VZCZCXRO0107
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0779 2402249
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 272249Z AUG 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4874
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000779 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KPKO UNSC LE SY IS
SUBJECT: UNSC UNANIMOUSLY EXTENDS UNIFIL'S MANDATE 
 
REF: STATE 91898 
 
¶1.  (SBU) The UN Security Council unanimously approved 
resolution 1832 on August 27 to extend the mandate of the 
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until August 
31, 2009.  (Note: The full text of the resolution is 
contained in reftel and can be found on the UN website.  End 
note.)  France, Belgium, Croatia, Italy, the UK, and the U.S. 
co-sponsored the resolution.  South Africa objected to its 
designation as a Presidential text (essentially co-sponsored 
by all 15 members).  No council members provided explanations 
of vote (EOVs).  Both Israel and Lebanon spoke after the 
vote. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Israeli Acting Perm Rep Ambassador Danny Carmon 
expressed Israel's appreciation to the troop contributing 
countries and to UNIFIL and all of its components.  He said 
that Israel welcomes the extension of UNIFIL's mandate and 
recognizes the important role it plays maintaining an area 
free of armed assets, aside from those belonging to UNIFIL 
and the Lebanese Armed Forces.  He referenced the Secretary 
General's last 1701 report, which highlighted the challenges 
facing UNIFIL.  He said that transfers of weapons from Iran 
and Syria to areas both north and south of the Litani River 
challenge UNIFIL's operations.  He noted that last year's 
report of the Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team 
(LIBAT) spoke for itself and expressed certainty that this 
year's report would do the same.  He emphasized the danger 
that hostile groups who observe and monitor UNIFIL's 
activities pose to the region's peace and stability and to 
the safety of UNIFIL's personnel.  Though he did not 
explicitly reference the 12th preambular paragraph of last 
year's renewal resolution (UNSCR 1773), he essentially 
restated that language by urging UNIFIL to take all necessary 
action to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized 
for hostile activities and to resist attempts to prevent it 
from discharging its mandate.  He specifically declared that 
the Lebanese government's new policy guidelines complicate 
UNIFIL's ability to execute its mandate since, instead of 
calling for the disarmament of armed groups, the new 
guidelines implicitly back one of those groups -- Hizballah. 
In closing, he stressed that the Israeli government remains 
committed to the fulfillment of UNSCR 1701, particularly 
through the tripartite mechanism. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Lebanese Perm Rep Ambassador Nawaf Salam lauded the 
Council for renewing UNIFIL's mandate and commended UNIFIL 
and its commander for their work.  He noted the approaching 
second anniversary of UNSCR 1701 and emphasized the Lebanese 
government's continued commitment to the full implementation 
of UNSCR 1701, as evidenced by the continued deployment of 
the Lebanese Armed Forces in the area of operations.  He then 
went on to list how 1701 remains unimplemented as a result of 
Israeli action or inaction: through Israel's daily violations 
of Lebanese airspace, through its non-hand-over of maps of 
cluster bomb munitions, through its non-withdrawal from 
northern Ghajar, and through the lack of a solution to the 
Sheba'a Farms question.  He said that there was no question 
which party was obstructing the full implementation of 1701. 
He asked why Israeli Defense Minister Barak had not met with 
the UNIFIL Force Commander.  He said that the Lebanese 
government viewed with alarm the recent verbal threats by 
Israeli leaders towards Lebanon which had prompted Lebanese 
Prime Minister Siniora to write to the Secretary General on 
August 22, 2008.  (Note: USUN e-mailed a copy of Prime 
Minister Siniora's letter to IO/UNP on August 26.  End note.) 
 For all these reasons, Salam said the Lebanese government 
was thankful for the renewal of UNIFIL's mandate. 
Wolff