Cablegate: Fm Kusa Defends Libyan Actions On Goldstone Report As "Opening the Door" for Debate

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OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHTRO #0816 2851611
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O R 121611Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5359
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0055
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 5906

C O N F I D E N T I A L TRIPOLI 000816

SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2019

TAGS: PREL UNSC KPAL IS LY

SUBJECT: FM KUSA DEFENDS LIBYAN ACTIONS ON GOLDSTONE REPORT AS "OPENING THE DOOR" FOR DEBATE

CLASSIFIED BY: Gene A. Cretz, Ambassador, US Embassy Tripoli, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)

1.(C) Following an October 8 meeting between Foreign Minister-equivalent Musa Kusa and visiting USESS Gration (septel), DCM expressed the United States' strong disappointment with Libya's action on the Goldstone report at the UN Security Council. Clearly surprised by the demarche, Kusa responded that Israeli-Palestinian issues were matters for international fora and that Libya was simply "opening the door" for international debate. Defending Libya's right to raise the issue in the Security Council, Kusa said that Libya "will not have views imposed on us by the U.S." Although Libya was keen to foster its relationship with the U.S., "you have your views and we have ours. This should not be a source of conflict between us."

2. (C) DCM responded that the U.S. was not opposed to discussion of the Goldstone report and, in fact, had worked out an arrangement for the report to be discussed in the UN Human Rights Council. Libya's actions had disrupted a carefully coordinated approach. She stressed that the U.S. was particularly disappointed by Libya's lack of consultations prior to raising the issue in the Security Council. CRETZ

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