BAN BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL ON BERLIN QUARTET

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000438

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC
SUBJECT: BAN BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL ON BERLIN QUARTET
MEETING



1. Summary: In a private meeting with the Security Council
held June 1, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon briefed on the May
30 meeting of the Quartet Principals in Berlin, tracking
closely issues covered in the May 30 Quartet Statement. He
also mentioned the situation in Lebanon, expressing concern
about the confrontation between the Palestinian militia Fatah
al-Islam and the LAF, and reporting Prime Minister Siniora's
gratitude for the adoption of UNSCR 1757 on the Special
Tribunal. Ban responded to a French question about Quartet
discussions of an international monitoring mechanism to
support a Gaza ceasefire with a description of the dim
prospects for introduction of an international force (sic).
He reported that UNSCO Michael Williams would travel again to
the region. Although the Secretary-General's statement
implied Williams' trip related to his duties as UNSCO, in
fact Williams intends to travel o/a June 9 to consult on the
upcoming UNSCR 1701 report (which imposed a cessation of
hostilities between Hizballah and Israel following last
summer's war). End Summary.


2. On the situation in Gaza, Ban noted that the Quartet had
called for an end to Palestinian factional violence and urged
all to act in support of Abu Mazen's call for a National
Unity Government and for a ceasefire. Ban said,
parenthetically, that his Special Middle East Coordinator
Michael Williams had advised him that the UN could not
operate effectively in the territories without an end to the
violence. Ban also reported that the Quartet had called for
an end to Qassam rocket attacks into southern Israel, and for
the release of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit. At the same
time, the Quartet had called for the release of Palestinian
legislators and ministers, urged Israeli restraint, noted the
dire economic circumstances of the Palestinian people, urged
progress on movement and access issues, noted that the
Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) had been extended for
three months, and urged Israel to consider the resumption of
the transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority.
Ban then referred to June 1 press reports that suggested some
tax revenues might be forthcoming. He also mentioned that he
had been pleased to see that "proof of life" had been
provided for captured BBC correspondent Alan Johnston.


3. Ban said that there were helpful bilateral and regional
tracks in progress: planned meetings between Prime Minister
Olmert and President Abbas, meetings on the margins of
Quartet meetings with Arab countries and the parties, and the
next meeting of the Quartet at the end of June. He said that
the Quartet saw the Arab Peace Initiative as a welcome
political horizon that would complement the work of the
Quartet.


4. Ban touched briefly on Lebanon, noting that a full-fledged
offensive seemed to be occurring at the Nahr El-Bared refugee
camp. He said he had spoken to Prime Minister Siniora and
offered his full support. Siniora in turn had expressed his
appreciation for the Security Council's adoption of UNSCR
1757 on the Special Tribunal. Ban promised to consult
closely with the Security Council and the government of
Lebanon on the implementation of UNSCR 1757.

Security Council Members React
--------------


5. Most Security Council delegations limited their comments
to thanking the Secretary-General for providing the briefing
and reiterating their support for Quartet positions. Qatar,
South Africa and Indonesia, however, criticized the Quartet
May 30 statement and Quartet positions. While deploring
Palestinian factional violence, Qatar stated that the root
cause of the conflict is the continuing Israeli occupation of
Palestinian territories and called on the Quartet to take
"decisive action" to bring an end to that occupation. South
Africa said that while Pretoria welcomed language in the May
30 statement addressing the problem of violence, South Africa
would have preferred the statement to call on both sides to
renounce violence. South Africa also argued that the
Quartet's support of a request that Israel transfer
Palestinian tax revenues through the TIM would constitute a
reversal of the Oslo agreement, put the Palestinians in the
position of receiving financial assistance with its own
money, render the Palestinian Authority dependent on an
external mechanism, and effectively marginalize the
Palestinian Authority. Indonesia suggested the next Quartet
statement should call on both sides to renounce violence so
as to accurately reflect what was really happening on the
ground, and urged the Quartet to consider "decisive action"
to promote peace. France welcomed the inclusion of regional
partners and the Palestinians and Israelis in the upcoming
meeting, and asked if the Quartet had considered the use of
international observers to support a ceasefire in Gaza.


USUN NEW Y 00000438 002 OF 002



6. Ambassador Khalilzad welcomed the upcoming calendar of
regional consultations, including the API follow-up meetings,
the planned Olmert/Abbas meeting, and the June Quartet
meeting in Cairo. He also reaffirmed U.S. support for Prime
Minister Siniora and the LAF in the confrontation with Fatah
al-Islam.
KHALILZAD