VZCZCXRO5513
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHRL #1480 3270708
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230708Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5843
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0161
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0599
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
RHMFIUU/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFIUU/COMUSNAVEUR NAPLES IT
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BERLIN 001480 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS PREL MARR NATO EUN GM LE
SUBJECT: FDP PRESSING FOR GERMANY TO END PARTICIPATION IN UNIFIL 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The new center-right German government decided at 
a cabinet meeting on November 18 to seek a six-month extension of 
the parliamentary mandate for the German Navy's participation in the 
Maritime Task Force (MTF) of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon 
(UNIFIL) when the mandate comes up for renewal in December. 
However, members of FM Westerwelle's Free Democratic Party (FDP) are 
already putting out the word that this will be the last extension of 
the UNIFIL mandate.  Westerwelle has long opposed German 
participation in the UNIFIL MTF out of concern that the mission 
could bring German soldiers into potential conflict with Israeli 
soldiers and compromise German "neutrality" in the Middle East.  But 
even if Germany were to leave UNIFIL, Germany's bilateral training 
assistance for Lebanon would likely remain in place.  END SUMMARY. 
 
UNIFIL UNDER REVIEW 
 
¶2. (SBU) Now that the cabinet has decided on the mandate request, it 
now goes to the Bundestag for approval, which is expected in early 
December.  MFA sources tell us that the original position of the 
FDP-led MFA was to extend the UNIFIL mandate only until February, 
just long enough to conduct an evaluation of the mission.  The 
Chancellery and MOD reportedly pushed back and the result was a 
compromise for a six-month extension, until June 30, 2010.  In the 
past, the mandate was routinely extended to correspond with the 
duration of the applicable UN Security Council resolution.  The 
current UNIFIL resolution is UNSCR 1884, which does not expire until 
August 2010. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The government proposes reducing the troop ceiling from 
1,200 to 800, but this will have no operational impact since the 
German contribution is far less than that (currently at 455) and has 
been since the MTF was established in 2006.  Germany currently leads 
the MTF (as it has on several other occasions) and is scheduled to 
be in that position until the end of November.  It has four ships in 
the MTF, the most of any single nation. 
 
BUT FDP ALREADY COUNTING IT OUT 
 
¶4. (SBU) While the MFA relented to the Chancellery and MOD on the 
longer extension period for the mandate, FDP Bundestag staffers are 
already asserting that this will be the last time it will be 
renewed.  They feel empowered by the coalition agreement negotiated 
with Chancellor Merkel's Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social 
Union (CDU/CSU), which says: "In the UN framework we will work 
towards reducing and ultimately ending Germany's contribution to 
UNIFIL's maritime task force." 
 
WESTERWELLE: LONG-STANDING OPPONENT 
 
¶5. (SBU) Westerwelle has strongly opposed Germany's participation in 
UNIFIL from the very start, arguing that because of German history, 
one has to avoid any situation in which German and Israeli soldiers 
could come into a conflict with one another.  He has also argued 
that German participation in the mission could compromise Germany's 
"neutrality" in the Middle East.  Westerwelle may be willing to hold 
other issues hostage in order to get his way on UNIFIL.  One FDP 
contact told us that Westerwelle could demand an end to German 
participation in UNIFIL in return for supporting additional German 
contributions to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, which will be 
considered after the planned international conference in January. 
Comment: We understand from the Israeli Embassy that the Israeli 
Government has expressed its support to Germany for continued German 
participation in UNIFIL.  This may also have played a role in the 
MFA decision allowing the longer extension period, as well as FM 
Westerwelle's upcoming November 23-24 trip to Israel and the 
Palestinian Territories.  End comment. 
 
BILATERAL TRAINING PROGRAM TO CONTINUE 
 
¶6. (SBU) Germany's bilateral assistance to train and equip the 
Lebanese navy and coast guard is likely to continue even if the FDP 
prevails in pulling Germany out of UNIFIL.  That program, which is 
run by the CSU-led MOD, does not require a parliamentary mandate.