VZCZCXRO2661
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHC #9537/01 2391655
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 271639Z AUG 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 7478
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 3031
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 1237
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 2885
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 7738
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 6383
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 3120
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 3195
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RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY 1208
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 089537 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPKO PREL
SUBJECT: VOTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR UNIFIL RENEWAL 
 
REF: USUN NEW YORK 788 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) Action Request: USUN is instructed to vote in favor 
of the Security Council resolution contained in para 2 
concerning the extension of United Nations Interim Force in 
Lebanon (UNIFIL).  USUN is authorized to deliver the 
explanation of vote contained in para 3 if appropriate.  In 
the event the resolution is adopted as a Presidential text 
without explanations of vote from any other country, USUN may 
deliver the points in para 3 to 
the press following adoption of the resolution. 
 
End Action Request. 
 
¶2. (U) Begin text of draft resolution: 
 
The Security Council, 
 
Recalling all its previous resolutions on Lebanon, in 
particular resolutions 425 (1978), 426 (1978), 1559 (2004), 
1680 (2006), 1701 (2006), 1773 (2007) and 1832 (2008), as well 
as the statements of its President on the situation in 
Lebanon, 
 
Responding to the request of the Government of Lebanon to 
extend the mandate of UNIFIL for a new period of one year 
without amendment presented in a letter from the Lebanese 
Foreign Minister to the Secretary-General of 4 July 2009 and 
welcoming the letter from the Secretary-General to its 
President of 6 August 2009 (S/2009/407) recommending this 
extension, 
 
Reaffirming its commitment to the full implementation of 
all provisions of resolution 1701 (2006), and aware of its 
responsibilities to help secure a permanent ceasefire and 
a long-term solution as envisioned in the resolution, 
 
Calling upon all concerned parties to strengthen their 
efforts to implement all provisions of resolution 1701 
(2006), 
 
Expressing deep concern at all violations in connection 
with resolution 1701 (2006), in particular the latest 
serious violations highlighted in the Secretary-General's 
letter of 6 August 2009 and emphasizing the importance of 
the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani 
River of an area free of any armed personnel, assets and 
weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and 
UNIFIL, and, to that end, encouraging further coordination 
between UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces, 
 
Calling upon all parties concerned to respect the Blue 
Line in its entirety, including through Ghajar, and 
encouraging the parties to coordinate further with UNIFIL 
to visibly mark the Blue Line, 
 
Recalling the relevant principles contained in the 
Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated 
Personnel, 
 
Commending the active role and dedication of the personnel 
of UNIFIL, notably of its Commander, and expressing its 
strong appreciation to Member States that contribute to 
UNIFIL and underlining the necessity that UNIFIL have at 
its disposal all necessary means and equipment to carry 
out its mandate, 
 
Recalling the request from the Government of Lebanon to 
deploy an international force to assist it to exercise its 
authority throughout the territory and reaffirming UNIFIL's 
authority to take all necessary action in areas of operations 
of its forces and as it deems within its capabilities, to 
 
STATE 00089537  002 OF 003 
 
 
ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile 
activities of any kind and to resist attempts by forceful 
means to prevent it from discharging its mandate, 
 
Welcoming the efforts of the Secretary-General to keep all 
peacekeeping operations, including UNIFIL, under close 
review and stressing the need for the Council to pursue a 
rigorous, strategic approach to peacekeeping deployments, 
 
Calling upon member states to assist the Lebanese Armed 
Forces as needed to enable it to perform its duties, in 
line with resolution 1701, 
 
Determining that the situation in Lebanon continues to 
constitute a threat to international peace and security, 
 
¶1. Decides to extend the present mandate of UNIFIL until 
31 August 2010; 
 
¶2. Commends the positive role of UNIFIL, whose deployment 
together with the Lebanese Armed Forces has helped to 
establish a new strategic environment in southern Lebanon, 
and welcomes the expansion of coordinated activities 
between UNIFIL and the Lebanese armed forces and 
encourages further enhancement of this cooperation; 
 
¶3. Strongly calls upon all parties concerned to respect 
the cessation of hostilities and the Blue Line in its 
entirety and to cooperate fully with the United Nations 
and UNIFIL and to abide scrupulously by their obligation 
to respect the safety of UNIFIL and other United Nations 
personnel, including by avoiding any course of action 
which endangers United Nations personnel and by ensuring 
UNIFIL is accorded full freedom of movement within its 
area of operation; 
 
¶4. Urges all parties to cooperate fully with the Security 
Council and the Secretary-General to achieve a permanent 
ceasefire and a long-term solution as envisioned in 
resolution 1701 (2006), and emphasizes the need for 
greater progress in this regard; 
 
¶5. Welcomes the efforts being undertaken by UNIFIL to 
implement the Secretary-General's zero-tolerance policy on 
sexual exploitation and abuse and to ensure full compliance of 
its personnel with the United Nations code of conduct, 
requests the Secretary-General to continue to take all 
necessary action in this regard and to keep the Security 
Council informed, and urges troop-contributing countries to 
take preventive and disciplinary action to ensure that such 
acts are properly investigated and punished in cases involving 
their personnel; 
 
¶6. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to report to 
the Council on the implementation of resolution 1701 (2006), 
every four months, or at any time as he deems appropriate; 
 
¶7. Welcomes in this regard receiving as soon as possible 
the conclusions of the review of the operational capacity 
of UNIFIL, including the force structure, assets and 
requirements that will be conducted, as referred to in the 
Secretary-General's letter of 6 August 2009, during the 
coming months, in an effort to ensure, along with 
peacekeeping good practice, that the Mission's assets and 
resources are configured most appropriately to fulfill its 
mandated tasks, 
 
¶8. Stresses the importance of, and the need to achieve, a 
comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, 
based on all its relevant resolutions including its 
resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 338 (1973) of 
22 October 1973, and 1515 (2003) of 19 November 2003; 
 
¶9. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter. 
 
End Text of the draft resolution. 
 
STATE 00089537  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
¶3. (U) The United States welcomes the unanimous adoption 
of resolution 18xx to extend the mandate of UNIFIL for one 
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 within southern Lebanon 
 
-- (U) The United States commends the work of UNIFIL and 
thanks Major-General Graziano for his able leadership.  We are 
pleased with the [unanimous] adoption of the resolution 
renewing UNIFIL's mandate for another year. 
 
-- (U) 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. 
 
-- (U) 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. 
 
-- (U) 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. 
 
-- (U) 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. 
 
-- (U) We are thankful that this Council recognizes the 
crucial role that UNIFIL plays in creating a space for 
progress 
throughout the whole of Lebanon.  While the primary goal of 
this resolution is to extend the mandate of UNIFIL, it also 
reaffirms the Council's previous resolutions on Lebanon 
including commitments to fulfill resolutions 1559, 1680, and 
¶1701. 
CLINTON