VZCZCXRO7455
OO RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHC #7946/01 2962255
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 232238Z OCT 07
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 9258
INFO ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 147946
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPAL IS LE
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR OCTOBER 24 OPEN DEBATE ON THE MIDDLE
EAST
1. USUN is instructed to draw upon the following points for
the October 24 UNSC open debate on the Middle East:
-- Mr. President, the United States remains committed to
President Bush's vision of Israel and Palestine living as
two states side by side in peace and security. In July
President Bush announced his intention to convene an
international meeting before the end of the year to bring
together states committed to a two-state solution, and to
rally diplomatic support for the parties, efforts to realize
that vision, and to review and advance efforts to reform and
build the capacity of Palestinian institutions.
-- Since then Secretary Rice has traveled to the region
repeatedly to meet with the parties, and to support and
advance the bilateral process.
-- Secretary Rice and President Bush have been clear - the
United States is serious about realizing the two-state
vision. It is one of our highest foreign policy priorities.
-- This is the most serious process between the parties in
some time. There is goodwill on both sides, growing
confidence and growing trust. Nevertheless, much hard work
lies ahead. We must work together to support continued
progress on three tracks: political, economic and
institutional development, and progress on day-to-day issues.
We have encouraged both sides to work intensively to carry
out phase one Roadmap obligations and other commitments that
can help build confidence and improve conditions on the
ground.
-- Quartet Representative Tony Blair is leading efforts to
build the institutional and economic capacity upon which a
Palestinian state will be built. We must all work to support
his efforts, and give generously to help meet the
Palestinians, needs. Toward that end the Ad Hoc Liaison
Committee on Palestinian development held a successful
meeting in New York in September and we are now looking
forward to a December donors, conference in France.
-- However, even before that conference donors will need to
step up to the plate in order to avoid a looming budget
crisis that could paralyze the PA government in December when
Israel finishes repaying customs and revenue arrears,
resulting in a $100 million monthly budget deficit for the
PA. We must all consider what assistance we can provide to
avert a budget crisis.
-- On the political track, Palestinian and Israeli
negotiating teams are meeting; they are having serious
discussions about the core issues, and working to memorialize
the leaders, understandings in a document that we hope can
help to lay the foundation for serious negotiations. We are
encouraged by recent progress on this bilateral track which
is absolutely central to our shared desire to realize a
two-state solution.
-- The international meeting that the United States will host
later this year will rally regional and international support
for these efforts, and for the two-state vision. The United
States remains committed to a comprehensive peace in the
Middle East, but this meeting will focus on the
Israeli-Palestinian track because that is where we see an
immediate opportunity to accomplish something. As Secretary
Rice has said, the framework for discussions will be,
consistent with the Roadmap, the goal of two states living
side-by-side in peace and security based on the principle of
land for peace, UNSCRs 242, 338, 1397, the Arab League Peace
Initiative, and other previous agreements between the
parties. Key participants will be the Israelis and
Palestinians, of course, but we also view the Quartet and the
Arab League Follow-Up Committee as natural participants since
regional support is key to success and essential for a
comprehensive Middle East peace.
-- We are committed to seizing the present opportunity and
look forward to working together with the parties and the
international community to achieve meaningful progress on a
successful path to Palestinian statehood and an end to the
conflict.
LEBANON/SYRIA
-- Lebanese elections must be allowed to occur without
STATE 00147946 002 OF 002
threats and foreign interference, and must be free, fair, and
held on-time and according to the Lebanese Constitution.
-- We urge Lebanese parliamentarians to fulfill their
constitutional duty to vote for and elect a new president
before the end of current president Lahoud,s mandate on
November 24. This is what the Lebanese people deserve.
-- We call for an immediate end to the use of intimidation
tactics and violence as tools to subvert the democratic
process in Lebanon.
-- We call for the rapid establishment of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon, which will help end the era of impunity
in Lebanon, and urge all member states to make generous and
timely donations. The United States has made an initial
contribution of $5 million; we expect to make significant
contributions in the future.
-- We remain deeply concerned by on-going illegal weapons
shipments across the Lebanon/Syria border and urge all
parties to assist the Lebanese government to secure its
borders.
-- We continue to call on Syria and Iran to cease their
destabilizing tactics in Lebanon. The Lebanese must
select their next president without foreign interference
and ongoing weapons shipments to Lebanon must stop.
RICE