VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1149 3432016
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 082016Z DEC 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5490
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 1514
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0424

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001149 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER LE SY UNSC
SUBJECT: UNSC: UN OFFICE OF LEGAL AFFAIRS BRIEFS THE 
COUNCIL ON THE STATUS OF THE SPECIAL TRIBUNAL FOR LEBANON 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU) The United Nations Under Secretary-General/Legal 
Counsel Patricia O'Brien, briefed the Security Council 
December 4 on the progress made toward establishing the 
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and the transition between 
the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) 
and the Tribunal.  O'Brien noted that the proposed 
commencement of functioning of the Tribunal on March 1, 2009 
will require the Council to extend IIIC's mandate by two 
months.  The Prime Minister of Lebanon has written to the 
Secretary-General supporting the extension. (S/2008/764) 
O'Brien confirmed that sufficient funds have been received 
for the first year of operations but called for donations for 
years two and three. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  France, Italy, Libya, Belgium, and the UK all 
spoke and welcomed the report and the progress made to date. 
The Libyan DPR confirmed Libya would support the extension of 
IIIC's mandate.  The Russian Permrep questioned how the SYG 
could decide on a start date for the Tribunal given that the 
report of the IIIC was so "brief and laconic."  He also 
called for greater transparency of the Tribunal's Management 
Committee and the list of donors to the Tribunal.  He, along 
with the Europeans and the Libyan DPR, called for more 
donations to the Tribunal.  (Note: IIIC Commissioner Bellmare 
will brief the Council on his report on December 16.  The 
French have informally circulated a draft resolution to 
extend the IIIC's mandate for two months.  End Note.) 
Khahilzad