LEBANON: GOL WILL NOT OPPOSE IRAN ON HUMAN RIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 001642 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA ALSO FOR IO A/S HOOK, PDAS WARLICK P FOR DRUSSELL AND RRANGASWAMY USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/SCHEDLBAUER/GERMAIN NSC FOR ABRAMS/RAMCHAND/YERGER/MCDERMOTT E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2018 TAGS: PREL PHUM LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: GOL WILL NOT OPPOSE IRAN ON HUMAN RIGHTS RESOLUTIONS IN THIRD COMMITTEE REF: SECSTATE 118150 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The Lebanese MFA responded on November 17 to the reftel demarche POLOFF delivered on November 12 on the UN General Assembly Third Committee human rights resolutions. Oussama Khachab, Head of the Americas Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after consulting with the Lebanese Mission to the UN, reported that the GOL intends to vote "the same as last year" for all actions. ¶2. (C) On Iran, Khachab said he expected the GOL to support Iran by voting Yes on the no-action motion and against the Iran human rights resolution. ¶3. (C) For Burma, the GOL will oppose a no-action motion and will support a substantive resolution, as it did previously. Regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the GOL will maintain its previous position by supporting the resolution, and if a no-action motion is proposed, the GOL would oppose the motion. ¶4. (C) It is highly unlikely Lebanon will take any decision that would upset Iran, especially in light of President Michel Sleiman's planned November 24 visit to Tehran. Moreover, FM Fawzi Salloukh, among other Lebanese officials, has a close relationship with Iran. Given that Lebanon traditionally follows the lead of the Arab League on issues such as this, we recommend USG efforts be focused on getting the Arab League to advocate abstention on the resolution in the hope that Lebanon would take the same position. SISON