US embassy cable - 05DUBLIN489

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000489 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, EUN 
SUBJECT: IRISH RESPONSE TO PRE-GAERC DEMARCHE 
 
REF: A. STATE 72185 
     B. DALY-O'MALLEY E-MAIL OF APRIL 12 
 
Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Mary E. Daly; Reasons 1.4 ( 
B) and (D). 
 
1.  (C) On April 22, Post delivered ref A talking points to 
Gerard Keown, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) EU 
Correspondent.  In his responses, Keown focused primarily on 
Sudan and the Middle East Peace Process.  He noted that 
Minister of State for Overseas Development, Conor Lenihan, 
had held "difficult" meetings in Khartoum prior to the Oslo 
Donors Conference, with the Sudanese Government dismissing 
his interventions about attacks on humanitarian personnel. 
Regarding the Middle East, Keown conveyed Irish Government 
concerns about a loss of momentum since the Sharm al-Sheik 
summit and the possibility that Israeli delays on Gaza 
disengagement and prisoner releases would undermine support 
for President Abbas. 
 
Iraq 
---- 
 
2.  (U) Ireland and the EU look forward to the Iraq 
conference as a way to reenergize reconstruction and the 
political transition, said Keown.  He described Kurdish and 
Shiite openness to Sunni participation in the Iraqi 
Transitional Government (ITG) at senior levels as an 
encouraging sign.  Another welcome development was the 
willingness of outgoing Prime Minister Allawi's Iraqi 
National Accord party to join the cabinet of interim Prime 
Minister al-Jafari.  Keown observed that the formation of the 
functional equivalent of a government of national unity would 
be critical as Iraqis began to draft a new constitution and 
to prepare for the planned December elections.  He added that 
the EU would press ahead with assistance to the ITG, 
including police training and rule-of-law programs. 
 
MEPP 
---- 
 
3.  (C) Regarding the Middle East, Ireland and other Member 
States were worried by a seeming loss of momentum since the 
Sharm al-Sheik summit, reflected in delays with prisoner 
releases and Israeli withdrawals from West Bank towns, said 
Keown.  He noted Ireland's concern that the Gaza withdrawal 
might prompt population transfers to the West Bank, which 
would be illegal under international law.  Ireland and the EU 
therefore welcomed President Bush's recent firm statements to 
Prime Minister Sharon about the expansion of West Bank 
settlements.  Ireland was also concerned that a 
soon-to-be-announced three-week delay in the Gaza withdrawal 
might turn into a rolling delay.  Keown explained that the 
Irish Government recognized the internal political 
difficulties facing Sharon as he attempted to carry through 
on Gaza disengagement.  By the same token, Israeli delays on 
Gaza and on other fronts might threaten to undermine support 
for President Abbas, who would soon face Palestinian 
parliamentary elections.  Keown said that Ireland agreed with 
the U.S. point that Abbas should respond to Sharon's offer to 
coordinate on security arrangements, settlement assets, and 
economic/humanitarian issues relating to disengagement. 
 
Lebanon 
------- 
 
4.  (U) Like the United States, Ireland and the Member States 
were pleased with Prime Minister-designate Mikati's efforts 
to form a new Cabinet, pass an electoral law, and prepare for 
May elections, noted Keown.  Ireland also recognized the 
importance of full Syrian compliance with UNSCR 1559 as well 
as the challenges involved in verifying the full withdrawal 
of Syrian intelligence assets.  Keown said that the EU 
planned an observer mission for the elections and that 
polling, to be free and fair, would require an adequate 
security environment.  He related the Irish Government's hope 
that the Lebanese people would continue to show the restraint 
that they had demonstrated since the assassination of former 
Prime Minister Hariri. 
 
5.  (U) Keown said that the Irish Government had neither 
requested nor received a briefing on the situation in Lebanon 
by Peter Fitzgerald, the Deputy Irish Police Commissioner who 
headed the UN probe into the Hariri assassination.  Keown 
explained that the Government had approved Fitzgerald's 
participation in the probe on the understanding that he would 
report his findings exclusively to the UN.  The Government 
continued to respect that understanding, remarked Keown. 
 
Sudan 
----- 
 
6.  (U) Member States, including Ireland, welcomed UNSC 
resolutions 1590, 1591, and 1593 as an admirable example of 
U.S.-EU cooperation, according to Keown.  EU governments were 
also pleased with the April 11-12 Oslo Donors Conference on 
Sudan, which raised USD 4.5 billion, roughly twice the UN 
goal.  Keown noted that Minister of State for Overseas 
Development and Human Rights, Conor Lenihan, had participated 
in the conference after having held "difficult" meetings the 
previous week in Khartoum with the Sudanese Government. 
Lenihan urged the GOS several times to rein in military 
activity and Arab militias in Darfur and to halt attacks on 
humanitarian personnel, but his interlocutors dismissed these 
interventions, blaming the current situation on rebel groups. 
 Keown pointed out that Ireland had contributed euro 6 
million toward Sudan in 2004 and would continue to support an 
expanded AMIS.  The Irish Government was also considering a 
UN request to provide troops for the proposed peacekeeping 
force in southern Sudan, though Defense Minister Willie O'Dea 
had not yet made a decision.  (Per ref B, it will likely be 
several weeks before Ireland responds to the UN request. 
Moreover, Irish support, if any, would probably be minimal, 
since Ireland is already near its self-imposed cap of 850 
troops that can be deployed overseas.) 
Zimbabwe 
-------- 
 
7.  (U) Keown said that the U.S. point about standing with 
the Zimbabwean people by providing humanitarian food aid, 
HIV/AIDS assistance, and support for civil society was "more 
critical than ever."  He noted the importance of 
distinguishing between such assistance and acts that might 
legitimize Mugabe and ZANU-PF.  He added that EU sanctions 
against Zimbabwe's ruling elites would remain in place and 
that Member States would not review the sanctions policy 
absent significant, positive changes by the Mugabe government. 
 
Great Lakes 
----------- 
 
8.  (U) African leadership and international assistance have 
been effective in advancing the transition process in the 
Congo, said Keown.  The tri-partite meetings had shown 
positive results, and the recent statement by the Democratic 
Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR) denouncing arms and 
genocide was an encouraging development.  Keown noted that 
the Irish Government was closely monitoring the tri-partite 
meetings, having given financial assistance to the process. 
He added that Ireland did not underestimate the challenges 
involved in the disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, 
and reintegration of fighters.  The Irish Government believed 
that international assistance should focus on providing 
livelihoods to demobilized fighters in order to diminish the 
attraction of wages offered by warlords/rebel groups.  Keown 
observed that it was regrettable that elections would not be 
held in June in accord with the Sun City agreement, as there 
was yet no electoral law.  Ireland, he added, supported the 
U.S.-EU push for elections as soon as possible before year's 
end. 
KENNY