VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0649 2032311
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 212311Z JUL 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4658
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT IMMEDIATE 1430

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000649 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER KPKO UNSC LE
SUBJECT: UNIFIL: DPKO EMPHASIZES DIMINISHING LAF 
CAPABILITIES 
 
REF: USUN 616 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU)  POL officers met with Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber, 
DPKO Asia and Middle East division director, on July 21 to 
discuss issues related to the implementation of UNSCR 1701. 
Weisbrod-Weber said he wanted to reiterate the "very strong 
statements" he made during the July 9 Security Council 
consultations (reftel) regarding the redeployment of a large 
number of Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) troops out of UNIFIL's 
area of operations south of the Litani River.  (Note: A 
transcript of his remarks were e-mailed to IO/UNP.  End 
Note.)  He stressed that DPKO and UNIFIL were concerned about 
diminishing LAF capabilities in UNIFIL's AOR, noting that 
UNIFIL's main mission is to support the LAF, which is 
difficult to achieve when the LAF is overstretched and under 
pressure to fulfill competing security responsibilities. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Weisbrod-Weber said that out of approximately 400 
total daily patrols, only around 20 are conducted jointly. 
He emphasized that UNIFIL has had to reduce the number of 
joint counter rocket-launching operations to six from a 
planned ten per day.  DPKO estimates that there are currently 
fewer than 5,000 LAF troops in UNIFIL's AOR, down from a 
starting size of roughly 9,000.  The original assumption, 
Weisbrod-Weber said, was that the LAF would supply 
12,000-15,000 troops.  Weisbrod-Weber wanted to see what 
member states, including the USG, could do to support and 
augment LAF capabilities.  He also asked that member states 
impress upon the Lebanese government the need to maintain its 
commitment to the LAF deployment south of the Litani.  (Note: 
POL officers subsequently raised Weisbrod-Weber's concerns 
with Lebanese DPR Caroline Ziade, who said she would refer 
the issue to Beirut.  End Note.) 
Khalilzad