CZECH REPUBLIC: EU BORDER MISSION FOR LEBANON

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 001084 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA/ELA FOR MATTHEW IRWIN, EUR/NCE FOR ALEX TRATENSEK, EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2012 TAGS: EU EZ PGOV PREL IS SY LE SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC: EU BORDER MISSION FOR LEBANON REF: SECSTATE 128335 Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Mike Dodman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Embassy official met with Czech desk officers for Syria and Lebanon regarding the Spanish proposal for a European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) mission on the Lebanon-Syria border. These Czech officials indicated that this possible mission, while discussed on September 14 at the Political and Security Council in Brussels, is still being debated at the working level and that there have not been any firm decisions made related to the parameters of such a mission, let alone a discussion of practical issues such as who would provide personnel and what they would do. These officials expressed skepticism about whether Syrian Prime Minister Asad can be trusted to allow an international presence on the border, and acknowledged the benefit of keeping this Lebanon-oriented, rather than Syria-oriented. Finally, they share US sensitivity to the timing of these discussions with the Lebanese presidential election approaching and encouraged the USG to continue to share our perspective on what could be done to minimize any repercussions. GRABER