Cablegate: Lebanon Tribunal: France Proposes Compromise On

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OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHTRO RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUCNDT #0105 0370002
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 060002Z FEB 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3664
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000105

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC SY LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON TRIBUNAL: FRANCE PROPOSES COMPROMISE ON
LOCATION OF MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

REF: A. STATE 1070 (2007)

B. USUN/IO EMAIL (TERMS OF REFERENCE)-02/04/08

1. (SBU) Action request: At a February 5 experts' meeting
with the U.S., Germany, and the Netherlands to discuss issues
relating to the formation of the Management Committee for the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon, France withdrew its proposal
that the Committee should be based in The Hague. Instead,
France proposed that the Terms of Reference for the Committee
provide for the Committee to meet in New York and, as
appropriate, in The Hague. The French made this proposal
because they believe, as do the Dutch, British, and Germans,
that the Management Committee would benefit from
on-the-ground monitoring of the Tribunal in The Hague, but
recognize that the primary location of the Committee should
be in New York in order to take advantage of the presence of
UN Secretariat and Fifth and Sixth Committee budgetary and
legal experts. USUN seeks instructions to accept the
language in para 2, which would be incorporated as section
VII of the Terms of Reference of the Management Committee
(ref B).

2. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT:

VII - The Management Committee will meet in New York and, as
appropriate, in The Hague. Representatives of the Member
States of the Management Committee in The Hague will
cooperate and be closely associated with the work of the
Committee. An effective liaison mechanism will be
established.

END TEXT.

KHALILZAD

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