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OO RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHC #7946/01 2962255
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O 232238Z OCT 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 9258
INFO ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 147946 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPAL IS LE
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR OCTOBER 24 OPEN DEBATE ON THE MIDDLE 
EAST 
 
 
¶1. USUN is instructed to draw upon the following points for 
the October 24 UNSC open debate on the Middle East: 
 
-- Mr. President, the United States remains committed to 
President Bush's vision of Israel and Palestine living as 
two states side by side in peace and security.  In July 
President Bush announced his intention to convene an 
international meeting before the end of the year to bring 
together states committed to a two-state solution, and to 
rally diplomatic support for the parties, efforts to realize 
that vision, and to review and advance efforts to reform and 
build the capacity of Palestinian institutions. 
 
-- Since then Secretary Rice has traveled to the region 
repeatedly to meet with the parties, and to support and 
advance the bilateral process. 
 
-- Secretary Rice and President Bush have been clear - the 
United States is serious about realizing the two-state 
vision.  It is one of our highest foreign policy priorities. 
 
-- This is the most serious process between the parties in 
some time.  There is goodwill on both sides, growing 
confidence and growing trust.  Nevertheless, much hard work 
lies ahead.  We must work together to support continued 
progress on three tracks:  political, economic and 
institutional development, and progress on day-to-day issues. 
 We have encouraged both sides to work intensively to carry 
out phase one Roadmap obligations and other commitments that 
can help build confidence and improve conditions on the 
ground. 
 
-- Quartet Representative Tony Blair is leading efforts to 
build the institutional and economic capacity upon which a 
Palestinian state will be built.  We must all work to support 
his efforts, and give generously to help meet the 
Palestinians, needs. Toward that end the Ad Hoc Liaison 
Committee on Palestinian development held a successful 
meeting in New York in September and we are now looking 
forward to a December donors, conference in France. 
 
-- However, even before that conference donors will need to 
step up to the plate in order to avoid a looming budget 
crisis that could paralyze the PA government in December when 
Israel finishes repaying customs and revenue arrears, 
resulting in a $100 million monthly budget deficit for the 
PA.  We must all consider what assistance we can provide to 
avert a budget crisis. 
 
-- On the political track, Palestinian and Israeli 
negotiating teams are meeting; they are having serious 
discussions about the core issues, and working to memorialize 
the leaders, understandings in a document that we hope can 
help to lay the foundation for serious negotiations.  We are 
encouraged by recent progress on this bilateral track which 
is absolutely central to our shared desire to realize a 
two-state solution. 
 
-- The international meeting that the United States will host 
later this year will rally regional and international support 
for these efforts, and for the two-state vision.  The United 
States remains committed to a comprehensive peace in the 
Middle East, but this meeting will focus on the 
Israeli-Palestinian track because that is where we see an 
immediate opportunity to accomplish something. As Secretary 
Rice has said, the framework for discussions will be, 
consistent with the Roadmap, the goal of two states living 
side-by-side in peace and security based on the principle of 
land for peace, UNSCRs 242, 338, 1397, the Arab League Peace 
Initiative, and other previous agreements between the 
parties.  Key participants will be the Israelis and 
Palestinians, of course, but we also view the Quartet and the 
Arab League Follow-Up Committee as natural participants since 
regional support is key to success and essential for a 
comprehensive Middle East peace. 
 
-- We are committed to seizing the present opportunity and 
look forward to working together with the parties and the 
international community to achieve meaningful progress on a 
successful path to Palestinian statehood and an end to the 
conflict. 
 
LEBANON/SYRIA 
 
-- Lebanese elections must be allowed to occur without 
 
STATE 00147946  002 OF 002 
 
 
threats and foreign interference, and must be free, fair, and 
held on-time and according to the Lebanese Constitution. 
 
--  We urge Lebanese parliamentarians to fulfill their 
constitutional duty to vote for and elect a new president 
before the end of current president Lahoud,s mandate on 
November 24.  This is what the Lebanese people deserve. 
 
--  We call for an immediate end to the use of intimidation 
tactics and violence as tools to subvert the democratic 
process in Lebanon. 
 
--  We call for the rapid establishment of the Special 
Tribunal for Lebanon, which will help end the era of impunity 
in Lebanon, and urge all member states to make generous and 
timely donations.  The United States has made an initial 
contribution of $5 million; we expect to make significant 
contributions in the future. 
 
--  We remain deeply concerned by on-going illegal weapons 
shipments across the Lebanon/Syria border and urge all 
parties to assist the Lebanese government to secure its 
borders. 
 
--  We continue to call on Syria and Iran to cease their 
destabilizing tactics in Lebanon.  The Lebanese must 
select their next president without foreign interference 
and ongoing weapons shipments to Lebanon must stop. 
RICE