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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #1311 0861906
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 261901Z MAR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS IMMEDIATE 0000
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 031311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNSC LE SY PTER
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE:  CONSULTATIONS ON THE SPECIAL TRIBUNAL 
FOR LEBANON, MARCH 27 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  USUN may draw from the points in para 2 below during 
UNSC consultations on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon 
currently scheduled for March 27. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Begin points. 
 
-- I would first like to thank Under Secretary General Michel 
for his informative briefing and for all the efforts he and 
his staff have undertaken to implement resolution 1757.  The 
UN has made tremendous progress in setting up the Special 
Tribunal for Lebanon since resolution 1757 was adopted in May 
2007, and this has in large part been due to Mr. Michel,s 
tireless commitment, which we salute. 
 
Why this issue is important 
 
-- It is timely and appropriate that we discuss the Tribunal 
now, just two months after the latest political 
assassination in Lebanon, which killed Internal Security 
Forces Captain Wissam Eid.  This attack, of course, was just 
the latest in a campaign of assassinations targeting 
pro-independence and democracy forces in Lebanon.  I also 
cannot ignore the attack on January 15, which struck a U.S. 
Embassy vehicle, injuring two Lebanese employees of the 
embassy and three Lebanese passers-by. 
 
-- These heinous attacks will only stop when those 
responsible realize that they will be held to account, which 
is what makes operationalizing the Special Tribunal quickly 
so important.  As the Secretary General has said, the 
Tribunal is now a reality, and the process of bringing to 
justice those responsible for the assassination of former 
Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and others, is irreversible. 
 
-- In any discussion of Lebanon, it is impossible to ignore 
the continuing political crisis.  Although the Lebanese seem 
to have reached consensus on a presidential candidate, we are 
deeply troubled by the fact that a minority, backed by Syria 
and Iran, are using extra-constitutional preconditions to 
continue to block the elections.  This must stop.  As the 
Arab League summit begins in Damascus, we call yet again on 
the Lebanese Parliamentary Speaker to open Parliament and 
allow Lebanon's democratically-elected MPs to fulfill their 
responsibility to elect a President in accordance with their 
constitution and without delay or preconditions. 
 
Four points on the Tribunal 
 
-- I wish to make four specific points about the Tribunal and 
the Secretary General's report on the implementation of 
resolution 1757. 
 
-- First, we commend the considerable progress the UN has 
achieved in setting up the Tribunal, including the signing of 
a Headquarters Agreement, the appointment of a prosecutor and 
a registrar, the selection of judges, the establishment of a 
Management Committee, and the receipt of significant 
contributions and pledges. 
 
-- Second, we urge the UN to continue making progress in 
operationalizing the court and to demonstrate further that 
the process of securing justice for Lebanon is irreversible. 
 
 
-- Third, we congratulate all of the Member States who have 
already made donations to the Tribunal.  We also encourage 
donor countries to continue to support the Tribunal 
financially.  The United States has so far pledged $14 
million toward the setup and the first year of the Tribunal's 
operation, and we expect to remain a significant contributor 
over the lifetime of the Tribunal.   We encourage other 
donors to continue to do their part as well and, in this 
regard, to advise the Secretary General that they intend to 
contribute to the Tribunal throughout its lifetime. 
 
-- Fourth, we call on all parties to support the integrity of 
the Tribunal.  The Tribunal must pursue justice wherever its 
investigation leads, and member states should not attempt to 
prejudice that effort by suggesting political arrangements 
meant to protect certain parties from prosecution.  The 
United States fully supports the Tribunal and the efforts it 
will undertake, and expects all states to do the same. 
 
Conclusion 
 
--  In conclusion, we note that the Special Tribunal is a 
crucial element in the effort to end impunity for political 
assassinations in Lebanon and beyond.  For months now, 
several dozen members of the Lebanese parliament have been 
confined to a hotel in downtown Beirut, seeking refuge from 
the very real threat of assassination that they face every 
day.  How ironic that the perpetrators of these crimes 
continue to live their lives in freedom while their potential 
victims have effectively become prisoners in their own 
country.  These brave individuals are counting on this 
Tribunal to take action as quickly as possible so that those 
responsible are identified, taken into custody, and brought 
to justice.  We welcome this opportunity for an update on the 
Secretariat's efforts to set up the Tribunal and look forward 
 
SIPDIS 
to receiving a similar update from UNIIIC Commissioner Daniel 
Bellemare on the status of his investigation in April. 
 
End points. 
RICE