SHEBA'A POINTS PASSED TO UN DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS

CONFIDENTIAL C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000926 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018 TAGS: PREL, PBTS, UNSC, USUN, LE, IS, SY SUBJECT: SHEBA'A POINTS PASSED TO UN DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS REF: 10/9/08 IRWIN E-MAIL TO MORRISON/JACOBSON/MILEFSKY/SCHEDLBAUER Classified By: Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d ). 1. (C) PolOff delivered October 10 points contained in ref e-mail on Sheba'a to UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA) Senior Political Affairs Officer Lee O'Brien. O'Brien agreed that delineation could be done on paper through a tabletop exercise, while demarcation could only be done on the ground. While she agreed that sovereignty of Sheba'a can only be determined by bilateral boundary delineation between Lebanon and Syria, she noted that the Blue Line had been ratified by the Security Council and it would have to ratify any amendments. Overall, she remarked that the points were largely silent on how to engage Israel, only speaking on how not to engage Israel. For this process to work, she said, the UN needs to work with all three parties, including engaging the Israelis in discussion. 2. (C) O'Brien, who had previously told PolOff October 7 that UN Special Coordinator of the Secretary-General for Lebanon Michael Williams would be handling the Sheba'a process as part of his portfolio, said Williams will still visit Tel Aviv and Damascus in late October/early November to cover all of the UNSCR 1701 issues, including Sheba'a. He plans a return visit to those capitals in January for a more in-depth discussion of Sheba'a, for which O'Brien will join him. O'Brien confirmed that Williams, who already departed New York, should arrive in Beirut October 12. Khalilzad