VZCZCXYZ0005
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #8654 1282340
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 072334Z MAY 08
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

UNCLAS STATE 048654 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNSC PBTS PREL LE SY IS
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR 1559 CONSULTATIONS, MAY 8 
 
¶1. (U)  This is an action message.  USUN may draw from the 
points in para 2 below during consultations on the 
implementation of UNSC resolution 1559, currently scheduled 
for May 8. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Begin points. 
 
--  We welcome the Secretary General's report and Mr. 
Larsen's briefing on implementation of UNSC resolution 1559. 
 
--  As we meet here today, Lebanon appears once again on the 
brink of conflict.  The Hizballah-led opposition has 
confronted Lebanon's legitimate government, using violence 
and intimidation in an effort to usurp authority from the 
people and government of Lebanon.   On May 6, the Lebanese 
cabinet declared Hizballah's internal communications network 
and surveillance of Beirut International Airport illegal and 
resolved to root out these threats to government authority 
and internal security.  Hizballah and its opposition allies 
responded with demonstrations, scattered violence, and 
threats of escalation if the government did not withdraw its 
decisions. 
 
--  It is clear that Hizballah is constructing a 
state-within-a-state without regard for the authority of the 
Lebanese government, the safety and stability of the nation, 
or the collective wishes of the Lebanese people.  Hizballah's 
leadership also continues to claim that it has rebuilt its 
arsenal and increased its military capacity since the summer 
2006 conflict with Israel.  We note this implies serious 
violations of several resolutions of this Council.  We are 
deeply concerned that, beyond the recently demonstrated 
willingness to cripple the Lebanese state and economy in 
pursuit of its narrow political agenda, Hizballah maintains 
the ability to unilaterally drag Lebanon into another 
conflict. 
 
--  So long as the Hizballah-led opposition acts in defiance 
of Lebanon's legitimate government, works to construct a 
parallel state, and cynically calls for "dialogue" to delay 
Presidential elections and meetings of the Parliament, it 
blocks continued progress in implementing the resolutions of 
this Council and constitutes a continuing threat to peace and 
security in Lebanon and the region. 
 
--  In this regard, we call upon the Council and the 
international community to assist the Lebanese government in 
its efforts to govern on behalf of all Lebanese and to 
prevent the emergence of a parallel state.   Hizballah and 
its patrons in Syria and Iran must comply fully with all 
Security Council resolutions and with the decisions of the 
legitimate Lebanese government. 
 
--  On a related note, I would like to reiterate our concern 
that it has not yet been possible to hold a presidential 
election in Lebanon.  As I noted just a month ago during 
consultations on UNSC resolution 1701, the United States 
continues to hope that Lebanon will elect a president without 
preconditions.  We support the right of Lebanon's democratic 
majority to see that the Lebanese Parliament fulfills its 
constitutional duty in this regard.  While a consensus 
candidate has been agreed upon, we are concerned that the 
Hizballah-led opposition, with political support from Syria, 
is using extra-constitutional preconditions to perpetuate the 
political stalemate at the expense of the Lebanese people. 
 
--  On the matter of Lebanese-Syrian relations, the United 
States joins the Secretary-General in regretting the complete 
lack of progress in establishing a relationship between these 
two states that recognizes Lebanon's independence, 
sovereignty, and right to freedom from foreign interference. 
We again urge the Syrian government to respond to the 
requests of the Lebanese government to undertake serious 
talks aimed at delineating their common border.  Syria 
reports that such talks are ongoing, but in fact none of the 
meetings of the bilateral commission have focused on the 
issues of delineation and demarcation. 
 
-- Further, Syria continues to refuse to establish diplomatic 
relations with Lebanon so long as there is what it 
characterizes as a "hostile" government in Beirut.  We find 
Syrian fears of a "hostile" neighbor difficult to understand 
given that weapons continue to flow from Syria into Lebanon 
and that Syria's allies in Lebanon are working to undermine 
the legitimate government of Lebanon.  We again call upon the 
Syrian government to immediately normalize its relations with 
Lebanon and establish an embassy in Beirut. 
 
-- Progress on these outstanding provisions of UNSCR 1559 is 
long overdue.  It is telling that Syria is unwilling to make 
even these most basic acknowledgments of Lebanon's 
sovereignty. 
 
--  On the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon, I note 
that with the exception of the northern part of Ghajar, 
Israel has fully withdrawn from Lebanese territory, and the 
LAF has deployed throughout the country for the first time in 
nearly 40 years.  We applaud this historic deployment and 
encourage all sides to accelerate trilateral efforts to find 
an early resolution to the issue of Ghajjar. 
 
--  On militia disarmament, this report details disturbing 
information about mounting reports that militias are 
expanding their existing weapons arsenals or are reacquiring 
an armed capacity.  The report also notes the Secretary 
General's deep concern about the activities of the PFLP-GC 
and Fatah al-Intifada along the Lebanese-Syrian border.  In 
this context, we note that the Lebanese opposition has called 
for renewed National Dialogue.  We would hope to see the 
conclusions of the 2006 National Dialogue, including the 
commitment to disarm Palestinian militias outside refugee 
camps, implemented first. 
 
--  Finally, I applaud the efforts of Lebanese security 
services, especially the Lebanese Armed Forces under the 
leadership of General Michel Sleiman, to implement UNSCRs 
1559 and 1701 while working to contain threats from armed 
groups in Lebanon and maintain law and order throughout the 
country during this time of great political tension. 
RICE