GUIDANCE: POINTS FOR USE IN UNSCR 1701

UNCLAS STATE 021922 SENSITIVE SIPDIS USUN FOR SCHEDLBAUER AND SIMONOFF HAGUE FOR MANNING E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC LE SY IS SUBJECT: GUIDANCE: POINTS FOR USE IN UNSCR 1701 CONSULTATIONS, MARCH 10 ¶1. (U) USUN should draw from the points in para 2 during the U.S. intervention in UNSCR 1701 consultations on March 10, ¶2009. Department requests that USUN seek further guidance if the final statement differs significantly and substantively from the points below. ¶2. (SBU) Begin points: -- We welcome this report and its strong reaffirmation of the international community's support for the sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally-recognized borders and under the exclusive authority of its Government. -------------- ROCKET ATTACKS -------------- -- Rocket attacks are serious violations of resolution 1701 that threaten to ignite renewed hostilities with Israel that would be devastating for Lebanon and the region. These attacks clearly demonstrate the presence of weapons in Lebanon and the continuing danger of armed groups outside of government control. The United States joins the Secretary General and the Lebanese government in condemning these attacks, and urges further action to prevent similar attacks in the future. -- The United States commends UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces' (LAF),quick response to the rocket attacks, and their increased operational tempo and patrolling during the period of heightened tension, as well as the commitment of President Sleiman and other senior Lebanese officials to prevent further attacks. We urge the Lebanese government to maintain a significant LAF presence in this area of operation. -- We remain concerned by the continued reporting of cases where the local population have impeded UNIFIL's full freedom of movement. The LAF's successful intervention to resolve such incidents underscores the need for Lebanese forces to maintain a significant presence in UNFIL areas of operation. -- We also think the time ripe to push for additional forces to let UNIFIL reach its maximum authorized strength of 15,000 troops. -- We call upon member states to join us in increasing the capabilities of the LAF through the provision of both training and equipment, so that it may more effectively exert its authority throughout the whole of Lebanon and contribute to the full implementation of resolution 1701. -------------- ARMED MILITIAS AND OUTSIDE SUPPORT -------------- -- The very existence of armed groups is an impediment to the free and fair conduct of elections, especially in light of the events of May 2008 in which Hizballah and other opposition parties brazenly resorted to force to achieve their political objectives. -- Lebanese civilians will only have lasting security when Hizballah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC),Fatah el-Intifada, and other militias disarm and the democratically-elected Lebanese government becomes the sole political and military authority in the country. -- We note the Secretary General's call for the Government of Lebanon to dismantle existing PFLP-GC bases. We call on Syria, as a chief benefactor of the PFLP-GC, to encourage that group to dismantle its bases along the Lebanese-Syrian border, as well as within Lebanon proper. -------------- THE BORDER -------------- -- While we join the Secretary General in welcoming the steps taken by the Lebanese government to reactivate Lebanon's delegation to the Lebanese-Syrian border committee, we are disappointed that the Syrian government has yet to follow suit. -- Delineation of the border is a critical step toward stopping cross-border flows of contraband and weapons and, we believe, it is in the interests of both Syria and Lebanon. We urge the Council to make this an urgent priority, and encourage the Secretary General to offer his assistance to the parties if it would speed their bilateral work. -- As noted by the reports of the Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team, border control has gotten marginally better along Lebanon's northern frontier. Still, we note with disappointment that Lebanese security services have yet to interdict a single cross-border weapons shipment since 2006, despite Hizballah's assertions that it has more than rearmed with weapons smuggled into Lebanon in contravention of resolution 1701's arms embargo. -------------- THE BLUE LINE -------------- -- We call upon both Israel and Lebanon to fully respect the Blue Line, and commend UNIFIL's work in investigating instances of Blue Line violations, defusing tensions between Lebanese and Israeli security services, and working to visibly mark the Blue Line in cooperation with the parties. -- Similarly, we welcome the Secretary General's personal intervention and continued work of his representative in Lebanon, Michael Williams, as well as UNIFIL General Graziano, on the issue of northern Ghajar. We urge Israel to comply with its obligations under resolution 1701 to withdraw fully its forces from Lebanese territory while working diligently on a solution to the complex humanitarian issues involved. -------------- DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS -------------- -- We welcome the diplomatic engagement between Lebanon and Syria and wish to reiterate our support for the establishment of full diplomatic relations as called for by resolution 1680 and as agreed between Presidents Sleiman and Asad in 2008. We look to Syria to reciprocate Lebanon's step of naming an ambassador to Damascus. Full normalization must also include delineation of the Lebanese-Syrian border, as both sides have agreed, and an end to Syrian support for armed groups in Lebanon. -- The United States will continue to raise its voice in support of the forces of democracy, sovereignty, and reform in Lebanon, and it will continue to oppose those who would undermine the Lebanese state and its ability to chart its own destiny. End points. CLINTON