US embassy cable - 01VATICAN4064

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 004064 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR: NEA/IAI, EUR/WE (SDEAN); DEPT PLEASE PASS NSC 
 
FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 129/001 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/11 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, XR, VT 
SUBJECT: POPE/ARAFAT - URGES USG ON MONITORS 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY A/DCM GHFROWICK, REASONS E.O. 12958 1.5 (B), 
(D) . 
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PAGE 02        VATICA  04064  030845Z 
 
1. (C)  SUMMARY:  VATICAN FM TAURAN CONVOKED CHARGE EVENING 
OF AUGUST 2 TO DISCUSS THE POPE'S AUDIENCE WITH PA 
PRESIDENT ARAFAT EARLIER IN THE DAY.  TAURAN SAID THE POPE 
WAS "EXTREMELY WORRIED" AT THE PERSISTENCE AND SCOPE OF 
VIOLENCE IN THE HOLY LANDS; ARAFAT TOLD THE POPE THAT HE 
WANTS MONITORS NOW, TO HELP BUILD CONFIDENCE AND BREAK THE 
CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.  ARAFAT WOULD ACCEPT ANY SORT OF 
MONITORS, INCLUDING JUST U.S. ONES.  THE POPE WISHED TO 
CONVEY TO PRESIDENT BUSH HIS PERSONAL WORRY AT THE STATE OF 
THINGS AND TO URGE THE PRESIDENT TO INTERVENE WITH THE GOI 
TO PERMIT THE "THE MECHANISM OF OBSERVATION TO START." 
TAURAN ALSO SHARED WITH US THE POPE'S PRESS STATEMENT FROM 
THE ARAFAT MEETING (EMBASSY INFORMAL TRANSLATION AT PARA 
THREE) AND HIS OWN PERSONAL VIEWS ON THE SITUATION.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C)  AT 7:00 THE EVENING OF AUGUST 2, VATICAN FM 
EQUIVALENT JEAN LOUIS TAURAN CONVOKED CHARGE AND A/DCM TO 
DISCUSS THE MEETING BETWEEN THE POPE AND PALESTINIAN 
AUTHORITY PRESIDENT ARAFAT EARLIER ON THE DAY.  TAURAN HAD 
HAD A CONCURRENT MEETING WITH ARAFAT'S DELEGATION, 
INCLUDING MEMBERS OF ARAFAT'S NEGOTIATING TEAM.  TAURAN 
UNDERSCORED THE VATICAN'S VIEW THAT THE SITUATION IS QUITE 
SERIOUS, AND THEIR VIEW THAT THE VIOLENCE HAD CROSSED AN 
IMPORTANT AND WORRISOME THRESHOLD AT THE WAILING WALL 
EARLIER IN THE WEEK. (NOTE: A VATICAN PRIORITY IN THE MEPP 
IS PROTECTION OF THE HOLY PLACES).  TAURAN SAID THE POPE 
WANTS THE PRESIDENT TO KNOW ARAFAT IS READY TO ACCEPT ANY 
TYPE OF OBSERVERS IN ORDER TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE. 
THE POPE SPECIFICALLY ASKED THAT PRESIDENT BUSH EXERCISE 
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PAGE 03        VATICA  04064  030845Z 
PRESSURE ON THE GOI, IN ORDER TO PERMIT "THE MECHANISM OF 
OBSERVATION TO START" AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  THE POPE 
BELIEVED PRESIDENT BUSH "HOLDS THE KEY TO THIS." 
RESPONDING TO CHARGE'S QUERY, TAURAN UNDERSCORED THAT 
ARAFAT TOLD THEM HE WAS WILLING TO ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL 
OBSERVERS OF ANY SORT -- INCLUDING JUST U.S. ONES. 
 
2.  (C)  TAURAN ALSO SAID EGYPTIAN FM MOUSSA RECENTLY 
CALLED AND SAID THAT THE SITUATION WAS "VERY SERIOUS," 
WHICH TAURAN TOOK TO MEAN THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE 
VIOLENCE SPREADING WAS GROWING.  IN RESPONSE TO CHARGE'S 
QUESTION, TAURAN ADMITTED THAT THE VATICAN HAS NOT HAD ANY 
RECENT CONTACTS WITH THE ISRAELI SIDE.  (NOTE: TAURAN 
DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE ISRAELI HOLY SEE AMBASSADOR'S NAME 
-- AN INDICATION OF HOW DISTANT THE VATICAN NOW IS FROM THE 
GOI).  TAURAN REMINDED US THAT HE HAD FIRST MENTIONED THE 
NEED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER FORCE LAST NOVEMBER. 
WHILE THE VATICAN SUPPORTS THE MITCHELL PLAN, TAURAN 
BELIEVED THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VIOLENCE NOW IS WITH THE 
HELP OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY (IE. AN OBSERVER 
FORCE). 
 
3.  (C)  IN A SIDE NOTE, TAURAN, WHO HAD TOLD  US LAST YEAR 
THAT HE THOUGHT ARAFAT WAS "LOSING IT" BOTH MENTALLY AND 
PHYSICALLY, NOW OBSERVED ARAFAT TO BE MENTALLY SHARP AND 
ENGAGED, WHILE PERHAPS DETERIORATING PHYSICALLY WITH 
PARKINSON'S-LIKE SYMPTOMS. 
 
4.  (U)  EMBASSY INFORMAL TRANSLATION OF PRESS RELEASE: 
 
BEGIN TEXT: 
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POPE JOHN PAUL II RECEIVED MR. YASSER ARAFAT, PRESIDENT OF 
THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, AT HIS RESIDENCE AT CASTEL 
GANDOLFO THIS MORNING. 
 
THE MEETING FOCUSED ON THE STATUS OF THE PEACE PROCESS AND 
THE PERSISTENT SITUATION OF UNPRECEDENTED VIOLENCE THAT 
CONTINUES TO PRODUCE VICTIMS, ABOVE ALL AMONG THE 
DEFENSELESS CIVILIAN POPULATION, AND THAT DOES NOT EVEN 
SPARE THE MOST HOLY PLACES. 
 
HIS HOLINESS, WHILE EXPRESSING HIS SYMPATHY FOR THE MANY 
VICTIMS OF THE ONGOING CLASHES, FIRMLY STRESSED THE 
ABSOLUTE NECESSITY 
 OF ENDING EVERY FORM OF VIOLENCE, BOTH 
DIRECT ACTION AND RETALIATION, AND THAT WITH THE ASSISTANCE 
OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THE HOPED FOR NEGOTIATIONS 
WHICH ARE THE SOLE MEANS CAPABLE OF GIVING HOPE FOR 
ACHIEVING PEACE, WILL BEGIN. 
 
END TEXT. 
MERANTE 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2001VATICA04064 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL