DEMARCHE REQUEST: UNGA WALKOUT REDLINES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 097566

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/2019
TAGS: PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE REQUEST: UNGA WALKOUT REDLINES

Classified By: IO PDAS Gerald C. Anderson for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (U) This is an action request (see para 4) for
delivery at the most senior appropriate level of host
government at OOB Monday, September 21.


2. (C) For posts in EU member states, please note that
there will be an EU Political Directors meeting in NYC on
Monday, September 21 and we hope to have instructions to
EU missions relayed in advance of that meeting.

Background
--------------


3. (C) The United States has decided that we will break
with past practice and start out every UNGA speech with an
appropriate-level person behind the U.S. placard during
all/all speeches at the UN General Assembly high-level
event September 23-October 2. The seniority of the person
in the chair will be calibrated appropriately to the
speaker. Given the September 18 speech by Iranian
President Ahmadinejad in which he again denied the fact of
the Holocaust and called for the destruction of the state
of Israel, a UN member state, and given the ongoing
concerns about the unpredictable nature of Libyan
President Qadahafi?s recent public remarks, Washington has
decided to establish some clear redlines for walking out
during these speeches in the case of extremely offensive
remarks. Paragraph 7 contains those redlines.


4. (C) Department requests that posts reach out to
appropriately senior-level of host governments OOB on
Monday, September 21 to convey the talking points in para
6 and our redlines in para 7 and request that host
governments agree to join us in a walkout and to so
instruct their missions in New York and their delegations
for UNGA.


5. (C) We understand that the French, UK and Canadian
PermReps in New York have recommended to capitals that
their governments join us in a walkout and anticipate
sending a lower level (first secretary or below) to these
speeches. The EU does not yet have a common position. We
understand that the PermRep of EU President Sweden opposes
a walkout under any circumstances and is attempting to
organize a meeting of EU Political Directors on Monday,
September 21 in New York to attempt to achieve an EU
consensus position. He acknowledged there is not
consensus yet.

Talking Points
--------------


STATE 00097566 002 OF 003



6. (U) Beginning Talking Points:

-- The United States has decided that we will break with
past practice and start out every UNGA speech with an
appropriate-level person behind the U.S. placard during
all/all speeches at the UN General Assembly high-level
event starting on September 23 and running through October

2. The seniority of the person in the chair will be
calibrated appropriately to the speaker. This in keeping
with our increased engagement in multilateral
institutions.

-- However, given the September 18 speech by Iranian
President Ahmadinejad in which he again denied the fact of
the Holocaust and called for the destruction of the state
of Israel, a UN member state, and given the ongoing
concerns about the unpredictable nature of Libyan
President Qadahafi?s recent public remarks, Washington has
decided to establish some clear redlines for walking out
during these speeches in the case of extremely offensive
remarks, the types of remarks that transcend legitimate
political discourse and grossly exceed the minimum proprieties
of the UNGA.

-- We request that your government join us in such a
walk-out of either the Iranian or the Libyan speeches if these
redlines are crossed.

For EU member states only:

-- We understand that your Political Directors will meet
in New York on Monday morning September 21 local time to
discuss this issue. We hope that the EU will agree to
these redlines. If your country cannot agree, we hope
that you will not block consensus for other members of the
EU joining in walking out.

U.S. Redlines
--------------


7. (U) Our redlines for walking out of a speech, which
should be conveyed to the host government, are:
-- Denying the historical reality of the Holocaust
-- Comparing U.S. or Israeli actions to those of Nazi
Germany
-- Using other clearly anti-Semitic rhetoric, including
suggestions (similar to those in Ahmadinejad?s 2008 UNGA
remarks) that Jews or Zionists control the media and the
financial system or have formed a nefarious conspiracy
-- Threatening the destruction of ISRAEL or any other UN
member state
-- Denying Israel?s or another UN member state?s right to
exist
-- Suggesting that the United States deserved 9/11
-- Embracing or justifying the Lockerbie bombing
-- If asked: The U.S. will, of course, reserve the right
to respond to any other obnoxious or offensive statements.


STATE 00097566 003 OF 003


Reporting Deadline
--------------


8. (U) Department requests responses from posts to this
cable be sent to Washington and USUN New York and be
slugged for Christopher Deutsch in IO/UNP and to Jennifer
Simon at USUN no later than OOB Tuesday, September 22.
CLINTON