VZCZCXRO7711
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHSP #1263 3061519
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021519Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7528
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0063

UNCLAS PORT OF SPAIN 001263 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNGA LE IS PHUM PREL PTER TD
SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON UNGA RESOLUTIONS ON THE SITUATION 
OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND CHILDREN IN LEBANON 
 
REF: STATE 176793 
 
¶1.  Polchief delivered the talking points contained in Reftel, on 
November 1, to MFA Multilateral Division Director Susan Gordon. 
 
¶2.  Gordon was clearly uncomfortable in her justification of certain 
aspects of the two NAM resolutions, particularly the omission from 
the resolutions of any mention of Hizballah, and wondered if other 
UN member states or groupings beside the US, such as the EU, were 
opposed to the two NAM resolutions.  Polchief said that he did not 
know but that, since France, Italy and perhaps other US members are 
participating in the Unifil II peace keeping force separating the 
Israeli military from Hizballah in south Lebanon, he could not 
imagine they would look favorably on such one-sided resolutions. 
 
¶3.  Gordon did cite Israel's "disproportionate" response to 
Hizballah's kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers as justification 
for the resolutions, and said that, as a member of the NAM, it was 
unlikely that T&T would fail to support the resolutions or even 
abstain.  Nevertheless, she said she would convey the US position to 
her superiors.  Finally, she added that, since the MFA has not sent 
anyone to New York for this year's UN General Assembly session, the 
T&T Mission to the UN is extremely understaffed. 
 
¶4.  COMMENT:  As in the case of the Venezuela/ Guatemala vote on the 
Security Council seat, T&T will again likely avoid any direct 
rejection of a US request for support by citing its obligatory 
commitment to some larger grouping, this time the NAM.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
AUSTIN