VZCZCXRO0088
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0788/01 2362323
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 242323Z AUG 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7103
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000788 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC IS LE
SUBJECT: UNSC: COUNCIL CALLS FOR UNIFIL RENEWAL; MAJORITY 
VOICE CONCERN ABOUT JULY EVENTS 
 
REF: A. STATE 86628 
     ¶B. USUN NEW YORK 768 
     ¶C. USUN NEW YORK 721 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary: On August 20, Assistant Secretary-General 
for Peacekeeping Operations Mulet briefed the Security 
Council in consultations on UNIFIL.  He highlighted the 
Hizballah arms cache explosion at Khirbet Selim, as he and 
other DPKO officials have to the Council on previous 
occasions (refs B and C).  He reiterated the 
Secretary-General's recommendation that the Council extend 
UNIFIL's mandate for another 12 months.  Council members 
unanimously agreed with the recommendation to extend the 
mandate.  The majority of Council members again voiced 
concern about the July events in Khirbet Selim and the 
impingement on UNIFIL's freedom of movement during the 
investigation.  Several members called for determined action 
by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to ensure that there are 
no arms, armed elements, or weapons smuggled into the area 
south of the Litani River.  The Libyan DPR was alone in 
trying  to excuse the Khirbet Selim incident, justifying the 
presence of arms because of daily Israeli air violations and 
the "Israeli network of spies" and characterizing Hizballah 
presence in the area as "natural" given Hizballah's close 
cooperation with the LAF.  Almost all Council members touched 
on Israel's continued overflights and need to withdraw from 
northern Ghajar.  Council members welcomed the Secretariat's 
planned assessment of UNIFIL and called for the Council to be 
briefed on the results.  End summary. 
 
DPKO again highlights Hizballah arms 
cache; calls for UNIFIL renewal 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping 
Operations Edmond Mulet briefed the Council in consultations 
on August 20 on UNIFIL.  He reiterated the 
Secretary-General's recommendation from his August 6, 2009 
letter to the Council that UNIFIL's mandate should be 
extended for another 12 months.  (Note: USUN e-mailed the 
Secretary-General's letter to IO/PSC and IO/UNP.  End note.) 
Mulet summarized UNIFIL's initial findings about the July 14 
arms cache explosion at Khirbet Selim, which were consistent 
with Under Secretary-General LeRoy's briefing to the Council 
on July 23 (ref C) and Mulet's own briefing to the Council 
and Troop Contributors (TCCs) on August 13 (ref B).  He said 
that the weapons dated from the 1970s to 1990s and were in 
good working order.  He again said there was evidence that 
the arms depot was actively maintained and under the control 
of Hizballah.  Mulet noted that the Khirbet Selim area has 
since "returned to normal" and that tensions had declined in 
the Kfar Shouba area.  He announced that the Israel Defense 
Forces (IDF) had dismantled on August 17 the watchtower and 
concrete block base which had provoked the protest and Blue 
Line violation by Lebanese civilians and parliamentarians on 
July 17.  (Note: DPKO staffer told PolOff August 19 that the 
Israeli action does not quite represent a return to the 
status quo ante since a tank position berm remains in place, 
but this matter is outside UNIFIL's area of operations since 
it is on the south side of the Blue Line.  End note.) 
 
UNIFIL - troop configuration 
and MTF update, assessment 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Mulet reiterated from the Secretary-General's 
letter that Malaysia deployed one additional infantry company 
of 150 personnel at the end of July and Indonesia and Nepal 
are scheduled to each deploy one infantry company of 150 
personnel over the next two months.  He also said a 
multi-role logistics company would be deployed to replace the 
Polish troops which are scheduled to withdraw by October 
¶2009.  In terms of the Maritime Task Force (MTF), he noted 
that only seven of the 12 required vessels are available.  As 
a result, he announced, the Lebanese Navy has become more 
involved in the hailing and boarding of vessels at sea, both 
during the day and at night, which is an important step 
forward so that they can assume greater control over their 
territorial waters.  He underscored the Lebanese Navy's need 
for several large vessels.  He repeated the 
Secretary-General's announcement from his August 6 letter 
that DPKO and UNIFIL would undertake an assessment of 
UNIFIL's capacity to ensure that resources match requirements. 
 
Actions needed from parties 
and international community 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Mulet stressed the work that remains to be done. 
He called for ground violations of the Blue Line to cease, 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000788  002 OF 003 
 
 
for Israel to withdraw from northern Ghajar and to cease its 
air violations, for Lebanon to intensify its efforts south of 
the Litani River to discover and remove weapons, make sure 
there are no armed elements in that area, prevent the 
possible smuggling of weapons across the Litani river, and 
ensure UNIFIL's full freedom of movement.  He called on the 
international community to support the development of the 
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) so that it can fulfill its 
responsibilities down to the Blue Line and in its territorial 
waters and to step up efforts to find a political solution. 
He stressed that UNIFIL cannot be a substitute for the peace 
process. 
 
Council members unanimously 
call for UNIFIL renewal 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Council members in consultations unanimously voiced 
support for the extension of UNIFIL's mandate for another 12 
months.  The French Perm Rep said France would soon submit a 
draft mandate renewal resolution for the Council's 
consideration which would reaffirm the Council's support for 
UNIFIL, renew the mandate without changes, press the parties 
to implement UNSCR 1701, and address the latest violations. 
(Note: Adoption of the mandate extension resolution is 
scheduled for August 27.  End note.)  The Russian DPR 
specifically commented that UNIFIL's current mandate is 
appropriate, and the Libyan DPR said that the current mandate 
is the "maximum ceiling."  The Turkish DPR underlined that 
UNIFIL is a priority for Turkey and it will continue its land 
and maritime component contributions, noting that the Turkish 
corvette will be replaced by a frigate in October. 
 
Majority of Council again voice 
concern about Khirbet Selim 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The French and UK Perm Reps reiterated concern 
about the events in Khirbet Selim, including the presence of 
arms south of the Litani River and the impingement on 
UNIFIL's freedom of movement.  (Note: Ambassador Rice 
delivered points drawn from ref A.  End note.)  The French 
Perm Rep called on UNIFIL and the LAF to work together "so 
the events of July are not repeated," for the parties to show 
restraint, and for the Secretary-General and the parties to 
work on a long-term political solution.  The Japanese Charge 
said that Japan was gravely concerned by the July 14 arms 
cache explosion, particularly the fact that the depot was 
actively maintained.  The Austrian DPR and Costa Rican DPR 
called for determined action by the LAF to ensure that there 
are no arms, armed elements, or weapons smuggled into the 
area south of the Litani River.  The Austrian DPR also called 
for immediate respect of the arms embargo and control of the 
Lebanese-Syrian border and for the full freedom of movement 
of UNIFIL personnel, stressing that this was the LAF's 
responsibility. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The Costa Rican DPR said that the LAF needs to 
address the issue of Hizballah without exception, stressing 
that it is a grave issue for the region as a whole.  The 
Croatian Charge said that by maintaining a substantial 
military capacity, Hizballah is undermining the Lebanese 
state and called for the disarmament of all armed groups 
outside of the control of the State.  The Turkish DPR said 
Turkey welcomed the investigation into the latest incidents 
and looked forward to learning its conclusions.  The Mexican 
Perm Rep said that if the findings of the preliminary 
investigation are confirmed, then it would be a clear 
violation of UNSCR 1701 and it should be condemned with the 
same vigor as are Israeli violations.  The Russian DPR 
stressed that Russia "does not support attempts to classify 
violations."  He stressed that there should not be any 
violations by any side and that Russia was passing that 
signal to all of the parties.  The Croatian Charge said that 
violations should be condemned no matter who commits them. 
 
Libya tries to excuse 
Khirbet Selim incident 
---------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The Libyan DPR's comments were strikingly different 
on the Khirbet Selim incident.  He said that since the 
investigation is still ongoing, no one should jump to any 
conclusions since anything is possible, given the region.  He 
did, however, say, without offering any evidence, that the 
arms were not smuggled into the area post-2006.  He 
attributed the presence of the arms in the area of operations 
to the distrust on the Lebanese side because of daily Israeli 
air violations and the Israeli "network of spies."  He 
characterized Hizballah's presence in the area during the 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000788  003 OF 003 
 
 
incident as "natural" given that Hizballah is a recognized 
resistance movement that cooperates closely with the LAF. 
 
Calls for Israel to cease 
overflights and withdraw from Ghajar 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Almost all Council members touched on Israel's 
continued overflights and need to withdraw from northern 
Ghajar.  The Libyan DPR called for the Council to deal with 
Israeli violations "as a priority."  The Chinese DPR called 
specifically for respect of Lebanon's territorial integrity 
and sovereignty, called on Israel to cease its overflights 
and withdraw from Ghajar, and called for the parties to do 
more to address Sheb'a. 
 
Council welcomes UNIFIL assessment 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The Japanese Charge welcomed the Secretariat's 
assessment of UNIFIL and said it was "most appropriate to 
make the best use of limited assets."  He also appealed to 
member states to pay promptly their peacekeeping budget 
assessments.  The Chinese DPR called for the 
Secretary-General to brief the Council on the results of the 
assessment.  The Vietnamese DPR called for the assessment to 
be carefully planned with the TCCs to ensure efficiency.  The 
UK Council President voiced support for the "review of 
UNIFIL's effectiveness" and asked that it include the 
Maritime Task Force "where there are different views of its 
added value." 
RICE