AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD MEETS WITH NEW UN SPECIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000900

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER UNSC IS LE SY
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD MEETS WITH NEW UN SPECIAL
COORDINATOR FOR LEBANON MICHAEL WILLIAMS

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


1. (C) Ambassador Khalilzad, in an October 2 meeting with
new Special Coordinator of the Secretary-General for Lebanon
Michael Williams, noted the USG's significant concerns with
Lebanese border security and continuing arms smuggling and
suggested that if the Lebanese security forces are
over-stretched, then they should ask for international
assistance. Williams concurred that the two Lebanon
Independent Border Assessment Team (LIBAT) reports had not
shown any progress and that the GOL should seek international
assistance. On Ghajar, Khalilzad said the U.S. is pleased
that the GOL had accepted UNIFIL's proposal and that the USG
had pressed the GOI to accede to the plan but that they had
concerns. Williams said Ghajar was not Sheba'a, Israel
"should be able to make this concession," and should be
"really pressed" on this. Ambassador Khalilzad asked
Williams for his thoughts on why Lebanon was not pursuing
indirect discussions with Israel, as Syria and even Hizballah
have done. Williams responded that the GOL appeared to be
trying to "outdo Hizballah" but said he would press Lebanese
interlocutors on this issue and wondered if Turkey could be
helpful. On the National Dialogue, Khalilzad noted USG
interest in seeing it result in some measure of control over
Hizballah. Williams said the Dialogue was one of the real
gains from Doha and agreed that the long road to Hizballah's
disarmament must involve concrete steps and an early step
could be removing Hizballah's capacity to start offensive
operations. Williams noted that only a few months remain for
the Dialogue to make progress before it will close down for
the spring elections.


2. (C) Williams, who will arrive in Beirut October 12, after
a stop in London, said he, not UN U/SYG for Political Affairs
Lynn Pascoe, would also visit Damascus and Tel Aviv in the
next few weeks to discuss Sheba'a. He said he was
considering covering Sheba'a in more depth in the next UNSCR
1701 quarterly report and may suggest a briefing by the UN
cartographer to the Security Council. Ambassador Khalilzad
queried how that might impact Council dynamics and said such
an idea needed to be carefully thought through, to which
Williams agreed. Williams, noting that he had just visited
Israel two weeks before for a series of farewell calls in his
previous capacity as UK Special Representative for the Middle
East, said he believes the "political flux in Israel" may
last a while. He noted that the Israeli MFA staff continue
to be "pretty hard over" on Sheba'a, asking what the GOL
would give Israel in return.


3. (C) Williams voiced concern about his residential
security in Beirut (he will be staying initially at the
Intercontinental Hotel Vendome on the Corniche) and the
UNSCOL (Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon)
mission's physical security (located in a building with other
tenants and an underground garage). He lamented the fact
that its new facility will not be ready until June 2009.
Khalilzad