Cablegate: Arab-South America Summit: The Summit Declaration

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRASILIA 001230

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2015
TAGS: PREL ETRD PGOV XR XF
SUBJECT: ARAB-SOUTH AMERICA SUMMIT: THE SUMMIT DECLARATION
"TERRORISM" LANGUAGE AND OTHER BUMPS IN THE ROAD

Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES PHILIP CHICOLA, REASONS 1.4 (b & d)

1. (C) At the final preparatory Ministerial meeting on May 9, a compromise, of sorts, was reached on contentious "terrorism" language for the Summit Declaration, according to press reports. Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim affirmed that the Declaration would condemn terrorism "without adjectives," and "in all its forms," and he criticized the Brazilian and international media for fostering doubt about this. However, according to various reports, the Declaration will also refer in a separate paragraph to Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and the "inherent right of individual or collective defense" in the case of armed attack on UN members. Amorim admitted that this language treated the "right of resistance to foreign occupation" as an international human right, and although he declined to comment whether this was an indirect criticism of the U.S. presence in Iraq or of Israel in the occupied territories, he added "Anyone can interpret it as they want."

2. (SBU) The Declaration, which will be presented May 10, will reportedly also include a reference to the legitimacy of Argentine sovereignty over the Malvinas (Falkland Islands) and will praise recent elections in Iraq, both apparently inserted at the last minute. Language expressing concern over U.S. sanctions against Syria also will likely remain in the final Declaration text.

3. (C) The tone for the Ministerial was set early by Algerian Foreign Minister Abdul Aziz Bel Khadem speaking on behalf of the Arab states. While the Minister hoped the Summit would open "new horizons" for countries from the two regions, he pointedly took a strong political line towards the "legitimate right of self-determination for the Palestinians and rejection of occupation." Elsewhere, Brazilian President Lula also reportedly made public comments on the Palestinian issue. In a meeting with Palestinian National Authority leader Mohamoud Abbas, Lula compared the patience of the Palestinian people with the political trajectory which brought his Worker's Party (PT) to power after having waited many years and suffered numerous electoral defeats (1989, 1994, 1998).

4. (C) Hotel woes continued right into the eve of the Summit. After Moroccan King Mohamed allegedly declined to come to Brasilia because of "inadequate" luxury hotel space for his delegation, this time it was Iraqi President Talabani's turn to take umbrage with sub-standard accommodations. Unsatisfied with its rooms at the Hotel Nacional -- the Presidential Suite at the Nacional certainly seemed luxurious enough to U.S. security staff -- the Iraqi delegation transferred en masse to the Blue Tree which improvised last minute luxury quarters.

5. (C) Comment: Until the Summit Declaration is released on May 10, we will not know how closely the problemmatic language on terrorism, etc., resembles bracketed drafts already seen by the USG. However, from all initial press reports, it appears that Brazil has succumbed to pressure from the Arabs and others to include harsh treatment of the U.S., Israel, and Great Britain in the Declaration language.

Chicola

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