Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08STATE120342
2008-11-13 00:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:
OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON OSCE
how-toVZCZCXRO9396 PP RUEHAST RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHC #0342 3180028 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P R 130022Z NOV 08 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 5433 INFO ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS STATE 120342
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON OSCE
MONITORS IN GEORGIA
UNCLAS STATE 120342
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON OSCE
MONITORS IN GEORGIA
1. (U) Post is authorized to present the following statement
at the November 13, 2008 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna
if needed to respond to a Russian Federation statement on the
OSCE monitors in Georgia.
Begin Text:
Mr. Chairman,
The United States notes the statement by the Russian
Federation alleging that the OSCE monitors in Georgia have
withheld information from participating States. We have no
evidence of this and believe that such accusations are a
distraction from our main tasks: addressing the security
humanitarian, and other problems arising from the
Russo-Georgian conflict of last August.
That said, we don't know and may never know the exact
sequence of events on August 7th. We are aware of the
statements by former members of the OSCE team, speaking in a
personal capacity. They are important, but not conclusive.
Georgian leaders may have believed such Russian attacks were
underway, and the evidence of South Ossetian shelling of
Georgian villages inside South Ossetia needs to be
considered. As is well-documented, months of Russian
provocations laid the foundation for such Georgian
calculations.
Still, as we have said from the first, Georgia should not
have attacked Tskhinvali, but Russia's military response was
a disproportionate use of force.
We think the unanswered questions only reinforce the need for
international monitors to be given full access to the
conflict areas to enable a fuller picture of the situation to
emerge and to investigate alleged human rights abuses by all
parties, something the United States has continuously urged.
We again call on Russia to implement fully the cease fire
agreements and to guarantee the safety and security of
civilians in areas it controls, including allowing for the
voluntary return of internally displaced persons.
Our efforts should now focus on consolidating the cease-fire,
addressing alleged past abuses and the needs of individuals
displaced by the conflict, helping Georgia rebuild and
working with all parties to move from confrontation to peace.
We are particularly concerned about the situation in Perevi,
a village outside South Ossetia's administrative borders by
all accounts, yet recently occupied by South Ossetian forces.
This is another flash point.
Russia should work to resolve these problems and work to set
up the Geneva process for productive work.
In sum, the United States stands ready to work with the EU
and with Russia, as well as with Georgia, to help stabilize
the situation following this conflict. We should focus on
practical steps forward, not point scoring.
End text of statement.
RICE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON OSCE
MONITORS IN GEORGIA
1. (U) Post is authorized to present the following statement
at the November 13, 2008 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna
if needed to respond to a Russian Federation statement on the
OSCE monitors in Georgia.
Begin Text:
Mr. Chairman,
The United States notes the statement by the Russian
Federation alleging that the OSCE monitors in Georgia have
withheld information from participating States. We have no
evidence of this and believe that such accusations are a
distraction from our main tasks: addressing the security
humanitarian, and other problems arising from the
Russo-Georgian conflict of last August.
That said, we don't know and may never know the exact
sequence of events on August 7th. We are aware of the
statements by former members of the OSCE team, speaking in a
personal capacity. They are important, but not conclusive.
Georgian leaders may have believed such Russian attacks were
underway, and the evidence of South Ossetian shelling of
Georgian villages inside South Ossetia needs to be
considered. As is well-documented, months of Russian
provocations laid the foundation for such Georgian
calculations.
Still, as we have said from the first, Georgia should not
have attacked Tskhinvali, but Russia's military response was
a disproportionate use of force.
We think the unanswered questions only reinforce the need for
international monitors to be given full access to the
conflict areas to enable a fuller picture of the situation to
emerge and to investigate alleged human rights abuses by all
parties, something the United States has continuously urged.
We again call on Russia to implement fully the cease fire
agreements and to guarantee the safety and security of
civilians in areas it controls, including allowing for the
voluntary return of internally displaced persons.
Our efforts should now focus on consolidating the cease-fire,
addressing alleged past abuses and the needs of individuals
displaced by the conflict, helping Georgia rebuild and
working with all parties to move from confrontation to peace.
We are particularly concerned about the situation in Perevi,
a village outside South Ossetia's administrative borders by
all accounts, yet recently occupied by South Ossetian forces.
This is another flash point.
Russia should work to resolve these problems and work to set
up the Geneva process for productive work.
In sum, the United States stands ready to work with the EU
and with Russia, as well as with Georgia, to help stabilize
the situation following this conflict. We should focus on
practical steps forward, not point scoring.
End text of statement.
RICE