VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDTA #0338 1210054
ZNY CCCCC ZZH ZUI RUEWMCF0284 1210007
O 010054Z MAY 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000338 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2017 
TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC LE
SUBJECT: MICHEL PREVIEWS COUNCIL BRIEFING ON LEBANON 
TRIBUNAL 
 
REF: STATE 57533 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR ALEJANDRO D. WOLFF, FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D 
 
 
 
PAGE 02 RUCNDTA0338 C O N F I D E N T I A L 
). 
 
¶1.  (C) BEGIN SUMMARY:  PER REFTEL, AMBASSADOR WOLFF URGED UN 
LEGAL COUNSEL MICHEL ON APRIL 30 TO USE HIS MAY 2 BRIEFING TO 
THE SECURITY COUNCIL TO CONVEY HIS CONCLUSION THAT THE 
LEBANESE PARLIAMENTARY PROCESS TO RATIFY THE TRIBUNAL 
AGREEMENT HAD REACHED AN IMPASSE AND TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED 
FOR COUNCIL ACTION TO ESTABLISH THE TRIBUNAL.  MICHEL SAID HE 
WOULD ADVISE THE COUNCIL THAT PROSPECTS FOR THE LEBANESE TO 
ESTABLISH THE TRIBUNAL THROUGH THE DOMESTIC CONSTITUTIONAL 
PROCESS REMAIN "UNCERTAIN" AND THAT HE WOULD EXPRESS "SERIOUS 
DOUBT" THAT PARLIAMENT WILL BE CONVENED BEFORE MAY 31. 
CITING PRIME MINISTER SINIORA'S WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE 
NEGOTIATING, INCLUDING HIS APRIL 27 ANNOUNCEMENT RE-LAUNCHING 
HIS 17-13 PROPOSAL FOR ALLOCATING SEATS IN A NEW CABINET, 
MICHEL SAID HE COULD NOT DECLARE NOW THAT THE LEBANESE 
DOMESTIC PROCESS HAS REACHED AN IMPASSE.  MICHEL ALSO ADVISED 
AMB. WOLFF THAT THE SYG ANTICIPATES BECOMING PERSONALLY 
ENGAGED ON THE TRIBUNAL ISSUE IN THE FUTURE AND MIGHT WISH TO 
BRIEF THE COUNCIL HIMSELF SOON.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
PAGE 03 RUCNDTA0338 C O N F I D E N T I A L 
 
MICHEL PROMISES "FACTUAL" BRIEFING 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) MICHEL TOLD AMBASSADOR WOLFF HIS MAY 2 BRIEFING WOULD 
HAVE THREE PARTS AND FOCUS ON HIS TRIP TO BEIRUT RATHER THAN 
SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENTS.  FIRST, HE WILL PROVIDE A FACTUAL 
OVERVIEW EXPLAINING THE CONTEXT OF AND MANDATE FOR HIS TRIP 
TO LEBANON.  SECOND, HE WILL DISCUSS HIS MEETINGS IN BEIRUT, 
PROVIDING DETAILS ON THE VIEWS OF HIS INTERLOCUTORS AND A 
DESCRIPTION OF THE POSITION OF MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE 
ARGUMENTS OF THE OPPOSITION, AND THE GOVERNMENT'S ASSESSMENT 
OF THE OPPOSITION'S ARGUMENT.  HE WILL CLOSE WITH HIS OWN 
OBSERVATIONS. 
¶3.  (C) BASED ON HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH PRIME MINISTER 
SINIORA IN BEIRUT, MICHEL SAID HE COULD NOT ARGUE THAT THE 
LEBANESE DOMESTIC PROCESS IS STALEMATED AND THAT THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL MUST INTERVENE.  ALTHOUGH HE SAID THE PROPOSAL FOR 
TALKS IN GENEVA TO REACH AGREEMENT ON THE TRIBUNAL TEXTS IS 
"DEAD," MICHEL STRESSED THAT PRIME MINISTER SINIORA IS STILL 
 
 
 
PAGE 04 RUCNDTA0338 C O N F I D E N T I A L 
PURSUING OPTIONS FOR REACHING CONSENSUS ON THE TRIBUNAL. 
SPECIFICALLY, MICHEL CITED SINIORA'S ANNOUNCEMENT APRIL 27 
THAT HE WOULD RE-LAUNCH HIS PROPOSAL ON THE 17-13 FORMULA FOR 
COMPOSING THE GOVERNMENT, PROVIDED THAT MEMBERS CONFIRM 
SUPPORT FOR THE SEVEN-POINT PLAN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF 
RESOLUTION 1701.  MICHEL ALSO SAID SINIORA DID NOT APPEAR TO 
BE IN A RUSH TO SUPPORT COUNCIL ACTION AT THIS TIME AND WAS 
PREPARED TO LET THE MATTER WAIT UNTIL MAY 31.  MICHEL SAID HE 
HAD SPOKEN WITH SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR LEBANON GEIR PEDERSEN 
TWICE TODAY TO UNDERSTAND BETTER SINIORA'S INTENTIONS BUT 
COMMENTED, "I CAN'T GO TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND SAY ALL IS 
DEAD AND THEN HAVE THE PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCE HE IS WORKING 
ON A NEW FORMULA." 
 
AMBASSADOR WOLFF WARNS PROPOSED 
BRIEFING COULD BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (C) AMBASSADOR WOLFF EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE BRIEFING 
MICHEL ENVISIONS WOULD HAVE THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF 
 
 
 
PAGE 05 RUCNDTA0338 C O N F I D E N T I A L 
STRENGTHENING COUNCIL SKEPTICS AND UNDERMINING THE COUNCIL'S 
ULTIMATE ABILITY TO ESTABLISH THE TRIBUNAL.  HE URGED MICHEL 
TO CONCLUDE THAT THE LEBANESE PROCESS IS DEADLOCKED AND TO 
MAKE A STRONG STATEMENT SUPPORTING COUNCIL ACTION TO 
ESTABLISH THE TRIBUNAL.  WOLFF QUESTIONED WHETHER MICHEL'S 
PROPOSED BRIEFING WOULD ANSWER THE TWO QUESTIONS COUNCIL 
SKEPTICS WILL POSE:  (1) WHY THE COUNCIL SHOULD BECOME 
ENGAGED NOW, AND (2) WHY THE COUNCIL SHOULD NOT GIVE THE 
LEBANESE MORE TIME TO ESTABLISH THE TRIBUNAL THEMSELVES. 
INSTEAD, MICHEL SHOULD LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR ANY POSSIBLE 
SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION TO ESTABLISH THE TRIBUNAL, AMBASSADOR 
WOLFF URGED, STRESSING THAT PRIME MINISTER SINIORA HAS 
ADVISED THAT THE "WORST OUTCOME" WOULD BE FOR THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL NOT TO ENGAGE ON THE TRIBUNAL.  THE FIRMER MICHEL 
MAKES HIS PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL, THE FIRMER THE COUNCIL 
WILL BE, AND THE FIRMER THE LEBANESE WILL BE, AMBASSADOR 
WOLFF ARGUED. 
 
¶5.   (C) MICHEL CONTINUED TO EXPRESS CONCERN THAT HE WOULD 
"UNDERCUT" SINIORA, BUT AGREED TO MAKE CLEAR STATEMENTS ABOUT 
 
 
 
PAGE 06 RUCNDTA0338 C O N F I D E N T I A L 
TIMING AND THE NEED FOR THE COUNCIL TO REJECT IMPUNITY.  HE 
SAID HE WOULD STRESS THAT THE UN NEEDS ONE YEAR TO MAKE THE 
TRIBUNAL OPERATIONAL AND NOTING THAT THE UNIIIC'S MANDATE 
EXPIRES IN JUNE 2008.  HE ALSO SAID HE WOULD STRESS THE NEED 
FOR CONSISTENCY IN THE COUNCIL'S ACTIONS AND RECALL THE 
COUNCIL'S UNANIMOUS DECISION TO ESTABLISH THE UNIIIC AND THE 
 
 
TRIBUNAL. 
 
FUTURE ROLE FOR SYG? 
 
 
 
PAGE 02 RUCNDTA0338 C O N F I D E N T I A L 
-------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) RECALLING HIS CONVERSATION WITH THE SYG ON THE 
MORNING OF APRIL 30, MICHEL REPORTED THE SYG BELIEVES THAT 
SOME UNSC MEMBERS DO NOT THINK THAT ALL EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE 
A LEBANESE SOLUTION TO THE TRIBUNAL ISSUE HAVE BEEN 
EXHAUSTED.  MICHEL IMPLIED THAT THE SYG MIGHT UNDERTAKE 
ADDITIONAL EFFORTS IF COUNCIL MEMBERS OR REGIONAL STATES 
ADVISE THE SYG THAT THEY DO NOT THINK THE UN HAS DONE ENOUGH. 
 IN THIS CONTEXT, MICHEL NOTED THAT THE ARAB LEAGUE, EGYPT, 
AND SAUDI ARABIA HAVE TOLD THE UN THAT THEY WOULD NOT SUPPORT 
SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION TO ESTABLISH THE TRIBUNAL UNDER 
CHAPTER VII AND THAT FURTHER EFFORTS BY THE UN MIGHT BE 
USEFUL.  (NOTE:  ACCORDING TO LEBANESE CHARGE CAROLINE ZIADE, 
MICHEL TOLD VISITING FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR TO PRIME MINISTER 
SINIORA MOHAMMAD CHATTAH THAT THE SYG PLANS TO BRIEF THE 
COUNCIL ON THE TRIBUNAL ISSUE UPON HIS RETURN FROM THE MAY 
5-6 IRAQ NEIGHBORS CONFERENCE IN SHARM AL SHEIKH, EGYPT.  END 
NOTE.) 
 
 
 
 
PAGE 03 RUCNDTA0338 C O N F I D E N T I A L 
LEBANESE AND FRENCH MEET MICHEL 
------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) AMBASSADOR WOLFF DESCRIBED MICHEL'S PROPOSED COUNCIL 
BRIEFING TO THE LEBANESE CHARGE AND THE FRENCH PERMREP (BOTH 
OF WHOM WERE SCHEDULED TO SEE MICHEL LATER IN THE DAY) AND 
URGED THEM TO PRESS MICHEL TO GIVE AN UNAMBIGUOUS BRIEFING ON 
PROSPECTS FOR LEBANESE PARLIAMENTARY RATIFICATION AND THE 
NEED FOR COUNCIL ACTION ON THE TRIBUNAL.  LEBANESE CHARGE 
CAROLINE ZIADE, WHO ACCOMPANIED CHATTAH TO THE MEETING WITH 
MICHEL THE AFTERNOON OF APRIL 30, REPORTED THAT CHATTAH TOLD 
MICHEL THAT THE PROSPECTS FOR PARLIAMENTARY RATIFICATION WERE 
"CLOSE TO ZERO."  CHATTAH ALSO ASKED MICHEL IF THE 
SECRETARIAT WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNCIL TAKE ACTION TO 
 
SIPDIS 
ESTABLISH THE TRIBUNAL.  ZIADE SUGGESTED THAT, DESPITE 
CHATTAH'S CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SITUATION IN LEBANON, 
MICHEL DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POLITICAL COVER TO EDIT HIS 
PLANNED REMARKS TO THE UNSC.  SHE NOTED THAT MICHEL ADVISED 
CHATTAH THAT PRIME MINISTER SINIORA SHOULD CALL THE SYG IF 
THE GOL WANTS THE SECRETARIAT TO RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNCIL 
 
 
 
PAGE 04 RUCNDTA0338 C O N F I D E N T I A L 
TAKE ACTION TO CREATE THE TRIBUNAL. 
 
¶8.  (C) AMBASSADOR WOLFF AND MICHEL AGREED TO REMAIN IN CLOSE 
CONTACT BEFORE WEDNESDAY. 
KHALILZAD