VZCZCXRO5121
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHDL #0918 2211156
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091156Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0150
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7317
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES PRIORITY

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000918 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS UN IS EI
SUBJECT: IRELAND WELCOMES LEBANON UNSC RESOLUTION, WANTS 
IMMEDIATE CEASE-FIRE 
 
REF: STATE 128442 
 
¶1. (SBU) Ireland would welcome the passage of the draft UNSC 
resolution on Lebanon, according to Stephen Dawson, 
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) First Secretary for 
Middle East and North African Affairs, to whom emboffs 
delivered reftel demarche on August 8 (with Ireland observing 
a holiday on August 7).   Dawson noted that the Irish 
Government recognized the difficulty of the diplomatic 
negotiations that had yielded the resolution text, which, he 
added, was impressive in scope.  He observed that Ireland had 
no issue with the resolution's wording, but would have 
favored an additional "aspirational" reference to Israeli 
withdrawal from Lebanon.  Given the Lebanese Government's 
initial criticism of the draft resolution, the Irish 
Government also had questions about the extent to which UNSC 
negotiators had coordinated with Lebanon and Israel on the 
text.  Ireland nevertheless trusted that the UNSC was working 
with all parties to create the permissive environment 
necessary to implement the resolution's key provision: the 
proposed deployment of a multinational force between the Blue 
Line and Litani River. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Comment: Through DFA press statements and media 
interviews with Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and Foreign 
Minister Dermot Ahern, the Irish Government has taken a 
strong public stand in favor of an immediate cease-fire in 
Lebanon.  A significant factor in the Irish position has been 
heavy media coverage of the civilian casualties of Israeli 
military actions, which has fueled several small-scale 
protests at both Post and the Israeli Embassy in Dublin. 
Another factor has been Irish Government concerns about the 
UNIFIL mission, which has included Irish troops since its 
establishment.  It was one of the 17 current Irish UNIFIL 
members who repeatedly warned Israel prior to the July 25 
bombing of the mission observer post that killed several 
UNIFIL officers. 
 
 
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Visit Dublin's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/dublin/index. cfm 
KENNY