UNSC: FRENCH RESIST ADDING PREAMBULAR LANGUAGE TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000766

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO UNSC IS LE FR
SUBJECT: UNSC: FRENCH RESIST ADDING PREAMBULAR LANGUAGE TO
UNIFIL TECHNICAL ROLL-OVER DRAFT RESOLUTION

REF: GOLDRICH/HALE/SCHEDLBAUER E-MAILS - 8/22/08

Classified By: Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).


1. (U) Action request in paragraph 4.


2. (C) Ambassador Wolff spoke August 22 with French Charge
Jean-Pierre Lacroix to emphasize the U.S. request (contained
in ref) to add a preambular paragraph to the current draft
French text that would reiterate the 12th preambular
paragraph in UNSCR 1773 (and the 12th operative paragraph of
UNSCR 1701) which states: "Reaffirming UNIFIL's authority to
take all necessary action in areas of deployment of its
forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to ensure
that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile
activities of any kind and to resist attempts by forceful
means to prevent it from discharging its mandate." Lacroix
insisted that it made no sense to add the language into the
text, given that this year's text is a pure technical
roll-over, unlike last year's text (UNSCR 1773). Opening up
the short draft at this point, particularly to add language
already in the original resolution, is ill-advised, he noted,
and likely would result in other delegations proposing
amendments that France and the U.S. would view unfavorably.
The French expert told PolOff separately August 25 that the
Belgian and Italian missions, also UNIFIL troop contributors
with the French, are against the addition of the preambular
language.


3. (C) Ambassador Wolff also spoke with Israeli Charge Danny
Carmon and shared with him Lacroix's reasons for not adding
the language to the draft. While Wolff pressed Carmon to
approach the French directly, Carmon said they would not be
raising the matter with the French separately, preferring
instead to stand united behind the U.S. approach to the
French. Carmon noted, however, that Israel did not want this
to be a source of division between Paris and Washington,
although they much preferred to add the paragraph from last
year's resolution.


4. (C) Action request: USUN seeks instructions on the extent
to which it should press for inclusion of this preambular
paragraph, given that the resolution is scheduled for
adoption on August 27. Is inclusion of this language a
necessity? Are we prepared to block the UNIFIL renewal
resolution over this language? End action request.
Wolff