SPAIN STRAPPED FOR FUNDS FOR LEBANON TRIBUNAL, MFO

UNCLAS MADRID 001918 SIPDIS SIPDIS IO/UNP FOR ANNELIESE REINEMEYER ROME FOR MFO JAMES LAROCCO NEA/RA FOR JILL SHAUNFIELD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PTER PREL KMFO XT LE IS IT JA EG SUBJECT: SPAIN STRAPPED FOR FUNDS FOR LEBANON TRIBUNAL, MFO REF: A. STATE 129919 ¶B. MADRID 1803 ¶C. MADRID 1433 (U) Poloff delivered reftel demarche separately to Juan Manuel Linares, Deputy Director General for the United Nations, and Alberto Ucelay, Deputy Director General for the Middle East, on October 1. Linares and Ucelay coincided in their response that Spain was entering its end of year budgetary phase and had no extra funds currently available for a contribution to the Lebanon Tribunal. Linares emphasized that Spain is already providing a significant financial and military commitment to Lebanon as the third leading contributor to UNIFIL and a major provider of reconstruction assistance. Linares noted that budget negotiations for MFA are slowly getting underway for FY 2008 and it is possible that an allocation for voluntary contributions could come out of those negotiations, but he was not overly optimistic. Both Linares and Ucelay underscored that the MFA is prioritizing its request for an '08 allocation for an "important" contribution to the Multinational Forces and Observers, which they hoped would be successful. Such a contribution, coupled with their continued military and assistance presence in Lebanon, would likely be the most Spain could achieve in a tight budgetary cycle. Poloff emphasized that even a symbolic contribution from Spain would be greatly appreciated, which Ucelay agreed to consider. LLORENS