SECRETARIAT DELIVERS TOUGH UNSCR 1701/LIBAT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000601 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER UNSC KPKO IS SY LE SUBJECT: SECRETARIAT DELIVERS TOUGH UNSCR 1701/LIBAT REPORTS, BUT COUNCIL IS DIVIDED Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay M. Khalilzad, per 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. During closed consultations on the SYG,s latest UNSCR 1701 report as well as the report of the Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team (LIBAT) on July 18, UNSCO Michael Williams spoke at length about the need for greater progress on the issue of prisoners, compliance with the arms embargo, and the Sheba,a Farms issue. Williams called the LIBAT report a "rigorous assessment" of the situation at the border, and emphasized that the lack of border security and arms transfers threaten regional stability. Emphasizing that Syria and Lebanon must delineate their border to reach a permanent solution to the Sheba,a issue, Williams decried Syria,s failure to reactivate its joint border committee with Lebanon. He welcomed Israel,s willingness to host the UN cartographer and called on Syria to supply its maps of the area. He also urged Israel to cease its overflights of Lebanon and to provide the UN with detailed data on the use of cluster munitions in south Lebanon. Briefing after Williams, DPKO U/SYG Guehenno noted that the perpetrators of recent attacks against UNIFIL had still not been identified. Nevertheless, UNIFIL had redoubled its efforts to implement its mandate, particularly in terms of cooperation with the LAF. ¶2. (C) Summary, cont,d. While several delegations called for compliance with the arms embargo in resolution 1701, only USUN discussed the issue at length or mentioned specific examples of non-compliance. Russia, South Africa, Qatar, and Indonesia questioned the reports of illegal arms transfers and urged the UNSC to react with caution. Nine member states explicitly supported the LIBAT recommendations, while Russia, China, South Africa, and a few others declined to do so in full. All delegations, with the exception of the U.S., called for Israel to end its overflights of Lebanese territory and to provide the SYG with detailed data on the use of cluster bombs in south Lebanon. Only the UK joined USUN in specifically calling on Syria and Iran to abide by their obligations under resolution 1701. Led by Russia, a few delegations supported Syria,s call for outside assistance to improve its own border security capabilities. Most delegations welcomed progress on Sheba,a, while Indonesia and South Africa decried continuing Israeli "occupation" of Lebanon and called for full withdrawal from the Syrian Golan. End of Summary. Secretariat Delivers Tough Briefing SIPDIS -------------- ¶3. (C) UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) Michael Williams provided a general overview of the main points in the latest SYG report on the implementation of resolution 1701 and the LIBAT report. Focusing on border security, the arms embargo, the Sheba,a Farms issue, and the release of prisoners, he characterized the present time as a period of heightened regional tensions and urged the countries involved to move from a cessation of hostilities to a long-term cease-fire and permanent solution. Speaking at length about the fate of the tow abducted IDF soldiers, Williams decried the "painfully slow" progress reached thusfar and contrasted Hizballah,s refusal to provide proof of life with the fact that Israel grants ICRC access to Lebanese detainees. He urged member states to encourage Hizballah to "show leadership" on this issue. ¶4. (C) Calling progress on the Sheba,a Farms issue "essential" to 1701 implementation, he emphasized that Syria and Lebanon must delineate their border to reach a permanent solution, but expressed satisfaction that Israel would soon allow the UN cartographer to visit Sheba,a to continue his work. Williams added that the UN cartographer has repeatedly asked Syria for maps related to Sheba,a, but has so far received nothing. After member state interventions, Williams expressed regret that Syria had not reactivated the joint border committee with Lebanon, as President Assad promised the SYG during their meeting on 24 April. Williams also urged Israel to cease its overflights of Lebanon and to provide the UN with detailed data on the use of cluster munitions in south Lebanon. ¶5. (C) Turning to the issue of illegal arms transfers into Lebanon, Williams said there were "strong indications" that arms were being sent into Lebanon in violation of the arms embargo established under resolution 1701. He called this fact a "direct strategic threat to peace and security" in the region and to stability in Israel and Lebanon, and called on all states, in particular Syria and Iran, to fully respect the arms embargo. Regarding the LIBAT, Williams noted that the team concluded that current border security efforts are insufficient to prevent smuggling of arms. He said they USUN NEW Y 00000601 002 OF 003 found it "incomprehensible" that the GOL had not seized a single shipment of arms in the one year since resolution 1701 was adopted. He urged the Government of Lebanon (GOL) to make strengthening of the Syrian/Lebanese border a priority, but he noted Syria had an equal responsibility to prevent the transfer of arms. Williams called other states to follow Germany,s example by providing Lebanon with valuable technical assistance and training on border security, and warned that failure to help the GOL risks a breakdown in the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon. ¶6. (C) Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno focused most of his remarks on the circumstances of the 24 June and 16 July attacks against UNIFIL and the force,s reaction. He emphasized that UNIFIL would not be cowed by these attacks and had in fact redoubled its efforts to carry out its mandate under resolution 1701. Guehenno explained that UNIFIL was working to bolster troop protection measures and that the UN would complete a full investigation as to the responsibility of the attacks. The identity of the perpetrators of the 24 June and 16 July attacks on UNIFIL troops remain unknown. Guehenno reported that since the attacks interaction with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the local population has increased. Work continues to proceed on marking the Blue Line, but it has been stymied by lack of full agreement among the parties on the working paper UNIFIL submitted for their consideration. Guehenno joined Williams in arguing that regional tensions would decrease if Israel agreed to cease its overflights of Lebanon. Guehenno said the UN Secretariat would recommend that UNIFIL,s mandate be extended with no amendments at the end of August. U.S. Pushes for Full 1701 Implementation -------------- ¶7. (C) While welcoming progress achieved thusfar towards implementation of resolution 1701 and condemning the attacks against UNIFIL, Ambassador Khalilzad expressed concern that the attacks posed a direct challenge to the new security arrangements in south Lebanon. Expressing "grave concern" about illegal arms transfers into Lebanon, Ambassador Khalilzad noted reports that Hizballah is building new facilities in the Bekaa Valley. Noting strong ties between Syria and the PFLP-GC and Fatah-Intifada, he argued that Syria and Iran must do their part to enforce the arms embargo. He welcomed the LIBAT recommendations, urged the GOL to implement them in full, and encouraged the SYG to update the Council on this issue regularly, through follow-up visits by the team as necessary. Reiterating the call for the unconditional and immediate release of the two Israeli soldiers, Ambassador Khalilzad deplored Hizballah,s failure to even provide proof of life. He reiterated that a permanent solution to the Sheba,a Farms issue remains contingent on border delineation between Syria and Lebanon, and noted that proposals to support a change to the status of the area must be considered in conjunction with proposals to implement the UNSC,s disarmament requirements. Skepticism About Illegal Arms Transfers -------------- ¶8. (C) The U.S. was the only delegation to mention a specific example of an illegal arms transfer, though France noted the letter from the GOL detailing weapons violations. The European members (France, U.K., Belgium, Italy, Slovakia) and the South American members (Panama and Peru) joined the U.S. in calling for compliance with the arms embargo. Qatar, Russia, South Africa, and Indonesia questioned the evidence of illegal arms transfers and called for the Council to characterize them in a "fair" and "careful" manner. Russia called the LIBAT assessment "one-sided," and alleged there was an arming of all militias in Lebanon, not just those allied with Syria and Iran (Hizballah). Russia also stressed that the decisions of the Council must be based on real facts, not simply convictions or opinions. Overflights and Cluster Bombs Universally Opposed -------------- -------------- ¶9. (C) All delegations, except for USUN, called on Israel to cease overflights and characterized them as violations of resolution 1701. Qatar called the overflights "grave and flagrant violations, regardless of their justification," and Indonesia said they were "a violation of Lebanese sovereignty." All delegations, except for the U.S., also called on Israel to provide the SYG (per his request) maps and other detailed information on the use of cluster bombs in south Lebanon. LIBAT Draws Support, But Not Unanimous USUN NEW Y 00000601 003 OF 003 -------------- ¶10. (C) Nine members gave an explicit endorsement of the recommendations in the LIBAT report (U.S., UK, France, Belgium, Indonesia, Peru, Panama, Slovakia, and Italy) while five declined to do so (South Africa, Russia, China, Qatar, and Ghana). Most members said the GOL must develop more capacity to address border security and that full implementation of 1701 is necessary. Italy argued that "the credibility of the Security Council is at stake" in ensuring implementation of the LIBAT recommendations. Russia argued it was up to the GOL to decide how/whether to implement them. Russia also cautioned members that any steps to help Lebanon must be balanced "so as to not shatter the fragile balance in the Middle East." Only the U.K. joined the U.S. in discussing a follow-up mechanism to LIBAT, stating that repeat visits to the region might be necessary in the future to judge progress. China placed the onus back on the Secretariat, saying the SYG should move forward with SIPDIS proposals to prevent arms transfers. Syria and Iran Escape Criticism -------------- ¶11. (C) Only the British joined the U.S. in calling on both Syria and Iran to fully implement the arms embargo. France said Syria should "demonstrate further efforts to shoulder its responsibility." Indonesia said "all states" have an "equal responsibility" to enforce the arms embargo, and Italy and Ghana welcomed the suggestion from the SYG for Lebanon and Syria to work together on border issues. Italy noted that its foreign minister had traveled to Damascus to urge Assad to be a positive force for stabilization in the region. Russia and South Africa urged a positive response to Syria,s request for technical assistance to improve its border security capabilities. Noting that Syria,s influence in Lebanon is assumed, Belgium argued that the real question is how to make Syrian influence constructive. Qatar claimed that dialogue between Syria and Lebanon was a matter for those sovereign states to decide. Sheba,a Farms -------------- ¶12. (C) Most members welcomed the progress of the cartographer,s work and Israel,s willingness to allow him to visit the disputed area. Several delegations called for Sheba,a to come under UN jurisdiction pending determination of its final status, as specified in the GOL,s seven-point plan (Qatar, France, Panama). France said the Council should not be content with the continuation of the status quo. Indonesia repeated its position, which is close to the official Syrian line, that a permanent solution to Sheba,a is contingent on Israeli withdrawal from all occupied territory "including the Syrian Golan. South Africa and Qatar argued that the fact that Israel remains in control of Lebanese territory has led to the attacks on UNIFIL and the loss of agriculture and livelihood in the region. In a reference that surprised many delegations, Qatar argued that a resolution of the Sheba,a issue would "close the door to any group holding arms under the pretext of disarmament." Support for LAF and UNIFIL -------------- ¶13. (C) Many delegations praised UNIFIL for its good work in southern Lebanon, particularly noting the increase in interaction between UNIFIL troops and LAF (U.S., UK, Italy, Ghana, Belgium, and Indonesia). Most delegations explicitly condemned the attacks against UNIFIL troops and urged the Council not to be deterred from its commitment to the mission. Italy emphasized that UNIFIL was of central importance to the region, and the Security Council must be sure that UNIFIL troops feel its support. The U.S. praised the dedication and bravery of the LAF and its ability "to overcome sectarian differences to serve the interests of the Lebanese people." Belgium also echoed these remarks, drawing a parallel to the key role played by the LAF and the overwhelming condemnation by the Lebanese to the externally motivated events intended to destabilize the country. The Belgian PermRep added the LAF deserves the support of the international community "because it represents the will of all Lebanese to build a better future." Italy welcomed the fact that LAF has not relaxed in the presence of an expanded UNIFIL mission. KHALILZAD