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Viewing cable 07STATE166087, GUIDANCE: UNSC RESOLUTION 1701 CONSULTATIONS,

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07STATE166087 2007-12-12 15:42 2011-08-24 16:30 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Secretary of State
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #6087 3461602
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121542Z DEC 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM IMMEDIATE 0000
UNCLAS STATE 166087 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNSC LE IS PREL PBTS
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE:  UNSC RESOLUTION 1701 CONSULTATIONS, 
DECEMBER 12 
 
1.  (U)  USUN may draw from the points in para 2 below during 
UN Security Council consultations on the implementation of 
UNSC resolution 1701 (2006) currently scheduled for December 
12. 
 
2.  Begin points. 
 
--  We welcome the Secretary-General's report and the 
briefing by Mr. Pedersen (and General Graziano) on the 
implementation of resolution 1701. 
 
--  Before I begin discussing 1701, I have to address the 
heinous event in Lebanon today.  The United States condemns 
in the strongest possible terms today's brutal assassination 
of Lebanese Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, an attack 
which claimed the lives of several people and injured 
numerous others.  Our thoughts are with the families of all 
of the victims, and with the Lebanese government, Army, and 
people. 
 
--  This bombing is yet another vicious attack against 
Lebanon and its constitutional institutions.  Today's attack 
comes at a crucial time for the future of the Lebanese people 
when a minority in Lebanon's opposition are blocking the 
holding of presidential elections. 
 
--  I would like to reiterate U.S. concern that it has not 
yet been possible to hold a presidential election in Lebanon, 
and urge the minority within the opposition in Lebanon who 
are blocking the election to cease their demands to link 
non-constitutional measures to presidential elections. 
 
--  The United States urges the Lebanese to move quickly to 
pave the way for the president to be elected.  However, until 
such time as a new president takes office, the United States 
has full confidence in, and fully supports, the legitimate 
Lebanese Government in managing the affairs of the state and 
in the Lebanese Armed Forces in continuing to provide 
security. 
 
-- I wish to make six main points about the situation in 
Lebanon as it relates to the demands of resolution 1701. 
 
-- First, we commend UNIFIL and the troops serving in it for 
their efforts to carry out their mandate.  We want to 
highlight in particular the close working relationship 
General Graziano and his team have established with the 
Lebanese Armed Forces.  The expanded and improved role of the 
LAF is one of the success stories of the past 18 months.  We 
also welcome the numerous patrols and checkpoints UNIFIL has 
established to ensure that its area of operations is free of 
unauthorized weapons or armed elements, particularly those 
along the Litani river. 
 
-- At the same time, however, we share the 
Secretary-General,s deep concern that &recent attacks 
 
SIPDIS 
against UNIFIL, and the June rocket attack against Israel, 
show that hostile armed elements are still present in, or 
still find a way into, the area of operations.8 We urge 
UNIFIL to continue to seek ways to innovate and adapt to meet 
the evolving threat. 
 
-- Second, we welcome the commitment of both Lebanon and 
Israel to the full implementation of resolution 1701.  We 
urge all sides to accelerate trilateral efforts to find an 
early resolution to the issue of Ghajar, to address the issue 
of unexploded ordnance in south Lebanon, and to mark and 
ensure full respect for the Blue Line.  In this regard, we 
condemn all efforts to violate Lebanon,s sovereignty. 
 
-- Third, we remain deeply concerned about illegal arms 
transfers across the Syrian-Lebanese border, and in 
particular by reports from the Prime Minister of Lebanon that 
the Government of Syria was complicit in these transfers.  We 
strongly support the Secretary-General,s observation, which 
he has made for the fourth time since last summer's war, that 
Syria and Iran have a particular responsibility to ensure 
that the arms embargo in resolution 1701 is fully respected. 
 
-- Although the Syrian-Lebanese border can only be secured 
when all regional states decide to honor their commitments 
under resolution 1701, the recommendations of the Lebanon 
Independent Border Assessment Team (LIBAT) serve as a 
blueprint through which to increase Lebanon,s border 
security capacity.  We are encouraged that Lebanon has made 
progress in implementing these recommendations and urge the 
Secretary-General to continue to monitor their 
 
SIPDIS 
implementation, if necessary by dispatching the LIBAT team to 
the region again. 
 
-- Fourth, we fully support the Secretary-General,s call for 
a process to disarm all militias in Lebanon in accordance 
with resolution 1559 and the Ta,if Accords.  As the 
Secretary-General reports, Hizballah has not denied reports 
 
SIPDIS 
that it is constructing new facilities in the Bekaa valley, 
and Hizballah Secretary-General Nasrallah,s recent 
statements reinforce concerns that Hizballah has acquired 
more arms than it possessed before last year's conflict.  In 
accordance with resolutions of this Council, Hizballah must 
disarm, and it must do so now. 
 
-- Fifth, we appreciate the Secretary-General's appeals for 
proof of life of the two abducted Israeli soldiers, Eldad 
Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, and reiterate our call on 
Hizballah to immediately and unconditionally release them. 
Hizballah,s continued public refusal to immediately release 
the soldiers or even provide proof of life, when Israel has 
afforded full ICRC access to Lebanese Hizballah prisoners 
detained in Israel, is a clear rejection of this Council's 
message in resolution 1701. 
 
-- Sixth, we commend the efforts by the Secretary-General and 
the UN cartographer to present a provisional territorial 
definition of the Sheba,a Farms area.  We reiterate that a 
permanent solution to this issue remains contingent upon the 
delineation of the border between Syria and Lebanon, and 
deplore that Syria has not lived up to the commitment 
President Asad made to the Secretary-General on April 24, 
2007 to reactivate the Syrian-Lebanese border commission. 
Lastly, we emphasize that proposals to support a change in 
the status of the Sheba,a area must be considered in 
conjunction with proposals for implementing the Council,s 
disarmament requirements. 
 
-- In conclusion, I note that Foreign Ministers from around 
the world recently met in Annapolis to endorse a process that 
we hope will lead to a permanent Israeli-Palestinian peace. 
In terms of the Israeli-Lebanese relationship, we already 
have a blueprint for at least a long-term cease-fire and a 
permanent solution ) and that is resolution 1701. 
 
-- More than one year has passed since the adoption of this 
resolution.  While much has been accomplished towards 
implementing the Council,s decree, much more remains to be 
achieved.  We must all recommit ourselves to ensuring that 
resolution 1701 is fully implemented, including compliance 
with the arms embargo, release of soldiers, and progress 
towards disarmament.  The United States stands ready to do 
its part towards this goal. 
 
End points. 
RICE