VZCZCXRO6593
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #1025/01 3170013
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 130013Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7600
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 001025 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC IS LE SY
SUBJECT: UNSC: COUNCIL'S QUARTERLY UNSCR 1701 CONSULTATIONS 
HIGHLIGHT THAT MUCH REMAINS TO BE IMPLEMENTED 
 
REF: STATE 115675 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon 
Williams and Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping 
Operations Mulet briefed the Council in consultations on 
November 10 on the implementation of UNSCR 1701 over the last 
quarter.  Both Williams and Mulet and the majority of member 
states highlighted the serious incidents and violations that 
have occurred during the reporting period and pressed for 
greater implementation of the resolution.  Williams noted the 
recent government formation in Lebanon and hoped it would 
positively contribute to greater implementation of the 
resolution.  All Council members welcomed the new Lebanese 
government, voiced appreciation for UNIFIL and UNSCOL's work 
in Lebanon, and agreed to press elements on both subjects.  A 
number of states voiced concern about arms smuggling into 
Lebanon, though the Libyan Perm Rep justified any arms 
stockpiling given Israel's continued occupation of northern 
Ghajar and the Sheb'a Farms.  Williams said he would be 
working closely with the new government on a border control 
regime and called on member states to assist in that effort. 
Williams and Mulet and almost all Council members called on 
Israel to withdraw from northern Ghajar and cease its 
overflights of Lebanon.  The French Perm Rep pressed for 
Council involvement in the UNIFIL review which DPKO plans to 
complete in January 2010 in time for inclusion in the next 
quarterly 1701 report.  End summary. 
 
UNSCOL and DPKO briefings 
------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams 
briefed the Council in consultations on November 10.  He 
announced that the new Lebanese cabinet had met a few hours 
earlier, a day after the President and Prime 
Minister-designate had signed the decree forming the 
government.  He said the ministerial statement still remains 
to be negotiated after which the Parliament must approve the 
cabinet but said that he looks forward to working with the 
new government to ensure the full implementation of UNSCR 
¶1701.  He highlighted the "serious incidents and violations 
of the resolution" during the past four months and the 
relative frequency of the incidents.  He noted the "specter 
of potential escalation and deterioration of the situation" 
and pressed for the parties to move from the current 
cessation of hostilities to a permanent cease-fire and 
long-term solution.  He stated that the "Secretary-General 
condemns all violations of resolution 1701, whether in the 
form of rocket launches, air, land or sea violations, the 
active maintenance of an arms depot, or the use of 
surveillance equipment on sovereign Lebanese territory."  He 
said that there is concern that the commitment to the 
resolution is "not fully-matched by action or even other 
pronouncements in public" and then referred to both Israeli 
pledges to continue surveillance activities and Hizballah 
vows to continue to build its military capabilities and to 
use its arsenal to defend itself if attacked.  He called on 
both sides to do more. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Williams noted the lack of progress on implementing 
the resolution, given the delay in Lebanese government 
formation, and called for Lebanon to have a "government to 
attain the further extension of the state's control over all 
Lebanese territory, the exercise of its full sovereignty, and 
the assurance that there is no authority in the country other 
than the state."   He specifically noted that Lebanon's 
forthcoming membership on the Council would be a challenge 
for the new cabinet, alongside UNSCR 1701 implementation and 
the many political, social, and economic domestic issues.  He 
lamented the lack of progress on the disarmament of all armed 
groups, given the delay in government formation, and noted 
that the explosions in southern Lebanon and rocket attacks 
serve as a "stark reminder of the challenges that armed 
groups...pose to Lebanon's sovereignty and authority."  He 
reiterated the Secretary-General's belief that the 
disarmament of armed groups should take place through a 
Lebanese-led process, and he welcomed President Sleiman's 
recent pledge to reconvene the National Dialogue as soon as 
the government is formally established. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On the issue of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, he 
reported that there have been no major security incidents in 
the official Palestinian camps during the reporting period 
and that the reconstruction of Nahr al-Bared camp has 
resumed. He noted the importance of the Lebanese Armed Forces 
(LAF) to the implementation of UNSCR 1701 and called on 
member states to support them with equipment, training, and 
financial assistance so that they can "discharge their 
function and strengthen the state's legitimate authority 
throughout the country."  He confirmed that his office will 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001025  002 OF 003 
 
 
work with the next government on a comprehensive border 
strategy in order to enforce the arms embargo.  He called on 
both Lebanon and Syria to delineate their common border and 
address the issue of the Palestinian militia bases straddling 
the border. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Williams called on Israel to end its occupation of 
northern Ghajar and to halt its "daily intrusions" of 
Lebanese airspace which, he said, are not only violations of 
1701 but interfere with UNIFIL operations and breed 
resentment amongst the Lebanese population.  He called on 
both Israel and Syria to clarify the status of the Sheb'a 
Farms area and noted the link between addressing this issue 
and the disarmament of all armed groups.  On regional events, 
he termed the October Saudi-Syrian summit as having provided 
a "positive momentum" in the Lebanese political process.  He 
also noted that regional events continue to have negative 
repercussions in Lebanon and that the "full assertion of 
Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political 
independence" is inextricably linked to regional peace, and 
he urged the Security Council to remain fully engaged. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping 
Operations Edmond Mulet briefed the Council and quickly 
reviewed the incidents detailed in the Secretary-General's 
eleventh quarterly report that had taken place in the UNIFIL 
area of operations.  He said that DPKO has no further details 
to share in terms of the investigations behind the rocket 
launches, most recently on October 27.  He called for UNIFIL 
to be accorded full freedom of movement. He noted the 
importance of the tripartite mechanism as important to 
building confidence.  He, too, called on Israel to cease its 
air violations and withdraw from northern Ghajar.  He 
expressed appreciation for UNIFIL Force Commander General 
Graziano's leadership and that of UNIFIL more generally. 
(Comment: Williams' briefing statement offered more of a 
strategic overview of recent events, which we felt the 
Secretary-General's quarterly report lacked, while Mulet's 
statement was a rapid repetition of the report's sections on 
the incidents in UNIFIL's area of operations with few 
strategic conclusions.  End comment.) 
 
Majority reminds of all 
that remains to be implemented 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) While all Council members welcomed the announcement 
of the formation of a new Lebanese government, the majority 
of members used their statements to call on the new 
government to focus on UNSCR 1701 and reiterated all that 
remains to be implemented under the resolution -- 
implementation of an area south of the Litani free of 
weapons, armed elements, and assets; disarmament of the 
militias; demarcation of the border; implementation of the 
arms embargo; withdrawal from northern Ghajar; and progress 
on the Sheb'a Farms.  Many voiced serious concern with the 
explosions and rocket launches during the reporting period 
and urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint. 
Ambassador Wolff delivered the U.S. statement drawn from 
reftel and sought to highlight the worrying trends emerging 
and the need for greater action in order to forestall a 
future conflict.  The Russian Perm Rep said he was concerned 
by the potential for destabilization and called for more 
active participation by the LAF and UNIFIL.  All members 
voiced support for UNIFIL and most called for UNIFIL's 
freedom of movement.  The Libyan Deputy Perm Rep strongly 
condemned any actions against UNIFIL. 
 
Arms smuggling 
-------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) A couple of states voiced concern about arms 
smuggling into Lebanon and called for stronger efforts on 
border control.  The Libyan Deputy Perm Rep said that once 
the occupation of northern Ghajar and the Sheb'a Farms ends 
and Lebanon is enjoying full security, then there will be "no 
need for the stockpiling of weapons."  On the arms cache 
explosion, he highlighted the distinction that Hizballah has 
used -- that the arms were from the 1970s and do not prove 
arms smuggling.  He did not acknowledge that there are to be 
no arms south of the Litani, according to UNSCR 1701.   In 
response to a question from Japan on the level of arms 
smuggling, Williams said that it is very difficult for UNSCOL 
to assess arms smuggling north of the Litani river but he 
referred to the Hizballah Deputy Secretary-General's comments 
to the Financial Times about the growing size of its armory. 
Williams stressed Lebanon's need to adopt a strict border 
regime and said his office would be working closely with the 
new government to that end.  He called for member states to 
provide assistance for that effort, as well as to the LAF. 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001025  003 OF 003 
 
 
Mulet responded that UNIFIL has no evidence of arms smuggling 
south of the Litani river but has found caches of illegal 
arms which are a violation of 1701.  (Note: During the 
Council's consultations, the Syrian Perm Rep went to the 
Security Council press stakeout (before the Lebanese 
representative had addressed the press) to protest the 1701 
report's references to smuggling and urged that the focus be 
on Israeli violations.  At the stakeout, he was allegedly 
asked about the FRANCOP vessel, on which the Israelis found 
an illegal arms shipment from Iran to Syria, to which he 
maladroitly replied that it was an act of piracy.  End note.) 
 
Israeli violations on UNSCR 1701 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Almost all members called for Israel's withdrawal 
from northern Ghajar and an end to Israeli overflights of 
Lebanon.   The Libyan Deputy Perm Rep called for the 
inclusion in future reports of statistics on Israeli 
violations of UNSCR 1701.  He lamented that there was not 
more information in the report on the Israeli espionage 
networks in Lebanon since much has been documented and Israel 
has never denied the reports. 
 
UNIFIL review 
------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The French Perm Rep called for DPKO to meet with 
the Council's military experts before DPKO's Joint Technical 
Team departs to visit UNIFIL.  The UK Deputy Perm Rep called 
for UNIFIL to be kept under the Council's regular review, in 
addition to the Secretariat's review.  In response to 
Ambassador Wolff's question whether the incidents during the 
reporting period indicated the need for changes to UNIFIL's 
mandate, Mulet replied that UNIFIL's rules of engagement and 
mandate are sufficiently robust and that it can carry out its 
tasks.  He then went on to note that the Secretariat's review 
is moving forward.  UNIFIL will submit its analysis this week 
to DPKO.  In early December, a DPKO team will visit UNIFIL to 
finalize its recommendations which will be completed in 
January 2010 for inclusion in the February 2010 quarterly 
report from the Secretary-General on the implementation of 
UNSCR 1701.  Mulet underscored that the review is not of 
UNIFIL's mandate but of its capabilities and whether it has 
the right resources to carry out its duties. 
 
Long discussion over press elements 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The French Perm Rep, speaking first, proposed that 
the Council agree on elements to the press that the Security 
Council President for the month of November (Austria) could 
use after consultations.  While most members commented on the 
proposed press elements in their remarks, a further 45-minute 
discussion ensued after all member states had spoken.  While 
there was easy agreement on the need to welcome the new 
Lebanese government and voice appreciation for the efforts of 
UNIFIL and the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, there was 
little agreement over how to phrase a reminder for all 
parties to implement relevant Security Council resolutions. 
While France and the United States were in favor of such a 
formulation, Russia sought only to mention UNSCR 1701 and not 
mention other relevant resolutions, broadly or specifically. 
Given the lack of consensus, the Council agreed to forego any 
mention of Security Council resolutions in the elements to 
the press.  (Comment: Given bilateral comments exchanged 
between the US and Russian experts, it was evident that 
Russia sought to exclude UNSCR 1559 by just having the 
Council focus on UNSCR 1701.  Ambassador Wolff told the 
Council that he would not support an effort by some members 
to "walk away from certain Council resolutions."  End 
comment.) 
Rice