RELEASABLE INFORMATION ON 1701 ARMS EMBARGO

S E C R E T STATE 043362 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2017 TAGS: UNSC LE SUBJECT: RELEASABLE INFORMATION ON 1701 ARMS EMBARGO REF: STATE 36202 Classified By: IO A/S James Warlick, Acting, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Department requests USUN share the information in para 2 below on violations of the 1701 arms embargo with Permanent Representatives and Deputy Permanent Representatives of all members of the UNSC. Please emphasize to Permanent Representatives and Deputy Permanent Representatives that this information is not/not to be shared with lower-ranking Mission personnel or lower-ranking officials in capitals. Note: Information releasable to the UK, Italian, German, French,and Spanish Missions (Permanent Representatives and Deputy Permanent Representatives) was delivered septel (Ref A). End action request. ¶2. (S) The following information is releasable to PRs and DPRs of UNSC member missions: (S//REL UNSC PRs and DPRs) Syria has continued to ship weapons and allow transshipment of weapons to Hizballah since the summer conflict with Israel. (S//REL UNSC PRs and DPRs) In late September 2006, the Lebanese military intercepted a tractor trailer containing more than one thousand pounds of explosives. The tractor trailer was intercepted as it crossed the border from Syria into Lebanon near Arida. Syrian-based munitions manufacturing plants were operating around the clock to produce medium range (200 kilometer) missiles. A significant number of the missiles produced in the plants were being sent to Hizballah via various tunneled routes. (S//REL UNSC PRs and DPRs) As of mid-September 2006, Hizballah consolidated its positions in the western Beqaa valley and the areas east of Baalbek, Lebanon, and maintained active smuggling routes between Syria and Lebanon. Hizballah continued to transport weapons and ammunition from the south to the northern Beqaa valley area of Lebanon. Several active smuggling routes between Syria and Lebanon were utilized by Hizballah. Mules were the primary means of transportation; no vehicles were used along the routes. Once the arms reached the Lebanese mountains, the Syrian Nationalist Party ensured that the weapons were delivered to Hizballah in the southern suburbs of Beirut. (S//REL UNSC PRs and DPRs) As of late October 2006, Hizballah possessed approximately 20,000 rockets and had decided to replace the RPG-7 with the RPG-29 anti-tank weapon in its arsenal. (S//REL UNSC PRs and DPRs) In early December 2006, 17 large trailers entered Lebanon from Syria through Akars along the Lebanese-Syrian border. The Lebanese "Mokhabarat" was led by a Hizballah supporter and knew about the weapons shipment (note: "Mokhabarat" is a word referencing an intelligence agency). The Lebanese Mokhabarat was cooperating with the Syrian Mokhabarat. (S//REL UNSC PRs and DPRs) Hizballah continued to obtain weapons via the Syrian border which had not been effectively sealed. (S//REL UNSC PRs and DPRs) In early 2007, Lebanese Hizballah received unidentified weapons and missiles from Iran. End releasable intel. RICE