VZCZCXRO2839
OO RUEHAG RUEHBZ RUEHDF RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHIK RUEHJO RUEHLZ RUEHMA
RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO
DE RUCNAI #0003/01 3572130
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 222130Z DEC 08
FM USDEL SECRETARY//NEW YORK//
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE PRIORITY
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARTO 122201 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: OVIP RICE CONDOLEEZZA PHUM PGOV ZM
SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Rice's Participation in the December 
15, 2008 UN Security Council Meeting on Zimbabwe 
 
¶1. (U) December 15, 2008; 3:00 PM; New York City 
 
¶2. (U) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
The Secretary 
Ambassador Khalilzad 
Ambassador DiCarlo 
Assistant Secretary Hook 
Assistant Secretary Frazer 
 
United Nations 
Security General Ban Ki-moon 
 
United Nations Security Council 
Croatian Prime Minister Sanader (Council President) 
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Miliband 
The Permanent Representatives of China, France, Russia, 
Belgium, Indonesia, Panama, South Africa, Costa Rica, Libya, 
Vietnam 
The Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy 
 
¶3. (SBU)  SUMMARY:  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the 
Security Council on December 15 that Zimbabwe's leaders had 
failed to address the crisis in the country and that their 
inaction had caused a dramatic deterioration in the situation 
as witnessed by a widespread and growing incidence of cholera. 
The Secretary supported Ban's call for heightened 
international community action in Zimbabwe, adding that the 
crisis there was particularly tragic in that it was man-made 
and left no doubt that the man responsible was Robert Mugabe. 
British Foreign Secretary Miliband said the "real disease is 
the misrule of the regime."  France, Belgium, and Italy 
strongly supported a heightened Security Council role in 
mitigating the crisis.  Russia was very critical of "both 
sides" in Zimbabwe for failing to appreciate the crisis.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  In a 90-minute meeting closed to television and the 
press on December 15, UNSYG Ban used, what was for him, 
unusually pointed language in criticizing Zimbabwe's 
leadership.  Ban said Robert Mugabe had "not been forthcoming" 
and that his regime had failed to address the political crisis 
confronting the country.  This inattention, Ban said, had 
created a dramatic deterioration in living conditions and a 
humanitarian crisis featuring a widespread outbreak of 
cholera, dependency on international assistance for the 
necessities of life, and the collapse of health and education 
infrastructures.  He put the number of cholera cases at 
18,000, adding that projections had the total eventually 
reaching 60,000.  He said neither the Zimbabwe leadership nor 
the mediators had welcomed a UN role and had "left limited 
space for my good offices." 
 
¶5. (SBU)  The Secretary said Ban's report was very difficult 
to listen to, particularly because the devastating crisis he 
described was not the result of natural disaster but was man- 
made instead.  She called Mugabe's recent accusation that the 
international community was unleashing disease on Zimbabwe the 
ranting of a man who was either evil or had gone mad.  She 
concluded that we were long past the time for Mugabe to go and 
that a power-sharing government could not include him. 
 
¶6. (SBU)  UK Foreign Secretary Miliband urged Council members 
to agree on four points:  that Zimbabwe's predicament has been 
caused by misrule and corruption; that Zimbabwe's people had 
clearly voted for change; that the crisis in Zimbabwe, 
especially in its health aspects, has become regional; and 
that the international community, most particularly the 
Security Council, needed to show leadership by helping to 
restart a process that could lead to progress on the 
humanitarian and political fronts. 
 
¶7. (SBU)  French PermRep Ripert said implementation of the 
September 15 power-sharing agreement between the Zimbabwean 
parties ZANU-PF and MDC was being blocked by the Mugabe regime 
and that human rights abuses continued as evidenced by the 
recent abduction of activist Jestina Mukoko.  Belgian PermRep 
Grauls criticized unnamed Council members for preventing the 
Council from becoming unambiguously seized with the crisis in 
Zimbabwe by holding a public session with a clear agenda 
listing rather than the generic "Peace and Security in 
Africa."  Italy, Panama, and Costa Rica agreed that the 
session should have been open to the public in order to shine 
a light on conditions in Zimbabwe.  Costa Rican PermRep Urbina 
added that the UN should play a more active role in resolving 
the crisis. 
 
¶8. (SBU)  Russian PermRep Churkin said that neither side to 
the Zimbabwe dispute seemed to be in a hurry to resolve the 
crisis and that both acted "almost like it does not exist." 
He urged continuation of the mediation efforts of former South 
African President Mbeki.  South Africa PermRep Kumalo, after 
declining to speak initially, offered a few words after being 
directly invited by Miliband.  Kumalo said he had not spoken 
"because I agree with what has been said."  He said the 
negotiation process could produce a prime minister by 
Christmas but, "because we try to push, it moves very slowly." 
RICE 
 
---------------------- 
International Response 
---------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Advani said the international community must 
deliver a coordinated message to the Pakistani leadership 
that it must permanently put a stop to terrorism emanating 
from its territory.  The Secretary agreed that the 
international community should call on Pakistan to respond 
in a responsible manner.  She said that the USG had a 
special interest in being involved in this matter because 
six Americans had lost their lives in the attacks. 
Citizens of many other countries had died in these attacks 
as well.  She noted that she had stopped in London on the 
way to India and the United States and UK are in agreement 
that they need to deliver a unified message to Pakistan. 
 
--------------------------------- 
GOP Recognizes the Responsibility 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (C) The Secretary said she has spoken to President 
Zardari and believes that he understands that Pakistan has 
a special responsibility to respond in a credible manner 
because Pakistan territory is involved.  She observed that 
the internal political situation in Pakistan is such that 
the civilian government finds it difficult to respond in 
the manner it would like to.  She counseled that the 
United States, India, and other countries should work 
together to give the civilian government a chance to 
respond. 
 
--------------- 
State of Denial 
--------------- 
 
¶11. (C) Advani observed that Pakistani state of denial on 
Pakistani involvement in this attack is unacceptable.  He 
said that Pakistani leaders have a disinclination to do 
anything other than make empty offers to cooperate in 
investigating something that they know fully well 
originated in their country.  What matters, according to 
him, is that Pakistan take concrete measures, not provide 
mere assurances.  In his view these measures must start 
with steps to dismantle the infrastructure of cross-border 
terrorism aimed at India.  The Secretary responded that 
she believes President Zardari wants to do that but faces 
internal constraints.  Advani said he is aware of the 
multiple centers of power in Pakistan. 
 
-------------------------- 
Instrument of State Policy 
-------------------------- 
 
¶12. (C) Advani noted that Pakistan has long used terrorism 
and terrorist groups as an instrument of state policy.  It 
had begun deploying these groups in a proxy war, according 
to him, after conventional war failed to wrest Kashmir 
from Indian control.  He said that then-President 
Musharraf had shared with him the inability of the GOP to 
control or disband these groups, telling Advani in 2005 
that "once a country adopts a certain approach (i.e., to 
support these groups), it is difficult to reverse it." 
Advani added that the GOP had not realized that these 
groups would finally turn on their masters, as they had 
now begun to do.  He emphasized, however, that the 
Lashkar-e-Taiba is treated differently because it has not 
yet acted against Pakistan.  The Secretary responded that 
the Pakistani leadership is starting to understand that 
some of its past associations with extremist groups are 
coming back to haunt it.  She felt that President Zardari, 
who lost wife Benazir Bhutto to a terrorist attack, 
certainly understands this. 
 
---------------------------- 
Kashmir: De facto to De Jure 
---------------------------- 
 
¶13. (C) Advani suggested the Secretary could also 
contribute to lowering tension in the region by "making 
Islamabad realize that no gain will come" from its 
fixation with Kashmir.  According to him, India will never 
part with Kashmir and after 60 years, "what was de facto 
has become de jure."  He noted that Pakistan had assured 
India of this in the 1972 Simla Agreement but ignored its 
commitment.  In his view, Kashmir is not the "core problem 
and if it is a problem today, it became one only after 
Pakistan used aggression there" he said.  When asked by 
the Secretary and A/S Boucher whether a resolution to the 
Kashmir issue is possible if Pakistan agrees to accept the 
Line of Control and then takes steps against terrorist 
groups targeting India, Advani responded:  "Mumbai comes 
first.  The country expects a clear and firm response." 
He evaded the question about resolving Kashmir and pointed 
instead to a 1994 Indian parliament resolution on the 
liberation of "Pakistan Occupied Kashmir." 
 
---------------------------- 
Appreciation for Afghanistan 
---------------------------- 
 
¶14. (C) Advani offered his support and encouragement to 
the United States as it faces enormous challenges in 
fighting two wars and dealing with the financial crisis. 
The Secretary thanked him and noted that the situation in 
Iraq was going well with the country taking steps towards 
stable government and democracy.  In Afghanistan, the 
problems that the United States and its allies are dealing 
with are:  safe havens for insurgents in Pakistan, 
strengthening the government, and reconstruction and 
economic stability.  The Secretary expressed her 
appreciation for the significant Indian effort in 
Afghanistan. 
 
 
RICE