FDP PRESSING FOR GERMANY TO END PARTICIPATION IN UNIFIL

UNCLAS BERLIN 001480 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MOPS PREL MARR NATO EUN GM LE SUBJECT: FDP PRESSING FOR GERMANY TO END PARTICIPATION IN UNIFIL ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The new center-right German government decided at a cabinet meeting on November 18 to seek a six-month extension of the parliamentary mandate for the German Navy's participation in the Maritime Task Force (MTF) of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) when the mandate comes up for renewal in December. However, members of FM Westerwelle's Free Democratic Party (FDP) are already putting out the word that this will be the last extension of the UNIFIL mandate. Westerwelle has long opposed German participation in the UNIFIL MTF out of concern that the mission could bring German soldiers into potential conflict with Israeli soldiers and compromise German "neutrality" in the Middle East. But even if Germany were to leave UNIFIL, Germany's bilateral training assistance for Lebanon would likely remain in place. END SUMMARY. UNIFIL UNDER REVIEW ¶2. (SBU) Now that the cabinet has decided on the mandate request, it now goes to the Bundestag for approval, which is expected in early December. MFA sources tell us that the original position of the FDP-led MFA was to extend the UNIFIL mandate only until February, just long enough to conduct an evaluation of the mission. The Chancellery and MOD reportedly pushed back and the result was a compromise for a six-month extension, until June 30, 2010. In the past, the mandate was routinely extended to correspond with the duration of the applicable UN Security Council resolution. The current UNIFIL resolution is UNSCR 1884, which does not expire until August 2010. ¶3. (SBU) The government proposes reducing the troop ceiling from 1,200 to 800, but this will have no operational impact since the German contribution is far less than that (currently at 455) and has been since the MTF was established in 2006. Germany currently leads the MTF (as it has on several other occasions) and is scheduled to be in that position until the end of November. It has four ships in the MTF, the most of any single nation. BUT FDP ALREADY COUNTING IT OUT ¶4. (SBU) While the MFA relented to the Chancellery and MOD on the longer extension period for the mandate, FDP Bundestag staffers are already asserting that this will be the last time it will be renewed. They feel empowered by the coalition agreement negotiated with Chancellor Merkel's Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU),which says: "In the UN framework we will work towards reducing and ultimately ending Germany's contribution to UNIFIL's maritime task force." WESTERWELLE: LONG-STANDING OPPONENT ¶5. (SBU) Westerwelle has strongly opposed Germany's participation in UNIFIL from the very start, arguing that because of German history, one has to avoid any situation in which German and Israeli soldiers could come into a conflict with one another. He has also argued that German participation in the mission could compromise Germany's "neutrality" in the Middle East. Westerwelle may be willing to hold other issues hostage in order to get his way on UNIFIL. One FDP contact told us that Westerwelle could demand an end to German participation in UNIFIL in return for supporting additional German contributions to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, which will be considered after the planned international conference in January. Comment: We understand from the Israeli Embassy that the Israeli Government has expressed its support to Germany for continued German participation in UNIFIL. This may also have played a role in the MFA decision allowing the longer extension period, as well as FM Westerwelle's upcoming November 23-24 trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories. End comment. BILATERAL TRAINING PROGRAM TO CONTINUE ¶6. (SBU) Germany's bilateral assistance to train and equip the Lebanese navy and coast guard is likely to continue even if the FDP prevails in pulling Germany out of UNIFIL. That program, which is run by the CSU-led MOD, does not require a parliamentary mandate.