VZCZCXYZ0003
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #6628 2312242
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 192225Z AUG 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 7408
INFO RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 1186
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 7701
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 9117

UNCLAS STATE 086628 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
USUN FOR SCHEDLBAUER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPKO LE SY IS
SUBJECT: UNSC CONSULTATIONS ON UNIFIL, 20 AUGUST 
 
 ¶1. (U) This is an action message. 
 
¶2. (U) Mission may draw on the talking points in paragraph 3 
for the August 20 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon 
(UNIFIL) consultations with the UNSC. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Begin talking points: 
 
Thank you, Mr. President. 
 
The United States commends the work of UNIFIL and thanks 
Major-General Graziano for his able leadership.  We look 
forward to the unanimous adoption of the resolution 
renewing UNIFIL,s mandate for another year. 
 
This vote will serve as an important reiteration of the 
Council,s commitment to the full implementation of 
resolution 1701 and illustrate both the Council,s support 
and respect for the UN peacekeepers who are working to 
build mutual trust and to sustain what the Secretary-General 
has described as the "precarious" calm in southern Lebanon. 
 
There is little doubt that the weapons cache that exploded 
on July 14 in Khirbet Selm belonged to Hizballah and was 
actively maintained.  The explosion demonstrates Hizballah,s 
disregard for resolution 1701 and clearly illustrates 
the continued danger posed by the group,s weapons to 
Lebanon, its citizens, and the region as a whole. 
 
We continue to strongly support resolutions 1701 and 1559 in 
which the Council has called for all arms in Lebanon to be 
brought under the sole authority of the Lebanese state. 
 
As the Secretary General suggests, this incident only 
highlights the importance of the efforts of the Lebanese 
Armed Forces, assisted by UNIFIL, to discover and remove 
weapons and related material that may still be present in 
the area of operations, make sure that there are no armed 
elements in the area, and prevent the possible smuggling 
of weapons across the Litani river. 
 
Maintaining a weapons-free zone in south Lebanon does not 
mean simply 
that unauthorized weapons are kept out of sight.  We call 
upon the Lebanese government, working in coordination with 
UNIFIL, to ensure that weapons caches like the one in 
Khirbat Selm are rooted out. 
 
Compounding the gravity of the incident, stone-throwing 
individuals attempted to thwart UNIFIL,s investigation 
into the explosion, a serious and intolerable impingement 
of UNIFIL,s freedom of movement. 
 
The United States continues to support UNIFIL,s mandate of 
freedom of movement in its area of operations, as well as 
its authority to undertake all necessary action to ensure 
that 
the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River is not 
used for hostile activities. 
 
We welcome the long-awaited handover of cluster munitions 
targeting data to the United Nations.  The United States 
urges Israel to follow through with an expeditious withdrawal 
from northern Ghajar and discontinue its over-flights.  We 
recognize that Israel links its over-flights to continued 
weapons 
smuggling across the Lebanese-Syrian border and will 
continue to press the Lebanese government for full 
enforcement of the arms embargo. 
 
Finally, we commend the continued coordination between the 
Lebanese Armed Forces, UNIFIL, and the Israeli Defense 
Forces via the regular tripartite meetings in Naqoura, 
Lebanon.  We encourage Israel and Lebanon to use this 
forum to address other issues of mutual concern, and to 
explore the possibility of updating and renewing their 
dormant armistice agreement as a possible vehicle to 
further the broader implementation of resolution 1701. 
 
We are thankful that this Council recognizes the crucial 
role that UNIFIL plays in creating a space for progress 
throughout the whole of Lebanon and will continue to 
encourage Council members fully support UNIFIL and its 
operations. 
 
¶4.  (U) End talking points. 
CLINTON