Cablegate: Ireland Welcomes Lebanon Unsc Resolution, Wants

VZCZCXRO5121
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ
DE RUEHDL #0918 2211156
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 091156Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUBLIN
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0150
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7317
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES PRIORITY

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000918

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS UN IS EI
SUBJECT: IRELAND WELCOMES LEBANON UNSC RESOLUTION, WANTS
IMMEDIATE CEASE-FIRE

REF: STATE 128442

1. (SBU) Ireland would welcome the passage of the draft UNSC
resolution on Lebanon, according to Stephen Dawson,
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) First Secretary for
Middle East and North African Affairs, to whom emboffs
delivered reftel demarche on August 8 (with Ireland observing
a holiday on August 7). Dawson noted that the Irish
Government recognized the difficulty of the diplomatic
negotiations that had yielded the resolution text, which, he
added, was impressive in scope. He observed that Ireland had
no issue with the resolution's wording, but would have
favored an additional "aspirational" reference to Israeli
withdrawal from Lebanon. Given the Lebanese Government's
initial criticism of the draft resolution, the Irish
Government also had questions about the extent to which UNSC
negotiators had coordinated with Lebanon and Israel on the
text. Ireland nevertheless trusted that the UNSC was working
with all parties to create the permissive environment
necessary to implement the resolution's key provision: the
proposed deployment of a multinational force between the Blue
Line and Litani River.

2. (SBU) Comment: Through DFA press statements and media
interviews with Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and Foreign
Minister Dermot Ahern, the Irish Government has taken a
strong public stand in favor of an immediate cease-fire in
Lebanon. A significant factor in the Irish position has been
heavy media coverage of the civilian casualties of Israeli
military actions, which has fueled several small-scale
protests at both Post and the Israeli Embassy in Dublin.
Another factor has been Irish Government concerns about the
UNIFIL mission, which has included Irish troops since its
establishment. It was one of the 17 current Irish UNIFIL
members who repeatedly warned Israel prior to the July 25
bombing of the mission observer post that killed several
UNIFIL officers.

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