to win applause in the short term in the Middle East, but it isn't clear that approbation has persisted in Lebanon. The Saudis had issued a statement implicitly critical of Hizballah, and Nasrullah had conceded a mistake in striking Israel. PM Siniora emerged stronger after the summer. Noting the resignation of six Cabinet ministers earlier in the week, Gray underscored our concern that the pro-Syrian faction was trying to block the Hariri investigation. ¶5. (C) Parolin commented on the swift Hizbullah humanitarian response after the conflict and wondered whether the international assistance being provided to Lebanon is being well monitored with regard to its end use, noting the skepticism in this regard of the papal nuncio in Beirut. He also asked about the issues of borders, prisoners, and the Shebaa Farms. Gray described these as "pretexts" and recalled that a careful UN study in 2000 had determined that the Shebaa Farms were not, and had never been, Lebanese territory; the Security Council had endorsed this conclusion. It remains an open question how Israel will address the possibility of releasing prisoners, as well as whether it will consider turning over the Shebaa Farms; such steps could weaken Hizbullah. Iran -------------- ¶6. (C) Responding to a question from Parolin, Gray noted Secretary Rice's May 31 comment that we were prepared to talk to SIPDIS Iran if the EU-3 conditions are met. But Iran has not responded. Ambassador Khalilzad had also been prepared to talk with his Iranian counterpart about Iraq, but in this case too there had been no Iranian response. Syria -------------- ¶7. (C) Parolin said it is hardly an ideal regime -- though the regime behaves reasonably well with regard to Christians -- but is there an alternative? He suggested it would be unwise to try to destabilize the Syrian regime until something more stable appears to replace it. More dialogue is needed, a progressive attempt to improve the situation. Gray said the USG doesn't VATICAN 00000239 002.2 OF 002 seek to destabilize Syria, but to change its behavior and end its meddling in Lebanon and Palestine. We tried to engage on these two fronts but without success. If Syria signals a willingness to stop supporting terrorists, we could lift sanctions. Libya had wisely made this choice. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict -------------- ¶8. (C) Parolin stressed the need to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to improve the humanitarian situation for Palestinians. The Holy See remains committed, as always, to the path of dialogue. ¶9. (C) Gray agreed on the importance of addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and cited US dedication to resolving it. Palestinian rejectionists must choose to renounce violence and accept Quartet principles. We feel strongly the need for humanitarian assistance in Palestinian areas. We pressed for elections there, and they were legitimate. But we can't let American taxpayer money go to terrorists. Instead we must find new aid channels to reach needy Palestinians. ¶10. (C) Parolin cited Archbishop Migliore's (the Holy See observer at the UNGA) recent call for dialogue without preconditions. We understand the Israeli point of view, he said, but we must find a way ahead. He asked whether the USG saw any differences between various members of the Hamas leadership. Gray replied that we did not see much variation -- unlike the earlier case where we had seen differences between the Tunis-based leadership of the PLO and those who remained in the territories. ¶11. (C) Parolin wondered if a formula could be created for Hamas to renounce violence without requiring 100 percent abandonment of its current position; we must be creative, remembering the need for Arabs to save face, to have a way out. Gray said Egypt has been seeking a creative solution. We need something mutually acceptable. We are pragmatic but not optimistic about Hamas. One problem is the current weakness of both the Israeli and Palestinian governments. However, by addressing Israeli-Palestinian issues we can deprive extremist groups of a recruiting tool. Parolin said terrorism is not monolithic. Al Qaeda is a global danger, but elsewhere the problem is more local; this distinction is important. DAS Gray cleared this telegram. ROONEY