UNSC CONSULTATIONS ON UNIFIL, 20 AUGUST

UNCLAS STATE 086628 SENSITIVE SIPDIS USUN FOR SCHEDLBAUER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPKO LE SY IS SUBJECT: UNSC CONSULTATIONS ON UNIFIL, 20 AUGUST ¶1. (U) This is an action message. ¶2. (U) Mission may draw on the talking points in paragraph 3 for the August 20 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) consultations with the UNSC. ¶3. (SBU) Begin talking points: Thank you, Mr. President. The United States commends the work of UNIFIL and thanks Major-General Graziano for his able leadership. We look forward to the unanimous adoption of the resolution renewing UNIFIL,s mandate for another year. This vote will serve as an important reiteration of the Council,s commitment to the full implementation of resolution 1701 and illustrate both the Council,s support and respect for the UN peacekeepers who are working to build mutual trust and to sustain what the Secretary-General has described as the "precarious" calm in southern Lebanon. There is little doubt that the weapons cache that exploded on July 14 in Khirbet Selm belonged to Hizballah and was actively maintained. The explosion demonstrates Hizballah,s disregard for resolution 1701 and clearly illustrates the continued danger posed by the group,s weapons to Lebanon, its citizens, and the region as a whole. We continue to strongly support resolutions 1701 and 1559 in which the Council has called for all arms in Lebanon to be brought under the sole authority of the Lebanese state. As the Secretary General suggests, this incident only highlights the importance of the efforts of the Lebanese Armed Forces, assisted by UNIFIL, to discover and remove weapons and related material that may still be present in the area of operations, make sure that there are no armed elements in the area, and prevent the possible smuggling of weapons across the Litani river. Maintaining a weapons-free zone in south Lebanon does not mean simply that unauthorized weapons are kept out of sight. We call upon the Lebanese government, working in coordination with UNIFIL, to ensure that weapons caches like the one in Khirbat Selm are rooted out. Compounding the gravity of the incident, stone-throwing individuals attempted to thwart UNIFIL,s investigation into the explosion, a serious and intolerable impingement of UNIFIL,s freedom of movement. The United States continues to support UNIFIL,s mandate of freedom of movement in its area of operations, as well as its authority to undertake all necessary action to ensure that the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River is not used for hostile activities. We welcome the long-awaited handover of cluster munitions targeting data to the United Nations. The United States urges Israel to follow through with an expeditious withdrawal from northern Ghajar and discontinue its over-flights. We recognize that Israel links its over-flights to continued weapons smuggling across the Lebanese-Syrian border and will continue to press the Lebanese government for full enforcement of the arms embargo. Finally, we commend the continued coordination between the Lebanese Armed Forces, UNIFIL, and the Israeli Defense Forces via the regular tripartite meetings in Naqoura, Lebanon. We encourage Israel and Lebanon to use this forum to address other issues of mutual concern, and to explore the possibility of updating and renewing their dormant armistice agreement as a possible vehicle to further the broader implementation of resolution 1701. We are thankful that this Council recognizes the crucial role that UNIFIL plays in creating a space for progress throughout the whole of Lebanon and will continue to encourage Council members fully support UNIFIL and its operations. ¶4. (U) End talking points. CLINTON