FRENCH CONSIDER DELAYING TRIBUNAL VOTE TO APPEASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002194 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/23/2017 TAGS: FR LE UNSC PREL SUBJECT: FRENCH CONSIDER DELAYING TRIBUNAL VOTE TO APPEASE RUSSIANS CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). PAGE 02 RUEHFRA2194 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002194 ¶1. (C) SELENA GRENET, THE MFA'S IO ACTION OFFICER FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, TOLD US MAY 25 THAT FRANCE IS INCLINED TO ACCEPT DELAYING THE VOTE BY ONE DAY (TO WEDNESDAY, MAY 30) ON THE UNSCR TO ESTABLISH THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR LEBANON IN ORDER TO APPEASE RUSSIA. GRENET SAID THE RUSSIAN DELEGATION IN NEW YORK WAS "VERY ANGRY" ABOUT U.S. PLANS TO PUT THE RESOLUTION IN BLUE ON MAY 25, AND WAS CLAIMING THAT THE PROPOSED U.S. TIMETABLE WOULD DEPRIVE OTHER DELEGATIONS OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MEANINGFUL COMMENTS ON THE TEXT. GRENET ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS WAS A BOGUS ARGUMENT (AND SAID THE FRENCH MISSION HAD POINTEDLY REMINDED THE RUSSIANS OF THEIR REFUSAL TO COORDINATE ON THE TEXT AT THE P-5 LEVEL), BUT BELIEVED THAT DELAYING THE VOTE BY ONE DAY WAS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY IF IT KEPT THE RUSSIANS FROM MAKING MISCHIEF. POLOFF REAFFIRMED OUR STRONG DESIRE TO REACH A VOTE ON TUESDAY, MAY 29. ¶2. (C) GRENET WAS OPTIMISTIC, BASED ON INFORMATION COMMUNICATED BY USUN TO THE FRENCH PERMREP ON MAY 24, THAT WE HAVE THE REQUISITE VOTES TO PASS THE RESOLUTION. SHE PAGE 03 RUEHFRA2194 C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 002194 PREDICTED THAT ITALY WOULD SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION SO LONG AS IT INCLUDED A "SUNRISE" CLAUSE SAYING THE RESOLUTION WOULD ENTER INTO EFFECT ON JUNE 5 OR 6 (THE DATE, SHE SAID, PROPOSED BY PM SINIORA'S ADVISOR MOHAMMED CHATTAH). GRENET SAID FRANCE HAS NO OBJECTION TO THE ADDITION OF SUCH A CLAUSE, ALTHOUGH SHE SAID THE MFA HAD NOT YET TAKEN A POSITION ON WHICH DATE THE RESOLUTION SHOULD COME INTO EFFECT. SHE NOTED THAT FRANCE STILL HAS NO CONFIRMATION THAT SOUTH AFRICA WILL SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION, DESPITE APPARENT PROMISES TO THIS EFFECT GIVEN BY THE SOUTH AFRICANS TO LEBANESE MAJORITY LEADER SAAD HARIRI. PLEASE VISIT PARIS' CLASSIFIED WEBSITE AT: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/PARIS/INDEX.C FM WHITE