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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0299 0822202
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 232202Z MAR 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6155
INFO RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT IMMEDIATE 1591
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS IMMEDIATE 0437
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE IMMEDIATE 9107

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000299 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC LE
SUBJECT: SPECIAL TRIBUNAL FOR LEBANON MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 
MEETING, MARCH 20 
 
REF: STATE 22576 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon 
Management Committee met March 20 and agreed to a one-time 
increase in the base salary of judges.  The Management 
Committee also discussed and solicited more information on a 
request by the President of the Tribunal for appointment of 
the Vice President of the Tribunal to be effective June 1, 
2009, and not in 2010, as previously budgeted.  Several other 
issues were raised under other business.  No date was set for 
the next meeting.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  At its March 20 meeting, the Special Tribunal for 
Lebanon Management Committee agreed to a one-time adjustment 
of the base salary of judges to USD 161,681. Any future 
increases will be specifically subject to Management 
Committee review.  The U.S. joined consensus based on the 
guidance in reftel. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The President of the Tribunal, an international 
judge, asked the UN Secretary General to accelerate the 
appointment of the Vice President of the Tribunal, a Lebanese 
judge, to June 1, 2009, so that the President can benefit 
from the "national perspectives" he will provide in 
discussions of "emerging legal, policy, and practical 
issues."  Before responding to the Tribunal's President, the 
Secretary-General asked the Secretariat to solicit input from 
the Management Committee.  During the Management Committee's 
discussion of the matter, PolOff asked that the Management 
Committee be provided with (1) further clarification on how 
this early activation of a third judicial position (budget 
provides for two judicial positions) will play into the 
broader picture, given that the investigation is anticipated 
to continue into 2010 and (2) what are the precise budget 
ramifications and how will the additional costs be met from 
extra-budgetary resources.  (Comment: Additional financial 
resources are now available, given the recent USD 8 million 
transfer from the Lebanese government for year one.  End 
comment.)  The Registry provided an initial estimate of USD 
200,000 for an installation grant for the judge and spouse 
plus seven months salary.  The Canadian representative asked 
if there were any alternatives, such as occasional working 
visits to the Tribunal by the Vice President so that he does 
not need to be employed full-time.  The French representative 
noted that at one point the Management Committee had been 
prepared to move all four Lebanese judges to The Hague, even 
before the start of a trial, for security reasons. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In response to a letter from the Prosecutor, the 
Management Committee agreed that it would not revisit its 
decision on the terms and conditions of the Prosecutor's 
employment, but that the Chair would draft a short letter 
explaining the Management Committee's preference for 
maintaining a single channel of correspondence with the 
Tribunal through the Registrar. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Under any other business, several items were 
raised: 
 
-- Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Peter 
Taksoe-Jensen swore in all of the judges and the Prosecutor 
on March 9, at the start of the plenary.  He also appointed 
and swore in the head of the defense office, French national 
Francois Roux, and the Registrar.  The plenary should 
conclude March 20 and then the rules of procedure and 
detention rules will be adopted and distributed to Management 
Committee members. 
 
-- Canada has approved another donation of 3 million Canadian 
dollars for year one funding which will be used for IT and 
other contracted projects. 
 
-- The Netherlands representative voiced concern that one of 
the Lebanese judges is not satisfied with the apartments 
leased by the Tribunal for their use and on which the Dutch 
government had completed security upgrades.  The Management 
Committee, at the Lebanese representative's suggestion, asked 
that the Registrar and a Dutch government representative 
review with the Lebanese judge the security requirements that 
were taken into consideration for the selection of the 
apartments and the financial costs of the security upgrades. 
The OLA representative reminded the Management Committee that 
the judges' letters of appointment did contain a paragraph on 
the need to adhere to the security guidelines of the Dutch 
and Lebanese governments and the UN's Department of Safety 
and Security (DSS). 
Wolff