DEMARCHE DELIVERED IN PREPARATION FOR THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 001965 SIPDIS FOR NEA FO, NEA/ELA AND NEA/RA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2028 TAGS: PREL LE IS KPAL IAEA IZ SY MR XF SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED IN PREPARATION FOR THE SEPTEMBER 8-9 ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL MEETING REF: A. STATE 93939 ¶B. CAIRO 1940 Classified By: ECPO Mincouns William Stewart per 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On September 4, we delivered ref A points to Arab League (AL) Chief of Staff Hisham Youssef and separately to GOE MFA Cabinet Advisor Mahmoud Affifi. On Israeli-Palestinian issues, Youssef called for more progress on the ground and criticized the lack of an Israeli settlement freeze. He asked if the U.S. did not want to invite the Arab League to the upcoming Quartet Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting in New York. Affifi urged increased U.S. pressure on the two sides to move them toward a final status agreement. On Iraq, Youssef said that the new AL ambassador would take up residence in Baghdad October 3. Affifi said the GOE is still studying whether to re-open an embassy in Baghdad. Youssef anticipated that the Lebanese internal dialogue would address the issue of Hizballah's weapons, and that the AL ministerial would discuss the Lebanese-Syrian border. Affifi expected that the AL ministerial would not discuss the specifics of the Lebanese dialogue, and said the GOE is encouraging reconciliation among Lebanese parties. Youssef asserted that condemning the coup in Mauritania would not be the most effective way to prevent further deterioration. Affifi believed that condemnation would not be on the table. Both Youssef and Affifi rejected reconsidering Arab League support for Syria's IAEA Board of Governors candidacy. End summary. -------------- Israeli-Palestinian Issues -------------- ¶2. (C) In response to ref A points, Youssef said that the Arab League (AL) does not see the negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Abbas on core issues as a "positive development" because there is not enough evidence of progress on the ground since Annapolis. He stressed that the AL views Israeli settlements as a key obstacle to successful final status negotiations, and wants to see a settlement freeze. He also criticized what the AL perceives as Israel's insufficient prisoner releases and Israel's continued roadblocks and checkpoints in the West Bank. He said that the AL is looking for the two sides to achieve some of kind of momentum before the end of the current U.S. administration so that the next administration will be able to engage immediately. Youssef confirmed that aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) will be on the AL ministerial agenda, and that the AL is waiting for a specific request from the PA. ¶3. (C) Youssef noted that the Arab League has not yet received an invitation to the next Quartet Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting in New York. He told us that the Arab League has checked with the UN, EU and Russia, and that none of them have a problem with the Arab League attending. Youssef wondered if perhaps the U.S. does not want the Arab League to attend. If this is the case, he said, the AL would be not be pleased and would say publicly that the U.S. prevented the AL from attending. He asked for clarification, which we agreed to provide. ¶4. (C) MFA Cabinet Advisor Affifi said that Egypt is committed to principled support for Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, but the GOE has not seen tangible progress resulting from the talks. He noted that the GOE wants the U.S. to exert increased pressure on the parties, especially the Israelis, to move the discussions forward toward a final status agreement. Affifi cited lack of improvement on the ground for several months, a politically weakened Prime Minister Olmert and a deeply divided Palestinian body politic as factors that the GOE fears could cause an "explosion" in the future. He called for a specific timetable for achieving a final settlement and a Palestinian state. -------------- Iraq -------------- ¶5. (C) Youssef confirmed that an Arab League ambassador would take up residence in Baghdad October 3. He noted that the AL ministerial would discuss the issue of opening Arab embassies in Baghdad, but asserted that Arab engagement should go beyond this to advance cooperation in a variety of fields. Youssef said that the Arab League is working to provide CAIRO 00001965 002 OF 002 agricultural and industrial technical assistance to the Government of Iraq. MFA Cabinet Advisor Affifi said that the GOE needs more time before making a decision on re-opening an embassy in Iraq following an MFA security assessment team's August visit to Baghdad in August (ref B). He stressed that the GOE is closely following political and security developments in Iraq, including which Arab countries are opening new embassies in Baghdad. -------------- Lebanon -------------- ¶6. (C) Youssef said that the dialogue led by Lebanon's President would address Hizballah's weapons, but cautioned that progress would be slow due to unresolved issues such as Shebaa Farms. We reiterated DAS Hale's comment (ref B) that many expect Hizballah would find another pretext to remain armed if Israel withdrew from Shebaa Farms. According to Youssef, AL priorities are ensuring that the Lebanese election process takes place in a secure environment, and that political discussion continues in the face of a fragile security environment. He believed that the AL ministerial would address the issue of the Lebanese-Syrian border, and said that the two countries began to discuss border security during Lebanese President Soliman's recent visit to Syria. Affifi said the GOE does not expect the AL ministers to address specific issues regarding Lebanon's national dialogue, but instead would make a general mention of Lebanon in the concluding ministerial statement. He noted that the GOE sees the recent formation of a Lebanese government and appointment of a president as positive developments, and that Egypt is encouraging all Lebanese parties to participate in the national dialogue. According to Affifi, the GOE is closely following the security situation in Tripoli, and is working with all parties to defuse tensions before the upcoming elections. -------------- Mauritania -------------- ¶7. (C) Youssef responded to ref A point, saying that condemnation will not help the situation and that the Arab League will apply pressure to prevent further deterioration. He described Mauritania as divided and said that the Arab League faces a delicate task in trying to achieve the Mauritanian President's release. Affifi characterized an Arab League condemnation of the coup as "unrealistic," and not currently "on the table" for discussion, alhough he said the AL "clearly does not welcome th coup." He said that Mauritania, as an Arab coutry, would be highly sensitive to a condemnation and that the AL would instead work toward a staement urging the parties to establish security and stability. -------------- IAEA -------------- ¶8. (C) Youssef rejected ref A point on reconsidering Arab Leage support for Syria's candidacy for the IAEA Boardof Governors (BOG). We pressed the issue, sayin that Syria's behavior would make it an unqualifed candidate for the IAEA BOG. Affifi also said that the AL would not reconsider supporting Syrias candidacy because an Arab consensus had been rached on Syria as the Arab candidate for the IAEA OG. He noted there would be "no way to move awa from" the AL position on this issue. SCOBEY