AMBASSADOR RICE'S JANUARY 12 MEETING WITH OUTGOING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000025

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2020
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC IS LE
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE'S JANUARY 12 MEETING WITH OUTGOING
UNIFIL FORCE COMMANDER GENERAL GRAZIANO

Classified By: Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador Rice met on January 12 with
outgoing UNIFIL Force Commander General Graziano to thank him
for his leadership and seek his candid assessment of the
current situation. General Graziano emphasized that an
opportunity exists to press for a permanent cease-fire given
that all of Lebanon's political institutions are for the
first time in three years fully operational. He highlighted
the crucial role the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) will play in
maintaining a permanent cease-fire and said that the best way
to improve the situation in the south was to improve the
LAF's capabilities. He urged the provision of non-lethal,
basic equipment to the LAF and was certain it would not be
transferred to Hizballah, which is already well-equipped. He
stressed that the most immediate threat to Israel from
southern Lebanon is posed by Palestinian terrorist groups,
not Hizballah. He noted that a final agreement on an Israeli
withdrawal from northern Ghajar is not likely in the next few
weeks and urged that this effort not be allowed to fail. He
voiced satisfaction with UNIFIL's mandate but noted several
areas not covered by the mandate where problems had and could
continue to arise, including the lack of a maritime line of
separation. He noted that changes to UNIFIL's rules of
engagement, i.e. if UNIFIL forces are to stand side-by-side
with the LAF at checkpoints or board ships with the Lebanese
Navy, would require the agreement of the Lebanese government.
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Ambassador Rice met on January 12 with outgoing
UNIFIL Force Commander Lieutenant General Claudio Graziano.
(Note: Graziano will hand over command of UNIFIL to Spanish
Major General Alberto Asarta on January 28. End note.)
Ambassador Rice thanked General Graziano for his exceptional
leadership of UNIFIL and pressed him for his candid
assessment of the current situation. Graziano said he was
pleased that UNIFIL has been able to maintain the cessation
of hostilities but noted that much remains to be done,
especially in terms of supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) which is part of UNIFIL's core mandate. He highlighted
that for the first time in three years Lebanon has all of its
political institutions fully operational. He said that
Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri has spoken for the first time
about a permanent cease-fire. While Graziano noted that
obtaining a cease-fire would be tricky without first having
in place a Syrian-Israeli peace since the GOL would seek the
return of all occupied Lebanese territory, an end to
overflights, and a resolution of the Palestinian issue in
Lebanon, he said there are possible ways to enlarge the
tripartite process to encompass a broader set of bilateral
Lebanese-Israeli issues to facilitate a permanent cease-fire.
He emphasized that in the next two years something has to
change -- either there has to be significant progress toward
a permanent cease-fire or there will be reductions in UNIFIL
force strength (through the departure of key troop
contributors, i.e. European) to pre-2006 levels and
operational capabilities. (Note: Graziano did confirm during
the meeting that Italy would only be withdrawing its
headquarters company of 220 personnel from UNIFIL, not its
larger operational force contribution. End note.)

LAF crucial to permanent cease-fire
--------------


3. (C) General Graziano stressed that the LAF are crucial to
a permanent cease-fire and they continue to lack the
necessary capabilities. He underscored that the only way to
improve the situation in the south is to improve the LAF. He
said this can be done so as to not strengthen Hizballah
because the LAF lacks the basic equipment that Hizballah has.
He highlighted the LAF's non-lethal equipment needs, such as
night vision goggles and secure telecommunications equipment.
He said that UNIFIL, not the LAF, found the explosives cache
on December 26 near al-Khiyam because it has thermal
equipment. He commented that the LAF communicates via
regular mobile phones. Graziano stressed to Ambassador Rice
and, in a separate discussion with the New York-based UNIFIL
Strategic Military Cell (SMC),that the immediate threat to
Israel from southern Lebanon is from Palestinian terrorist
groups, not from Hizballah. Hizballah, he said, currently
appears to be focused on storing its weapons and pushing for
an aura of political credibility, and on not using its
weapons and then facing the potential loss of those weapons.

Ghajar - must follow through on this
--------------


4. (C) While Graziano has been pressing to complete an
Israeli withdrawal from northern Ghajar before the end of his
tenure, he said he did not foresee "a solution to Ghajar" in
the next few weeks. He commented that while "regular law and

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order policing" is not in UNIFIL's mandate, UNIFIL is
prepared to do so in northern Ghajar in order to effect an
Israeli withdrawal. The main sticking point, he said, is
reassuring the Israeli government (GOI) that UNIFIL will not
be pulled out and the area handed over to the Lebanese
government without GOI agreement. Graziano said that UNIFIL
cannot really offer such a guarantee but the Security Council
could. Graziano underscored that the USG and the Council
should not let there be a "failure on Ghajar."

Mandate issues
--------------


5. (C) Graziano said he continues to feel that UNIFIL's
mandate is satisfactory because he does not think the
Lebanese government (GOL) would permit a Chapter Seven
mandate. He did note several areas where UNIFIL has been
drawn into issues without having a clear mandate, including
last summer's incidents at Kfar Shouba. He noted that there
are growing concerns about the lack of a defined maritime
"Blue Line" since the current "buoy line" was established by
Israel without Lebanese or UN agreement. Graziano said a
serious dispute could only be a matter of time. He also
noted the possibility of offshore gas reserves which may also
drive the need to demarcate a maritime line of separation.

Rules of engagement
--------------


6. (C) When pressed on UNIFIL's rules of engagement (ROE),
Graziano admitted that they are circumscribed because of GOL
preference. UNIFIL troops are not side-by-side with LAF
troops at checkpoints since the LAF has been given the
sovereign task of manning those checkpoints, not UNIFIL.
UNIFIL may only search vehicles/houses with the LAF when they
have evidence that arms or other threats may be contained
therein. (Comment: If we would like to see a more active
UNIFIL presence at checkpoints, even if only as an observer,
we would likely need to seek the GOL's acquiescence in
revising the ROE. End comment.) In terms of the Maritime
Task Force (MTF),Graziano noted that since it was
established at the invitation of the GOL, the ROE were
established by the GOL. As a result, the MTF may hail ships
but does not board any ships to inspect them. This is only
done by the Lebanese Navy.


7. (C) Graziano also noted that the ROE do not provide for
the use of UAVs. UNIFIL forces use UAVs for force protection
but not to further UNIFIL mission objectives since there is
no provision in the ROE for UAVs for that purpose. Graziano
did agree that the ROE could be changed to include UAVs but
the GOL would have to agree to such a change. He noted that
the GOL has been skittish about the use of UAVs. In fact, he
noted that the LAF has Raven UAVs but are not flying them in
the south. Graziano noted that the LAF general in charge of
equipment has commented to him that he will not send certain
equipment, i.e., sniper rifles, to the south because he does
not want to be criticized by the IDF.

Maritime Task Force
--------------


8. (C) In addition to the previous comments on the need to
delineate an agreed maritime line of separation, Graziano
noted that IDF officials have commented to him that they are
pleased with the Maritime Task Force (MTF). They believe it
does serve as a deterrent, though they would prefer that it
have the ability to inspect ships at sea. Graziano
emphasized that the MTF is the only fleet regularly at sea in
the area since the Lebanese Navy does not have the capability
for longer-term cruises, especially in the winter months. He
noted that the MTF is down to six vessels and must have at
least two frigates in order to properly hail vessels. He
urged that a European ship continue to be the flag ship of
the MTF so that the MTF continues to have more of a "NATO
look" to it.
RICE