Thursday, October 28, 2010

Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, after Security Council Consultations on Resolution 1559

Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
October 28, 2010
AS DELIVERED

Good morning everybody. I am going to deliver a statement on behalf of the U.S. Government.

The United States welcomes the Secretary General’s most recent report on resolution 1559, particularly its candid portrayal of the continuing threat to Lebanese sovereignty and security posed by the presence of Hizballah and other armed militias in Lebanon. We continue to have deep concerns about Hizballah’s destructive and destabilizing influence in the region, as well as the attempts by other foreign players, including Syria and Iran, to undermine Lebanon’s independence and endanger its stability.

We understand that certain actors within and outside Lebanon – including Syria, Hizballah, and Iran – may believe that escalating sectarian tensions will help them assert their own authority over Lebanon. However, these actors serve only to destabilize Lebanon and the region.

Syria, especially, has displayed flagrant disregard for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political independence of Lebanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the Lebanese government, as affirmed in resolution 1559. For example, Syria has issued 33 arrest warrants for senior Lebanese officials and foreign nationals, which directly undermines Lebanon’s sovereignty as well as Syria’s stated commitment to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence.

Additionally, Syria continues to provide increasingly sophisticated weapons to Lebanese militias, including Hizballah, despite Resolution 1680, which calls on Syria to undertake measures against the movement of arms into Lebanese territory. The Secretary General’s report again cites no progress in the disbanding or disarmament of militias since the last report. Hizballah remains the most significant and most heavily armed Lebanese militia. It could not have done so if not for Syria’s aid and facilitation of Syrian and Iranian arms, which also violates UN Security Council Resolution 1747. While Hizaballah appears to be attempting to exercise control over parts of Lebanon, Hizballah itself is not accountable to Lebanon’s democratic institutions.

The United States urges all friends and neighbors of Lebanon to play a constructive role in supporting the Lebanese government in good faith. We remain firmly committed to a sovereign, stable, and independent Lebanon, with strong Lebanese institutions. This is the only way to secure the best interests of the Lebanese people and the region as a whole.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

U.S. Air Force General Visits LAF Counterparts

US Embassy, Press Releases, On October 25, 2010 Commander for the U.S. Air Forces, Central Command (CENTCOM) Lieutenant General Mike Hostage visited Lebanon as part of a visit to several countries in the region. In Lebanon, Lt. Gen. Hostage met with the Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Jean Kahwagi. General Hostage expressed that the United States is fully committed to strengthening its partnership with the Government of Lebanon and the legitimate institutions of the state. General Hostage reconfirmed the commitment of the Obama administration to work with Congress to continue our support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, which play such a vital role in Lebanon. General Hostage also visited his counterparts in the Lebanese Air Force, including Commander in Chief of the LAF Air Force Brigadier General Ghassan Chahine. They then toured several LAF sites in Lebanon where cooperation between the United States Air Force and the LAF is ongoing.

The U.S. has provided over $720 million in support to the LAF since 2006 for equipment and training. The U.S. continues to offer training, engagements and exercises to the LAF in all fields, including special-forces training. The U.S. has committed to refurbishing and arming Lebanon’s UH-1 helicopter fleet and will install a state of the art UH-1 flight simulator. The United States is committed to helping the LAF develop its capabilities and will continue to support the government of Lebanon and the LAF as they continue their efforts to safeguard the stability, unity and sovereignty of Lebanon.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Secretary Clinton's Phone Call with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman

Office of the Spokesman, Washington, DC, October 20, 2010.
Secretary Clinton called Lebanese President Michel Sleiman earlier today to reaffirm the strong commitment of the United States to Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, and stability and the Obama Administration’s steadfast support for the development of strong and effective Lebanese state institutions. The Secretary also spoke about recent political developments in the region, including the troubling rise of tensions in Lebanon, and reconfirmed the importance to the United States of Lebanon’s stability and independence and to building strong state institutions through our security and economic assistance programs. The Secretary also underscored that the U.S. fully endorses the UN Secretary-General's recent statement that the Special Tribunal’s efforts must go forward without interference, and she emphasized that efforts to discredit, hinder, or delay the Tribunal’s work should not be tolerated.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Remarks by Ambassador Brooke D. Anderson, U.S. Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs, at an Open S.C. Debate on the Middle East

Brooke Anderson
U.S. Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs
New York, NY
October 18, 2010

AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Assistant Secretary-General Fernandez-Taranco, for your briefing today.

Mr. President, last month, Israeli and Palestinian leaders took the momentous step of returning to direct talks. The core issues of this longstanding and tragic conflict will not be easily resolved. Direct talks are the path for the parties to reach a solution that resolves all issues, ends all claims, and establishes a viable state of Palestine alongside a secure state of Israel, as a key part of a comprehensive peace among Israel and all of its neighbors.

The United States will continue to be a vigorous and steadfast partner in this vital effort. We are working closely with both sides to allow these negotiations to continue. We were disappointed by the announcement of new tenders in East Jerusalem on October 14, which was contrary to our efforts to resume negotiations. We have long urged both parties to avoid actions that could undermine trust, including in Jerusalem, and we will continue to do so as we work to make progress toward Middle East peace. Ultimately, however, forging a lasting and just peace will depend on leadership, vision, and courage from the Israelis and the Palestinians.

As President Obama has noted, we have urged Israel to extend the settlement moratorium, which we believe makes sense as long as constructive talks are underway. As we continue to urge Prime Minister Netanyahu to institute another moratorium, we also urge President Abbas to resume negotiations, which remain the only way to resolve the conflict’s most difficult issues and give the Palestinians the dignity of an independent state of their own.

We know that many obstacles lie ahead. We know that attempts to move toward lasting peace may be met by rejectionists and terrorism. But we must not let the forces of violence and despair determine whether Israeli and Palestinian children will live in peace or languish in conflict. We must press forward together toward our common goal of a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace including a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. That goal is in the interests of Israelis, Palestinians, the United States, and all those who seek to maintain international peace and security. Those in the region who want a Palestinian state should do all they can to support the parties’ efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace. And those around the world who seek an end to this bitter conflict should support these efforts and do nothing to undermine them.

Mr. President, let me turn to the situation in Gaza. We continue to view the situation there with concern. Israel’s July 5 announcement was an important step in improving the flow of goods and material into Gaza. That progress is continuing several months later, and we encourage the Government of Israel to take further steps to expand trade in both directions, consistent with its security needs. All those wishing to deliver goods should do so through the expanded established channels to ensure that Israel's legitimate security needs are addressed even as the Palestinians’ humanitarian needs are met.

Let me also draw attention to the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, whom Hamas abducted in 2006 and who remains in captivity. We call again for his immediate release.

In its June 1 presidential statement on the flotilla incident, the Council called for a prompt, impartial, credible, and transparent investigation conforming to international standards. We commend the Secretary General’s constructive initiative in convening a panel that will receive and review the results of Israel and Turkey’s investigations. We welcome the spirit of cooperation that this panel represents and continue to regard it as the primary and most appropriate method for the international community to review the incident.

Mr. President, let me conclude by touching on the situation in Lebanon. The United States remains firmly committed to Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence, and therefore to the full implementation of Resolutions 1559, 1680, and 1701. We continue to be gravely concerned by attempts by foreign players to undermine Lebanon's independence, endanger its stability, and interfere with its sovereign affairs. The continuing flow of weapons and war-fighting material across the Syrian border to Hizballah is a reckless practice that risks plunging the region into open conflict. We urge this Council to remain vigilant to these destabilizing trends, which threaten international peace and security and the lives of innocent civilians on both sides of the Blue Line.


Finally, let me turn to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. On October 6, the Secretary-General rightly and unequivocally noted that the Tribunal is an independent body, with a clear mandate from the Security Council to uncover the truth and end the era of impunity for political assassinations in Lebanon. The Tribunal is an independent judicial entity; its work is not a matter of politics but of law. The Tribunal is fulfilling its independent judicial mandate under this Council’s Resolution 1757, at the request of the sovereign government of Lebanon. We completely endorse the Secretary-General's statement that the Tribunal’s efforts must go forward without interference. Efforts to discredit, hinder, or delay the Tribunal’s work should not be tolerated, and those who engage in them do not have the interests of Lebanon or justice at heart.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Statement by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman After Meeting with President Suleiman

I have just come from meeting with President Suleiman where we had a very productive conversation about the current situation in Lebanon. I joined Ambassador Connelly to deliver a message from President Obama that reaffirmed the steadfast support of the United States to the development of a sovereign, independent Lebanon, with strong and effective state institutions. The United States is committed to helping Lebanon build strong state institutions through our security and economic assistance programs. A strong, sovereign, and stable Lebanon is in the vital interests of the Lebanese people, the region, the United States and the international community, and we are concerned by any act that would undermine this sovereignty and stability.

President Obama firmly supports the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, as does the rest of the international community. The Tribunal is a non-political, independent organization that was formed by an agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Lebanon in order to end the era of impunity for political assassinations in Lebanon. We believe that the Tribunal should be allowed to complete its work on its own timeline and without outside interference until those responsible for the assassinations of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and others are brought to justice.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

U.S., LAF Dedicate New Marksmanship Skills Simulator in Ablah

US EMBASSY RELEASE: On October 12, 2010, at the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Base in Ablah, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly and representatives of the LAF Command Staff dedicated one of the LAF’s new marksmanship simulators. The Engagement Skills Trainer, or EST 2000, provides LAF soldiers with realistic firearms training on pistols, rifles, and machine guns, offering them unlimited rounds of training on their weapons without the cost of training ammunition. The EST 2000 provides the LAF with the capability to train soldiers on virtually all aspects of firearms training – from calibrating weapons, to weapons qualification, to collective fire scenarios in numerous environments – all without the expense or potential danger of using live ammunition. The U.S. has provided Lebanon with five EST 2000 simulators, the same kind used by the U.S. military in training its own troops, worth $3.5 million in material, maintenance and operator training costs. This EST 2000 is the first operated and maintained completely by the LAF.

Speaking at Ablah, Ambassador Connelly noted the dramatic impact that state-of-the-art training equipment and programs can have for the readiness of the LAF to fulfill its duties: “The EST 2000 is a top-of-the-line, state-of-the-art marksmanship simulator used by the U.S. military that represents a cutting edge use of technology that makes weapons training both cost-effective and safer. The United States is proud of the relationship it has built with the LAF and looks forward to deepening that relationship in the years to come.”

The EST 2000 is part of the over $720 million in support the United States has provided to the LAF since 2006 for equipment, training, humanitarian assistance, and unexploded ordnance removal. Since March 2010, the U.S. has provided over $18 million worth of military equipment and ammunition to the LAF, including TOW anti-tank missiles and launchers, grenade launchers, mortars, night vision goggles and sites, body armor, and thousands of M4 rifles. Over the next three months, the United States will deliver another $22 million of equipment, including English language labs, Humvees, thirty 155mm howitzers, and a wide range of munitions. The U.S. continues to offer training, engagements and exercises to the LAF in all fields, including naval, logistical, medical, engineering, maintenance, medical air evacuation, explosive ordnance disposal, weapons of mass destruction and special forces training.

The United States is committed to helping the LAF develop its capabilities and will continue to support the government of Lebanon and the LAF as they continue their efforts to safeguard the stability, unity and sovereignty of Lebanon.

U.S. Trained Internal Security Forces Officers Graduate from the Community Policing Program

US Embassy Release: On October 12, 2010, 48 Internal Security Forces (ISF) officers graduated from the joint U.S. and ISF Community Policing training program. The Community Policing program is an eight-week, state-of-the-art training course taught by U.S. and Lebanese police instructors with the assistance of legal professionals. ISF officers learn the latest policing, law enforcement and community relations skills -- and how to implement them effectively in real situations.
The community policing model promotes the development of partnerships between law enforcement agencies and the citizens and organizations they serve, in order to develop solutions to problems and increase trust in the police. Community policing puts emphasis on tackling the underlying causes of crime by addressing problems at the local level. These techniques have successfully reduced crime and increased trust and confidence in the police in numerous communities in the United States and Europe.

Congratulating the graduates, Thaddeus Kontek, Director of the Embassy’s International Law Enforcement Programs Office, explained that this specialized training program was originally designed as a pilot project for a single ISF police unit. However, recognizing the wide-ranging benefits of community policing General Rifi and the ISF leadership took the decision to implement community-oriented policing practices throughout Lebanon.

The United States’ law enforcement assistance program in Lebanon is designed to support Lebanese law enforcement sector reform by strengthening the capacity of the Internal Security Forces to enforce the rule of law in Lebanon and to protect the Lebanese people.

Friday, October 08, 2010

Statement by Ambassador Maura Connelly After Meeting with Prime Minister Hariri

US Embassy Press Release Oct 8 2010, I have just come from meeting with Prime Minister Hariri where we had a very productive conversation about the current situation in Lebanon. I reaffirmed to the Prime Minister the commitment of the United States to a sovereign, independent Lebanon, with strong and effective state institutions. It is our most important priority. The United States believes strongly that our bilateral security and economic assistance to Lebanon serves to deepen our partnership with the Lebanese government and to help build strong state institutions and a vibrant civil society. A strong, sovereign, and stable Lebanon is in the interests of all – the Lebanese people, the region, the United States and the international community, and we are concerned by any act that would undermine this sovereignty and stability.

The United States echoes the statements by the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Governments of France, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, in supporting the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. We believe that the Tribunal should be allowed to complete its work on its own timeline and without outside interference. The Tribunal is a non-political, independent organization that was formed by an agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Lebanon. It was set up as a non-political body to end the era of impunity for political assassinations in Lebanon, and its work should continue until those responsible for the assassinations of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and others are brought to justice.