GUIDANCE FOR OCTOBER 24 OPEN DEBATE ON THE MIDDLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 147946 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNSC KPAL IS LE SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR OCTOBER 24 OPEN DEBATE ON THE MIDDLE EAST ¶1. USUN is instructed to draw upon the following points for the October 24 UNSC open debate on the Middle East: -- Mr. President, the United States remains committed to President Bush's vision of Israel and Palestine living as two states side by side in peace and security. In July President Bush announced his intention to convene an international meeting before the end of the year to bring together states committed to a two-state solution, and to rally diplomatic support for the parties, efforts to realize that vision, and to review and advance efforts to reform and build the capacity of Palestinian institutions. -- Since then Secretary Rice has traveled to the region repeatedly to meet with the parties, and to support and advance the bilateral process. -- Secretary Rice and President Bush have been clear - the United States is serious about realizing the two-state vision. It is one of our highest foreign policy priorities. -- This is the most serious process between the parties in some time. There is goodwill on both sides, growing confidence and growing trust. Nevertheless, much hard work lies ahead. We must work together to support continued progress on three tracks: political, economic and institutional development, and progress on day-to-day issues. We have encouraged both sides to work intensively to carry out phase one Roadmap obligations and other commitments that can help build confidence and improve conditions on the ground. -- Quartet Representative Tony Blair is leading efforts to build the institutional and economic capacity upon which a Palestinian state will be built. We must all work to support his efforts, and give generously to help meet the Palestinians, needs. Toward that end the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee on Palestinian development held a successful meeting in New York in September and we are now looking forward to a December donors, conference in France. -- However, even before that conference donors will need to step up to the plate in order to avoid a looming budget crisis that could paralyze the PA government in December when Israel finishes repaying customs and revenue arrears, resulting in a $100 million monthly budget deficit for the PA. We must all consider what assistance we can provide to avert a budget crisis. -- On the political track, Palestinian and Israeli negotiating teams are meeting; they are having serious discussions about the core issues, and working to memorialize the leaders, understandings in a document that we hope can help to lay the foundation for serious negotiations. We are encouraged by recent progress on this bilateral track which is absolutely central to our shared desire to realize a two-state solution. -- The international meeting that the United States will host later this year will rally regional and international support for these efforts, and for the two-state vision. The United States remains committed to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East, but this meeting will focus on the Israeli-Palestinian track because that is where we see an immediate opportunity to accomplish something. As Secretary Rice has said, the framework for discussions will be, consistent with the Roadmap, the goal of two states living side-by-side in peace and security based on the principle of land for peace, UNSCRs 242, 338, 1397, the Arab League Peace Initiative, and other previous agreements between the parties. Key participants will be the Israelis and Palestinians, of course, but we also view the Quartet and the Arab League Follow-Up Committee as natural participants since regional support is key to success and essential for a comprehensive Middle East peace. -- We are committed to seizing the present opportunity and look forward to working together with the parties and the international community to achieve meaningful progress on a successful path to Palestinian statehood and an end to the conflict. LEBANON/SYRIA -- Lebanese elections must be allowed to occur without STATE 00147946 002 OF 002 threats and foreign interference, and must be free, fair, and held on-time and according to the Lebanese Constitution. -- We urge Lebanese parliamentarians to fulfill their constitutional duty to vote for and elect a new president before the end of current president Lahoud,s mandate on November 24. This is what the Lebanese people deserve. -- We call for an immediate end to the use of intimidation tactics and violence as tools to subvert the democratic process in Lebanon. -- We call for the rapid establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which will help end the era of impunity in Lebanon, and urge all member states to make generous and timely donations. The United States has made an initial contribution of $5 million; we expect to make significant contributions in the future. -- We remain deeply concerned by on-going illegal weapons shipments across the Lebanon/Syria border and urge all parties to assist the Lebanese government to secure its borders. -- We continue to call on Syria and Iran to cease their destabilizing tactics in Lebanon. The Lebanese must select their next president without foreign interference and ongoing weapons shipments to Lebanon must stop. RICE