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TO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 099211 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNSC PREL LE IS SY
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE: MIDDLE EAST BRIEFING, SEPTEMBER 17 
 
¶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 September 18. 
 
¶2. (U) Begin points: 
 
-- I thank Under-Secretary Pascoe for his briefing on the 
situation in the Middle East.  Today, I would like to make 
four points with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian peace 
process and then turn to the situation in Lebanon. 
 
-- First, we remain strongly committed to achieving a 
peace agreement.  The ongoing bilateral 
Israeli-Palestinian talks are sincere, substantive 
negotiations that are addressing all issues without 
exception. They remain confidential at the parties' 
request. 
 
-- Secretary Rice's intense personal engagement on this 
issue demonstrates our commitment to achieving a peaceful, 
two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as 
quickly as possible.  The Secretary traveled again to 
Jerusalem and Ramallah on August 26 for tri-lateral talks, 
as she has almost every month since the conference in 
Annapolis last November. 
 
-- Separately, Israel and Syria are continuing indirect 
peace talks under the auspices of Turkey. While the United 
States will continue to focus on the Israeli-Palestinian 
track, we support efforts to bring peace and stability to 
the region.  Such a goal cannot be achieved, however, 
without addressing the breadth of Syria's activities of 
concern, including its support for terrorist groups, its 
facilitation of foreign fighters entering Iraq, and the 
shipment of weapons across its border into Lebanon. 
 
-- Second, Palestinian capacity building is key to the 
success of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. 
Supporting Salam Fayyad's Palestinian Reform and 
Development Plan remains a top priority of the U.S. 
Government and the international community. 
 
-- Total U.S. assistance to the Palestinians in 2008 will 
surpass our pledged level of $555 million, including $264 
million in project assistance, $150 million in direct 
budget support, and $184.6 million for the UN Relief and 
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East 
(UNRWA).  Recently, the U.S. Congress approved an 
additional $150 million in direct budgetary assistance for 
FY09, and $50 million in project assistance.  The United 
States is the largest bilateral donor to UNRWA and our 
$184.6 million in assistance for 2008 represents a 20 
percent increase over 2007, aiding a total of more than 
4.6 million Palestinian refugees. 
 
-- We commend the assistance provided to the Palestinian 
Authority by our European partners.  We also recognize 
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Kuwait 
for their support of the PA, and continue to urge regional 
governments to provide additional support and fulfill all 
outstanding commitments, including pledges of budget 
support made at the 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut. 
The Palestinian Authority is in dire straits financially 
and urgently needs additional international support.  We 
look forward to the meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison 
Committee scheduled for September 22 which will address 
this situation. 
 
-- We are also working to support the parties' efforts to 
improve security.  At several previous briefings, I have 
highlighted progress being made in Jenin towards 
Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation.  While efforts 
in that city will not lead to an instantaneous 
transformation, there is cause for optimism, as 
U.S.-trained Palestinian security forces gradually assume 
greater responsibility to uphold law and order, and crack 
down on terrorism.  This opens up new possibilities for 
economic and social advances. 
 
-- Third, we remain committed to a Palestinian state in 
the West Bank and Gaza.  We will never abandon the people 
of Gaza, and urge all parties to adhere to the period of 
calm that began on June 19 as a result of Egypt's efforts. 
 
-- We condemn the violent efforts by Hamas and other 
groups to usurp the lawful authority of the Palestinian 
government in Gaza.  The Quartet's principles remain 
determinative: renunciation of violence and terror, 
recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous 
agreements between the parties. 
 
-- Finally, we reiterate our deep concern at continuing 
Israeli settlement activity, and call on Israel to freeze 
this activity and dismantle outposts erected since March 
2001, consistent with its Roadmap obligations.  Settlement 
activity has a negative effect on the atmosphere for 
negotiations with the potential to harm them going 
forward.  In this regard, we do note recent deliberations 
within the Israeli government on future compensation for 
settlers to leave settlements voluntarily. 
 
-- There have been calls for this body to address the 
issue of settlements in resolutions or senior-level 
meetings.  However, a debate at this time can damage the 
sensitive process of confidential, bilateral negotiations 
addressing all issues without exception, in which the parties 
are intensively engaged.  To ensure the greatest possibility 
for a final resolution of the settlement issue, the United 
States remains firmly opposed to the Council taking up 
this question at this time.  The Quartet continues to be 
the pre-eminent mechanism for coordinating international 
support for the peace negotiations. 
 
-- Turning to Lebanon, I wish first to convey again our 
condolences for political leader Saleh Aridi, struck down 
by assassins on September 10.  We strongly condemn this 
cowardly terrorist attack, as we do all such attacks.  We 
are deeply concerned about this development, and urge the 
parties to carry on nonetheless, despite the dangers, with 
their historic national dialogue talks scheduled to start 
this week. 
 
-- The United States views full implementation of UNSCRs 
1559, 1680 and 1701, and fulfillment of the pledges made 
in the Doha Agreement, as essential to safeguard Lebanon's 
sovereignty and security.  We look forward to speedy 
implementation of the August 14 announcement by Syria and 
Lebanon that they will establish full diplomatic relations 
with the exchange of missions at the ambassadorial level. 
Full normalization must also include other measures aimed 
at ending Syria's continuing interference in Lebanon, 
including the delineation of the Lebanese-Syrian border. 
We call on the Secretary-General to engage with Syria and 
Lebanon to encourage immediate progress on this issue. 
 
-- We remain concerned, however, at persistent reports of 
breaches of the arms embargo along the Lebanon-Syria 
border, and note the Secretary-General's observation of 
full implementation of the embargo as an indispensable 
provision of resolution 1701 that must be observed 
immediately, comprehensively, and without exception. 
Unfortunately, the August 27 report of the Lebanon 
International Border Assessment Team shows no progress at 
all over the past two years on interdicting arms smuggling 
across this border.  The report concludes that "the 
present state of border security is insufficient to 
prevent smuggling, in particular the smuggling of arms." 
Regional parties maintaining ties with Hizballah and other 
groups in Lebanon, especially Iran and Syria, are obliged 
to respect and abide fully by the arms embargo on Lebanon. 
 
-- We strongly support the Lebanese Armed Forces and 
Internal Security Forces in their courageous efforts to 
restore calm.  As provided in resolution 1701, there must 
be no unauthorized weapons in Lebanon.  The international 
community must stand with Lebanon's government to insist 
on the authority of the state and the illegitimacy of all 
other armed groups, including Hizballah, that undermine 
the government's authority and the resolutions of this 
Council.  Two years after the conflict instigated by 
Hizballah, this remains the most important matter for the 
Council to consider with regard to its responsibility to 
safeguard international peace and security. 
 
-- We welcome the Secretary General's intention to 
strengthen the diplomatic process aimed at dealing with 
the issue of the Sheba'a Farms.  We urge him to engage 
directly with Israel, Lebanon, and Syria on this issue, 
including via a technical mission that would visit the 
three countries to discuss the cartographers report and 
next steps in detail, and report back to the Council.  We 
also strongly support the work of the UN Independent 
Investigative Commission and look forward to the 
establishment of a Special Tribunal for Lebanon. 
 
End points. 
RICE