VZCZCXRO0172
OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHC #2342/01 2410143
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 280140Z AUG 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 2885
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI IMMEDIATE 8492
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 8113
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE IMMEDIATE 3143
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 092342 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA -- GUIDANCE FOR POSSIBLE UNSC EMERGENCY 
SESSION ON GEORGIA, AUGUST 28, 2008 
 
¶1.  The Department understands that Georgia may ask for an 
emergency UNSC session as early as tomorrow in light of 
the Russian Federation's recognition of South Ossetia and 
Abkhazia on August 26.  If the UNSC does meet to discuss 
Georgia on August 28, the Department requests that USUN 
draw on the following points in making its statement. 
 
¶2. Begin Points: 
 
Mr. President: 
 
The Council is convening for the eighth time in emergency 
session to consider the situation in Georgia since the 
outbreak of hostilities on August 7.  During this time, 
members of this Council and other leading members of the 
international community have worked in good faith to reach 
agreement on a cease fire aimed at saving lives, to 
prevent the unnecessary destruction of property, and to 
avoid the creation of a new wave of internally displaced 
persons and a resulting humanitarian catastrophe.  At the 
same time, members of this Council have in good faith 
worked diligently to reach agreement on a Security Council 
resolution that would provide a foundation for a lasting 
solution to the underlying internal instability in 
Georgia. 
 
Over the course of our eight meetings, a significant 
number of Council members, supported by leading members of 
the international community, have voiced a consensus view 
that we must work toward a solution that is consistent 
with international law and the UN charter, and respects 
Georgia's territorial integrity, the rights of internally 
displaced persons, and other principles set out in 
Security Council resolutions, and previous international 
agreements on Georgia. 
 
During this time the Russian Federation has stood apart 
from this consensus and offered justifications for its 
actions that are clearly at odds with the reality of the 
situation.  While claiming to have acted in a manner 
consistent with their role as quote "peacekeepers" in 
South Ossetia, since the very first hours of the crisis, 
Russia's actions have betrayed its true motivations, which 
go completely beyond any role Russia might have exercised 
as an impartial peacekeeper in the region. 
 
The Russian Federation's actions in fact served only to 
widen the conflict well beyond its origins in Tshkinvali 
and its environs.  The Russian Federation deliberately 
opened a second front in Abkhazia completely unconnected 
to the original conflict, restricted free access to the 
port of Poti, Georgia's economic lifeline, and carried out 
wholly unjustified attacks and military operations in 
Georgian territory well outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia 
that constitute a gross violation of Georgia's sovereignty 
and territorial integrity, and appeared designed solely to 
cripple the Georgian state and imperil its democratically 
elected government. 
 
Moreover, after President Medvedev freely entered into an 
agreement negotiated by the President of France, the 
Russian Federation inexplicably chose not to live up to its 
commitments spelled out in that agreement, exacerbating 
the crisis, contravening the express wishes of the 
majority of Council members, and all the while inflicting 
further unjustifiable damage on the Georgian state and its 
people. 
 
The Russian Federation's actions have also had the effect 
of creating a virtual embargo on reliable information from 
South Ossetia and the rest of the conflict zone.  Russian 
officials were quick to claim that they were responding to 
a "genocide" involving the deaths of thousands of 
civilians and that Georgian forces had effectively wiped 
Tshkinvali from the map.  From the scant information the 
international community has been able to gather from 
impartial observers, principally from international human 
rights organizations, we have good reason to question the 
Russian account, and compelling reasons to examine what 
human rights abuses have occurred in Georgian territory 
under the control of Russian Federation forces.  This 
Council must also have an impartial and accurate account 
 
STATE 00092342  002 OF 002 
 
 
of the number of internally displaced persons created by 
this conflict, not only in the conflict zone of South 
Ossetia, but also in Abkhazia. 
 
The Russian Federation's actions culminated on August 26 
with its recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.  With 
its actions, the Russian Federation has raised very serious 
questions about the purpose of its long-standing strategy in 
dealing with Georgia and its aims since this crisis first 
began on August 7. 
 
Let me here reiterate President Bush's statement of August 
26 in response to the Russian Federation's actions.  We 
condemn its decision to recognize South Ossetia and 
Abkhazia as independent states.  This decision is 
inconsistent with numerous United Nations Security Council 
resolutions that Russia has voted for in the past, and is 
also inconsistent with the French-brokered cease-fire that 
President Medvedev signed on August 16.  The six-point 
agreement offered a peaceful way forward to resolve the 
conflict.  We expect Russia to live up to its 
international commitments, reconsider this irresponsible 
decision, and follow the approach set out in the six-point 
agreement. 
 
Among the numerous other leaders that have joined with 
President Bush, the members of the G-7 yesterday took the 
unprecedented step of jointly condemning the Russian 
Federation's recognitions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. 
 
Colleagues: 
 
The practical question now arises, more urgently than ever 
before, of how this Council can meet its responsibilities 
to contribute to a peaceful and lasting solution to this 
crisis when one of its permanent members is a party to the 
conflict. 
 
Let me highlight the United States' desire to work with 
all Council members, including Russia, to reach agreement 
on a resolution that will serve the interests of peace and 
uphold the principles of international law set out in this 
Council's previous resolutions on Georgia.  Consistent 
with the French-brokered agreement, the United States is 
fully prepared to consider the legitimate security and 
stability concerns of all parties to the conflict, 
including the Russian Federation.  The United States 
welcomes the commitment of the OSCE leadership and member 
states to contribute additional personnel and resources to 
its monitoring mission and believes the OSCE mission 
should serve as the international mechanism called for in 
the six-point agreement.  We must, however, move forward 
in a manner that fully upholds the principles set out in 
previous resolutions on Georgia. 
 
Let me be clear about the most important of these 
principles.  Georgia's sovereignty and territorial 
integrity must be preserved.  Its borders cannot be 
changed by force: not by the Russian Federation or anyone 
else.  South Ossetia and Abkhazia remain a part of 
Georgia.  The rights of internally displaced persons from 
the conflict zones must also be preserved.  In particular, 
the Russian Federation's recognition of South Ossetia and 
Abkhazia must not in any way compromise the rights of 
Georgian citizens who retain their rights as residents of 
either South Ossetia or Abkhazia. 
 
If this Council is unable to agree in the near term on a 
solution that preserves these principles and contributes 
to a lasting settlement, Council members, at the very least, 
should reaffirm their own commitment to respect Georgia's 
sovereignty and territorial integrity, one of the core 
protections the UN charter grants to member states that 
this Council is obligated to uphold.  The United States is 
convinced that these important reaffirmations will lay the 
foundation for a lasting resolution of the current crisis over 
the longer term. 
RICE