GUIDANCE: MIDDLE EAST BRIEFING, AUGUST 20

UNCLAS STATE 089450 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL LE IS SY SUBJECT: GUIDANCE: MIDDLE EAST BRIEFING, AUGUST 20 ¶1. (U) This is an action message. USUN is authorized to draw from the points in para 2 below during the Middle East Briefing scheduled for August 20. ¶2. (U) Begin points: -- I thank Under-Secretary Pascoe for today's briefing on the situation in the Middle East. I would like to make four points with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and then turn to the situation in Lebanon. -- First, the ongoing bilateral Israeli-Palestinian talks are sincere, substantive negotiations that are addressing the core issues. They remain confidential at the parties' request. -- We remain committed to achieving a peace agreement. President Bush and Secretary Rice's intense personal engagement on this issue demonstrates their commitment to achieving a peaceful, two-state solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict as quickly as possible. -- Separately, Israel and Syria are continuing their indirect peace talks under the auspices of Turkey. While the United States will continue to focus on the Israeli- Palestinian track, we support efforts to bring peace and stability to the region. Such a goal cannot be achieved, however, without addressing the breadth of Syria's activities of concern, including its support for terrorist groups, its facilitation of foreign fighters entering Iraq, and shipment of weapons across its border into Lebanon. -- Second, Palestinian capacity building is key to the success of this process. Supporting Salam Fayyad's Palestinian Reform and Development Plan remains a top priority of the U.S. Government and the international community. -- The Palestinian Authority is in dire straits financially and urgently needs additional international support. Total U.S. assistance provided in 2008 surpasses our pledged level of $555 million, including $264 million in project assistance, $150 million in direct budget support, and $187.4 million in contributions to the United States Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Recently, the U.S. Congress approved an additional $150 million in direct budgetary assistance for FY09 and $50 million in project assistance. We commend the assistance provided to the PA by our European partners. We also recognize Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, and Kuwait for their support of the PA and continue to urge regional governments to provide additional support to the PA and fulfill all outstanding commitments, including pledges of budget support made at the 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut. -- We are also working hard to support the parties' efforts to improve security for Palestinians and Israelis. A meeting on August 12 between Palestinian and Israeli security chiefs at Palestinian security headquarters in Jenin was yet another step forward towards improving Israeli-Palestinian cooperation which will help U.S.- trained Palestinian security forces to assume their responsibilities to uphold law and order and crack down on terrorism. -- Third, we remain committed to a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. We will never abandon the people of Gaza, and urge all parties to adhere to the period of calm that began on June 19 as a result of Egypt's efforts. -- We condemn the violent efforts by Hamas and other groups to usurp the lawful authority of the Palestinian government in Gaza. In a further sign of the lawlessness in Gaza -- in sharp contrast to the improving situation in the West Bank -- a terrorist group there last week gave media tours of its "rocket factory," bragging that its new munitions would be able to strike at civilian targets even deeper within Israel. This would appear to represent a clear violation of the truce and is a development that must be reversed. The Quartet's principles remain determinative: renunciation of violence and terror, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements between the parties. -- Finally, we reiterate our deep concern at continuing Israeli settlement activity, and call on Israel to freeze this activity and dismantle outposts erected since March 2001, consistent with its Roadmap obligations. Settlement activity is having a negative effect on the atmosphere for negotiations and has the potential to harm them going forward. -- Turning to Lebanon, the United States views full implementation of resolutions 1559, 1680 and 1701, as well as fulfillment of the pledges made in the Doha Agreement, as essential to safeguard Lebanon's sovereignty and security, and welcomes the Secretary-General's recent report on the implementation of resolution 1701. -- We welcome the August 14 announcement in Damascus that Syria and Lebanon will establish full diplomatic relations with the exchange of missions at the ambassadorial level. This is a very good first step. We have long stood for the full normalization of relations between Syria and Lebanon on the basis of equality and respect for Lebanese sovereignty. Full normalization of relations must also include other measures aimed at ending Syria's continuing interference in Lebanon, including the delineation of the Lebanese-Syrian border, and we call on the Secretary- General to engage with Syria and Lebanon to encourage immediate progress on this issue. -- We remain concerned, however, at persistent reports of breaches of the arms embargo along the Lebanon-Syria border, and note the Secretary-General's observation that full implementation of the arms embargo is an indispensable provision of resolution 1701 that must be observed immediately, comprehensively, and without exception. Regional parties, especially Iran and Syria, maintaining ties with Hizballah and other groups in Lebanon are obliged to respect and abide fully by the arms embargo on Lebanon. -- I wish to convey again our condolences for the victims of the deplorable terrorist attack in Tripoli that claimed 15 lives, including nine Lebanese soldiers, on August 13. We strongly support the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces in their courageous efforts to restore calm. As provided in resolution 1701, there must be no weapons in Lebanon other than those of the state. The international community must stand with Lebanon's government in insisting on the authority of the state and on the illegitimacy of all other armed groups, including Hizballah, that undermine the government's authority and the resolutions of this Council. For Lebanon, this remains the core issue for the Council with respect to its responsibility to safeguard international peace and security. -- We welcome the Secretary General's intention to strengthen the diplomatic process aimed at dealing with the issue of the Sheba'a Farms, and urge him to engage directly with Israel, Lebanon, and Syria on this issue, including via a technical mission that would visit the three countries to discuss the cartographers report and next steps in detail, and report back to the Council. We also strongly support the work of UNIIIC and look forward to the establishment of a Special Tribunal for Lebanon. End points. RICE