US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV6262

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 TEL AVIV 006262 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/IPA, IO/PSC (GERALD ANDERSON) 
PENTAGON FOR OSD (JAMES ANDERSON) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPKO, MARR, PGOV, PTER, LE, SY, EG, IS, GOI EXTERNAL 
SUBJECT: UNTSO HEAD MGEN LILLEY SAYS PKO CAN LEAVE WHEN 
ISRAEL SIGNS PEACE TREATIES WITH SYRIA AND LEBANON 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones.  Reasons: 1.4 (b, d). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) 
Chief of Staff Major General (MGEN) Clive Lilley briefed 
Ambassador Jones October 27 on UNTSO's mission in Israel and 
the region, noting how it supports UN peacekeeping operations 
in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Syria (UNDOF), and that its mission 
would end whenever Israel signs peace treaties with those two 
countries.  The New Zealand general -- accompanied by his 
military assistant, LT Clayton Willocks, and his political 
advisor, Francesco Manca -- recounted what he had learned 
from a recent tour through Syria and Lebanon: (a) Lebanon is 
still fragile and in need of UNIFIL's presence along the 
Israel-Lebanon border, and (b) Syrians value stability above 
everything, even if they have nothing to show for it.  The 
general shared what he said was the little he had learned 
from his observers patrolling out of Ismaliyah, Egypt, about 
recent Egyptian counterterrorism activity in the Sinai. 
Lilley said that he values the American officers assigned to 
UNTSO, but lamented that he cannot use his American plans 
officer to the fullest due to travel restrictions placed on 
him out of concern for his safety.  The general said he had 
raised the issue in New York and turned over a list of force 
protection options he can offer for the plans officer, but 
said he had not yet received a response from the U.S. side to 
his proposals.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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UNTSO COS BRIEFS ON UNTSO'S UNIQUENESS... 
----------------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) MGEN Lilley said that while UNTSO's focus is now on 
Israel and neighboring Syria and Lebanon, UNTSO's regional 
mandate enables it to maintain presences in Israel, Syria, 
Lebanon and Egypt.  He said its job will be done whenever 
peace agreements are signed between Israel and Lebanon, and 
between Israel and Syria.  He added that if peace agreements 
were signed, UNTSO's "unarmed, commissioned and 
cost-effective officers" could be asked to stay on, even 
after UNIFIL and UNDOF depart. 
 
3. (U) Lilley explained that UNTSO patrols the Sinai 
peninsula out of Ismaliyah in conjunction with the 
Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) because Egypt wanted 
a UN presence to remain after the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace 
Treaty was signed.  He said he and his senior staff make 
calls on Egyptian officials one or two times a year.  He said 
that UNTSO is no longer present in Jordan as neither Israel 
nor Jordan wanted it to remain after the peace treaty between 
those two countries was signed.  Lilley said that UNTSO 
monitors Israel-Jordan relations through open sources, and 
that he makes calls on Jordanian officials occasionally. 
 
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NOTES HOW UNTSO DIFFERS FROM UNDOF AND UNIFIL 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
4. (U) Explaining how UNTSO is unique as a peacekeeping 
force, Lilley said that UNTSO: 
 
-- helped establish the UN Disengagement Force (UNDOF) on the 
Golan Heights, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). 
Lilley said that UNIFIL monitors the Blue Line and "the 
presence of the Lebanese state" on the Lebanese side of the 
Israel-Lebanon border.  He characterized UNIFIL as static, 
while UNTSO is more mobile. 
 
-- is comprised of unarmed, commissioned officers and 
civilians sent by 76 UN member states, while UNDOF and UNIFIL 
are comprised of armed military personnel provided by 
troop-contributing countries under Chapter 6 of the UN 
Charter; 
 
-- is funded out of the UN's regular budget, and is very cost 
effective; 
 
-- reports directly to the UN Secretary General on an annual 
basis, unlike UNDOF and UNIFIL, which report every six months 
to the UNSC; 
 
-- does not "attract the flak" from the Israeli government 
that UNIFIL does.  Lilley added that he feels the GOI's 
criticism of UNIFIL is unjust, and that he categorically 
denies GOI allegations that UNIFIL allows Hizballah to fire 
from UNIFIL positions; 
 
-- is at an advantage compared to other UN peacekeeping 
operations (PKOs) in the region because the Palestinian issue 
is not part of its mandate, and UNTSO restricts itself from 
travel to the Occupied Territories. 
 
5. (U) Lilley noted that he has authorized UNIFIL and UNDOF 
force commanders operational control over his officers to 
carry out their respective missions and specific tasks on the 
condition that his officers remain unarmed and act consistent 
with UNTSO's mandate.  UNTSO has responsibility for 
logistical support of UNIFIL and UNDOF, as well as for its 
own logistics, housing, supply and personnel issues. 
 
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SAYS POST-DISENGAGEMENT VIOLENCE HAS AFFECTED UNTSO 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
6. (C) In response to the Ambassador's question about how 
disengagement affects UNTSO, Lilley noted that the Israeli 
clampdown on the West Bank following post-disengagement 
terror attacks has affected UNTSO because some of its local 
workers come from the West Bank.  Lilley observed that UNTSO 
could potentially be affected if the mandate of the 
Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai is 
modified in connection with the Egypt-Israel agreement on the 
Philadelphi Corridor. 
 
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UNTSO CHIEF EXPECTS NORTHERN BORDER TO CONTINUE AS IS.... 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
7. (U) Lilley said that UNTSO has 62 observers in southern 
Lebanon, based in Tyre and Camp Naquora.  These observers 
operate alongside UNIFIL.  Lilley said UNTSO observers can 
also cross Israel's northern border at Rosh Hanikrah and 
reach Beirut in four hours from Jerusalem. 
 
8. (C) Lilley said that he expects the number and nature of 
incidents along the Blue Line to remain as is for the year to 
come -- "like a sine wave, rather than a saw tooth."  He said 
that neither the GOI nor Hizballah wish to see an upset along 
the border, as Hizballah is trying to transform the 
perception of it into a legitimate, political entity, while 
the GOI will be gearing up for elections in 2006. 
 
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DESCRIBES SITUATION IN LEBANON AS ANXIOUS, FRAGILE... 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
9. (C) UNTSO Political Adviser Francesco Manca, who had just 
returned from a tour through Lebanon and Syria, said that his 
interlocutors in Lebanon were mainly concerned about UNSCR 
1559, the assassination of former Lebanese PM Hariri, and the 
fallout from these developments.  He said he saw more 
Lebanese soldiers in uniform out on the streets throughout 
the country than he had ever seen before.  The general 
impression he received from his discussions with people was 
that their lives were not improving, and that the recent 
string of assassinations (including Hariri's) had created 
significant anxiety. 
 
10. (C) Lilley said he is skeptical about reports that Syria 
is smuggling arms to Palestinian camps in Lebanon, observing 
that the Palestinian camps in Lebanon already have enough 
arms "to last them for years."  Lilley acknowledged that 
concerns abound about these camps, but said he agrees with 
the consensus view that Lebanese PM Siniora has been "doing 
the right things" with respect to the camps, the four 
Lebanese generals arrested in connection with PM Hariri's 
assassination, and Lebanon's overall approach to the Mehlis 
investigation.  Lilley explained that the Lebanese PM is 
restrained by Hizballah's presence in the GOL, but is 
effectively exploiting chaos within the Palestinian community 
to carve out more room to maneuver. 
 
11. (C) Noting his understanding that the Israelis are 
considering calling for a reduction in UNIFIL's manpower, 
Lilley said he believes that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) 
are not capable or ready enough to deploy in UNIFIL-monitored 
areas along the Israel-Lebanon border.  He noted, however, 
that a British training team is helping to prepare the LAF, 
and said he thinks that the LAF are mainly lacking in 
equipment.  Lilley anticipated that the international 
community will eventually feel the need to tell the LAF that 
it must deploy along the Israel-Lebanon border.  In this 
case, he believes the Lebanese police will follow the LAF, 
not precede them. 
 
12. (C) Manca cautioned that, contrary to what he understands 
the Israeli government believes, terminating UNIFIL's mandate 
would not put pressure on the GOL to deploy the LAF along the 
Israel-Lebanon border.  While he acknowledged that there is 
no reason why the GOL could not deploy LAF observers in 
UNIFIL positions right now, Manca said that there are "plenty 
of other indicators that the GOL does not have the will to 
fill in where UNIFIL is currently deployed."  He added that 
the fragile situations in Syria and Lebanon suggest that the 
last thing the international community should do is pull 
UNIFIL out.  Lilley said he expects that "healthy" 
discussions in New York in December will likely lead to an 
extension of UNIFIL's current mandate for another six months, 
and noted that the Russians are calling for maintenance of 
the status quo. 
 
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SAYS SYRIA LOVES STABILITY, EVEN IF NO BENEFITS ACCRUE 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
13. (C) Explaining UNTSO's connection to UNDOF, Lilley said 
that UNTSO observers based in Tiberias, Israel, can cross the 
Israel-Syria border through the Alpha-Bravo gate with UNDOF 
escorts and proceed to the Syrian-held portion of the Golan 
Heights, where they conduct operational patrols and inspect 
missiles and tanks in zones on both sides of the Israel-Syria 
border. 
 
14. (C) According to Lilley, the Russian Ambassador to Syria 
does not believe that Syria's interior minister committed 
suicide as was announced on October 12.  Instead, Lilley said 
that the Russian Ambassador thinks it must have been an 
"inside job made to look like suicide."  Commenting on CNN's 
October 13 interview of the Syrian President, Lilley 
expressed concern that Asad's "open, confident" demeanor may 
make it harder to justify military action against him, should 
the situation eventually call for that.  At the same time, he 
thought Asad offered "too little, too late," and lamented 
that Syria loves stability, even while it has nothing to show 
for it. 
 
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...TELLS WHAT HE KNOWS ABOUT EGYPT'S CT OPERATIONS IN SINAI 
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15. (C) Responding to the Ambassador's question about 
Egyptian counterterror operations in Jebel Halil, Lilley said 
that UNTSO observers in Ismaliyah had confirmed that the 
Egyptian military had detained 500-600 persons and then 
attacked one or two terror camps in the Sinai, rounding up 
mostly "terrorists, pimps and smugglers."  He said he had 
read that one of the camps was surrounded by minefields and 
barbed wire, but that he had not received confirmation of 
this from his observers. 
 
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... SAYS U.S. TROOPS HIGHLY VALUED, BUT HAMSTRUNG BY REGS 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
16. (C) Lilley noted that he has an American officer assigned 
to UNTSO's observation base in Ismaliyah, and two other 
American officers assigned to UNTSO headquarters in 
Jerusalem.  He said there are no officers in Lebanon as a 
result of the February 1988 kidnapping and murder of UNTSO 
Chief Military Observer LTCOL Richard Higgins.  He said he 
raised the matter of the absence of U.S. observers in Lebanon 
at UN headquarters in New York and with the U.S. military 
representative at USUN, but was told that the U.S. could 
offer an American observer in Lebanon only if UNTSO could 
provide adequate force protection.  Without providing 
details, Lilley claimed that he can provide the force 
protection, and said he gave his interlocutors in New York a 
list of options, but has not received an answer to his 
proposal. 
 
17. (C) Lilley noted that UNTSO's chief plans officer in 
Jerusalem has been an American since 1999.  He said his 
current chief plans officer's movements have been restricted 
for force protection concerns for years, and the officer is 
not allowed to travel to Lebanon and Syria.  Lilley 
underscored that he appreciates having U.S. officers on his 
staff, but stressed that he cannot utilize his plans officer 
effectively with such restrictions applied to him.  As an 
example, he noted that evacuation plans that the American 
officer recently submitted for his review were inadequate 
because the officer had to rely on questionnaires farmed out 
to officers in the field, some of whom tasked them to 
low-ranking personnel who had little personal knowledge of 
the information they ended up providing.  The Ambassador 
suggested that Lilley may want to raise the issue with the 
U.S. defense attaches in Damascus and Beirut. 
 
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JONES