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TO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 068825 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: UNSC PREL LE IS SY
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE: MIDDLE EAST BRIEFING, JUNE 26 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action message.  USUN is authorized to 
draw from the points in para 2 below during the Middle 
East Briefing scheduled for June 26.  Please see septel 
for further guidance in the event an Arab Group draft 
resolution is tabled. 
 
¶2. (U) Begin points: 
 
-- I would like to thank Under-Secretary Pascoe for 
Today's briefing on the situation in the Middle East.  I 
would like to make five points with regard to the Israeli- 
Palestinian peace process and then turn to the situation 
in Lebanon. 
 
-- First, achieving a peaceful, two-state solution to the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a paramount priority and 
we remain committed to achieving a peace agreement before 
the end of the year.  Secretary Rice's monthly trips to 
the region reflects her personal commitment to this issue. 
 
-- We believe the ongoing bilateral talks are the most 
serious the parties have had for some time, touching on 
all of the core issues.  The talks are difficult, as one 
would expect, and due to their private nature progress may 
not be visible, but that should not be mistaken for a lack 
of progress. 
 
-- The Quartet, which just met in Berlin on June 24, 
continues to play a key role supporting the parties' 
efforts and coordinating international engagement.  When 
it meets again in September at the General Assembly, it 
will consider the timing and agenda of an international 
meeting in Moscow to lend support to the process launched 
in Annapolis. 
 
-- Separately, Israel and Syria are conducting indirect 
peace talks under the auspices of Turkey.  We hope that 
these talkw will be a forum to raise the breadth of 
Syria's activities of concern, such as its support for 
terrorist groups and its facilitation of foreign fighters 
entering Iraq.  We will continue to focus on the Israeli- 
Palestinian track. 
 
-- Second, Palestinian capacity building is key to the 
success of this process.  The Palestinian Authority 
remains in dire straits financially, facing a projected 
budget deficit of over $500 million in 2008.  The U.S. is 
making every effort to channel assistance to them.  We 
have already delivered on much of our $555 million pledge 
made in Paris last December, including $150 million in 
direct budgetary assistance.  We would urge others, 
especially regional partners, to increase their efforts to 
support the PA. 
 
-- Third, we are working hard to support the parties' 
efforts to improve security for both Palestinians and 
Israelis, and economic and humanitarian conditions for the 
Palestinians.  Secretary Rice is deeply involved in this 
process.  On June 16, she held another trilateral meeting 
with Prime Minister Fayyad and Minister of Defense Barak. 
These meetings have begun to yield tangible results. 
 
-- Israel's removal of some significant West Bank 
checkpoints, the opening of a number of Palestinian police 
stations in Area B and issuance of work permits to 
Palestinians represent positive steps.   Similarly, PA 
security forces have deployed to Jenin in coordination 
with Israeli authorities and are working to uphold law and 
order and crack down on terrorism. 
 
-- A just-concluded conference in Berlin has focused 
renewed international attention on the Palestinian police 
and justice sector and resulted in pledges to disburse 
$242 million in these areas and the Quartet has called for 
speedy implementation of these projects.  We congratulate 
the German government on the success of this conference. 
 
-- Fourth, we remain committed to a Palestinian state in 
the West Bank and Gaza. We will never abandon the people 
of Gaza.  We support continuing Egyptian efforts to 
restore calm to Gaza and southern Israel and welcomed the 
period of calm that began on June 19. 
 
-- We deplore the rocket and mortar attacks of June 24th 
from Gaza into southern Israel that shattered that calm, 
and join with Prime Minister Fayyad in condemning these 
attacks. 
 
-- We condemn ongoing effort by Hamas and other groups to 
usurp violently the lawful authority of the Palestinian 
government in Gaza.  Hamas can be part of that peaceful 
process by accepting the principles outlined by the 
Quartet: renunciation of violence and terror, recognition 
of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements between 
the parties, including the Roadmap. 
 
-- We welcome the European Union's offer to resume its 
monitoring mission at the Rafah crossing, and we support 
steady and sufficient supplies of fuel to Gaza and the 
immediate resumption of UN and other donor projects there. 
 
-- Fifth, we reiterate our deep concern at continuing 
Israeli settlement activity, and call on Israel to stop 
all such activity, and dismantle outposts erected since 
March 2001.  Secretary Rice reaffirmed this position most 
recently in her visit to Jerusalem on June 16.  This 
obligation is clearly stated in the Roadmap, along with 
security and other obligations incumbent on the 
Palestinians and other parties. 
 
(IF NEEDED IF LIBYA TABLES A UNSCR): The best way to 
address adherence by both sides to Roadmap obligations, 
including Palestinian obligations to dismantle the 
terrorist infrastructure and Israeli obligations to halt 
settlement activity, is through bilateral negotiations. 
We do not believe Security Council action will help move 
the bilateral negotiations forward - rather, it could 
harden positions on both sides and make it harder to reach 
compromise.  The Quartet, significantly, did not call for 
Security Council action in its meeting only two days ago. 
 
-- Turning to Lebanon, the United States views full 
implementation of the Doha Agreement and UN Security 
Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701 as essential to 
safeguard Lebanon's independence and security and allow 
its people to participate in the political process without 
fear.  We call on all parties to support Prime Minister 
Siniora's efforts to establish a National Unity Government 
as soon as possible. 
 
-- We are deeply concerned by recent acts of violence in 
Tripoli and other parts of Lebanon.  We call upon the 
opposition, in particular, to refrain from the use of 
violence to promote its ends, as stipulated in the Doha 
Agreement.  We also call on outside parties, especially 
Syria and Iran, to cease arming illegal militias in 
Lebanon. 
 
-- At the same time, we strongly support efforts of the 
Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces to 
restore calm.  The international community must stand with 
Lebanon's legitimate government in insisting on the 
authority of the state and the illegitimacy of militias 
such as Hizballah that seek to undermine that authority in 
defiance of this Council. 
 
-- As Secretary Rice stated on her recent visit to Beirut, 
full implementation of all aspects of UN Security Council 
Resolution 1701 is a key priority for the United States, 
and we look forward to the Secretary General's upcoming 
report on this matter.  Progress on Sheba'a Farms, the 
full delineation of Lebanon's border with Syria, 
compliance with the arms embargo, disarmament of armed 
militias and the other provisions -- as well as those of 
Council resolutions 1559, 1680, and 1757 -- deserve the 
strong support the UN and international community.  We 
strongly support the work of UNIIIC and look forward to 
the establishment of a Special Tribunal for Lebanon. 
 
End points. 
 
¶3. (U) Septel provides points for like-minded Council 
members in seeking to delay consideration of the Arab 
Group draft, and additional elements for inclusion in that 
draft if delay is not possible. 
RICE