VZCZCXRO6535
OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0316/01 0991703
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 081703Z APR 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4067
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000316 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2018 
TAGS: PREL PTER PARM PINR PREF MASS SY IS LE GOV
SUBJECT: LEBANON:  UNIIIC COMMISSIONER BELLEMARE APPEALS 
FOR MORE TIME FOR INVESTIGATION 
 
REF: A. BEIRUT 465 
 
     ¶B. BEIRUT 350 
     ¶C. USUN 265 
     ¶D. USUN 253 
     ¶E. USUN 224 
     ¶F. USUN 220 
 
Classified By: Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad, for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) BEGIN SUMMARY:  UNIIIC Commissioner and Special 
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Prosecutor-Designate Daniel 
Bellemare told Amb. Khalilzad privately on April 4 that the 
UNIIIC mandate, which is scheduled to expire June 15 absent 
action by the Security Council, should be extended at least 
until the end of 2008.  Saying that Lebanese Justice Minister 
Rizk agreed with him, Bellemare argued that UNIIIC needed 
more time to use its Chapter VII authority to compel 
cooperation from Syria and to continue investigating the 20 
other terrorist attacks perpetrated in Lebanon since Hariri's 
assassination.  Bellemare also cautioned against any 
proposals to have him serve simultaneously as Commissioner 
and Prosecutor, which he said would create legal problems for 
the STL.  While stressing that he could not predict when the 
investigation would conclude and declining to provide 
specifics on his investigation, Bellemare said he would be 
more forthcoming when he meets with U.S. officials in 
Washington on April 9-10.  Bellemare also said states could 
help expedite his work by providing the assistance he is 
seeking, chiefly the secondment of skilled investigators. 
Bellemare also agreed that his request for more time to 
continue the investigation must not dilute the message that 
the STL is irrevocable.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Amb. Khalilzad met privately with Daniel Bellemare, 
Commissioner of the UN International Independent 
Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) and Prosecutor-Designate of 
the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), on April 4. 
Bellemare will brief the Security Council on the UNIIIC's 
tenth report on April 8 and will travel to Washington for 
meetings on April 9-10. 
 
Bellemare Clarifies Report Language 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Noting the controversy in Lebanon over Bellemare's 
use of the term "criminal network" in his report to the 
Council, Amb. Khalilzad asked Bellemare to clarify whether he 
still viewed the assassination of former Lebanese Prime 
Minister Hariri as politically motivated.  Emphasizing that 
his report language should not be misinterpreted, Bellemare 
said he would make it clear to the Security Council on April 
8 that his report uses the terms "criminal" and "terrorist" 
interchangeably, and that he has not changed UNIIIC's thesis 
that the Hariri murder was politically motivated.  UNIIIC is 
conducting a terrorist investigation, and the report makes 
clear that Hariri was killed in a terrorist attack, he said. 
Bellemare said he would emphasize this point in his remarks 
to the press following the Council discussion. 
 
Status of Investigation 
----------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Amb. Khalilzad pressed Bellemare for more specifics 
on the status of investigation, noting that a clearer picture 
would help the United States meet Bellemare's requests for 
assistance more effectively.  Bellemare remained 
tight-lipped, although he told Amb. Khalilzad on the margins 
of the meeting that he would be more forthcoming when he 
meets with U.S. officials in Washington on April 9-10. 
Bellemare emphasized that UNIIIC would move "as expeditiously 
as possible," but expressed frustration that he could not 
predict when his investigation would be done.  In this 
regard, Bellemare said UNIIIC could move faster with more 
resources and assistance from states and then reiterated his 
request (refs A, B) for experienced counterterrorism 
investigators to help UNIIIC re-interview a number of 
witnesses.  Bellemare also asked for investigators with 
"military analysis" expertise who can help UNIIIC as it faces 
a hostile intelligence service.  Bellemare shared his view 
that the United States, through its intelligence contacts, 
could help him determine whether he is taking his 
investigation in the proper direction or whether he should 
pursue different approaches or leads. 
 
Transition from the UNIIIC to the STL 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Amb. Khalilzad also sought Bellemare's views on the 
transition from the UNIIIC to the STL, including whether the 
Security Council should extend the UNIIIC mandate, whether 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000316  002 OF 002 
 
 
the Council in doing so could say it was granting UNIIIC's 
last extension, and whether Bellemare could serve 
simultaneously as UNIIIC Commissioner and STL Prosecutor. 
Bellemare said UNIIIC's mandate needed to be extended, to 
allow more time for the investigation, so that when he begins 
working as the STL Prosecutor he can move quickly to seek 
indictments from the STL's pre-trial judge.  More 
importantly, Bellemare said he needs to preserve UNIIIC's 
Chapter VII authority and to be able to continue  the 
Commission's involvement with the Lebanese investigation of 
the other 20 attacks, which he called a "key tool" that is 
helping to developing important leads into the Hariri case. 
In this regard, Bellemare noted that the STL Statute leaves 
unclear the question of whether he, as Prosecutor, could 
continue to investigate the 20 other attacks without first 
establishing that they are connected to the Hariri attack. 
 
¶6.  (C) Bellemare said he had discussed the issue at length 
with Lebanese Justice Minister Rizk (refs C, D), who agreed 
that UNIIIC's mandate should be extended but cautioned that 
the decision to do so must be packaged in a way that is not 
detrimental to the STL.  Bellemare acknowledged that the 
issue is "not easy."  To send a strong political message that 
the STL is irrevocable, Bellemare suggested that the 
resolution to extend the UNIIIC mandate should stress the 
momentum the UN has already achieved and put suspects on 
notice that there will be no impunity for their acts.  On the 
other hand, Bellemare said it would not be useful to 
characterize the extension as the Council's last, since he 
might find it necessary to request another one.  Instead, 
Bellemare suggested that the Secretary-General might announce 
that the STL would enter its substantive phase at the 
beginning of 2009, if the Secretary-General and Council 
members decided that they must adopt a specific timeframe for 
the transition from UNIIIC to the STL. 
 
¶7.  (C) Amb. Khalilzad also pressed Bellemare for his views 
on whether he could be double-hatted as UNIIIC Commissioner 
and STL Prosecutor.  Bellemare expressed "strong 
reservations" about that option, which he said would put him 
in a "schizophrenic situation," "muddy the waters legally," 
and thus potentially enhance the defense.  Among other 
things, Bellemare noted that he would have to report to the 
Security Council as long as the UNIIIC's mandate continues. 
Doing so while acting simultaneously as Prosecutor would put 
him in a difficult situation, potentially creating the 
perception that he could not perform independently as the 
Prosecutor and exposing him to future attacks from the 
defense.  He also expressed concern that, because his 
functions as Commissioner and Prosecutor would be different, 
he could be accused of abusing his powers.  Instead, 
Bellemare said it would be better to extend UNIIIC's mandate 
until December 31 and have him assume his duties as 
Prosecutor on January 1, 2009. 
 
¶8.  (C) Finally, Bellemare said he would request an extension 
of UNIIIC's mandate when he briefs the Council on April 8. 
Arguing that it is up to the Council to decide on the 
duration of UNIIIC's mandate, Bellemare said he would not 
specify how much time he needs. 
Khalilzad