US embassy cable - 05LONDON1257

S E C R E T LONDON 001257 
 
 
EUR FOR A/S JONES, DAS DAVIES; NEA FOR A/S BURNS, DAS 
SATTERFIELD; S/CT FOR POPE; NSC FOR VOLKER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, PREL, PTER, UK, XF 
SUBJECT: TAKING ACTION AGAINST HEZBOLLAH AND HAMAS 
 
REF: A. LONDON 1011 
     B. SECRETARY 15 
 
Classified By: Charge David Johnson.  Reasons 1.4(B) and (D) 
 
1. (S) SUMMARY: The Prime Minister's commitment to the 
Secretary to proscribe the political wings of Hezbollah and 
Hamas coupled with the March 1 London meeting to support the 
Palestinian leadership provide us with our best opportunity 
in three years to leverage significant change in HMG policy 
towards both organizations.  There are two choke points along 
the road to this objective.  The first is within the Foreign 
and Commonwealth Office and the second is the Home Office. 
We will continue to press the case in both places, but 
recommend that Washington officials use their exchanges with 
the British Embassy and meetings with senior HMG officials to 
remind them of the Prime Minister's commitment to proscribe 
and the importance we place on it.  Getting over the hurdle 
may ultimately require the Secretary's intervention with Home 
Secretary Clarke.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (S) We have been following up the Prime Minister's 
February 4 commitment to Secretary Rice that HMG would 
proscribe (i.e., designate as a Foreign Terrorist 
Organization) the political wings of Hezbollah and Hamas (Ref 
B).  According to the Foreign Office, there is pressure to 
proscribe before the UK-hosted "London Meeting on 
Strengthening the Palestinian Authority," which takes place 
on March 1 (Ref A).  We met again today, February 11, with 
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials from the 
Counter Terrorism Policy Directorate (CTPD) to discuss where 
matters stood. 
 
3. (S) CTPD officials told us Foreign Secretary Straw's 
letter to Home Secretary Clarke requesting proscription of 
both (Ref A) has not yet left the Foreign Office. (Note: The 
FCO can initiate a proscription, but the legal power to 
proscribe a terrorist organization rests with the Home 
Office. End Note.)  The draft is sitting with the Arab-Israel 
Group in the FCO's Middle East and North Africa Directorate 
(MENAD), which is considering proscriptions' implications to 
the Middle East peace process.  These "political 
considerations" will impact the final tone of Straw's letter 
to Clarke, according to CTPD.  CTPD is pressing for Straw to 
take "a tough line" with Clarke. 
 
4. (S) Once Straw's request to proscribe the political wings 
of Hezbollah and Hamas arrives at the Home Office, CTPD 
officials say Clarke and his team may be reluctant to act on 
it.  Bitten by a series of legal setbacks over counter 
terrorism policy, Clarke is apprehensive about employing any 
of his more "strident" counter terrorism powers, including 
proscription, CTPD told us.  According to CTPD, No.10 is 
prepared to weigh in on the issue, but CTPD officials also 
recommended to us that U.S. officials weigh-in directly with 
Clarke as well once Straw's letter has arrived at the Home 
Office.  UKNSA Shienwald has given the Charge the same 
signal.  We will certainly do so.  But depending on the state 
of play as March 1 approaches, it may be appropriate for the 
Secretary to telephone Clarke directly or meet with him 
during her February 28-March 1 visit. 
 
Visit London's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm 
 
 
Johnson