IRAN: CANADA WOULD SUPPORT IAEA NON-COMPLIANCE

S E C R E T OTTAWA 002355

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NP/RA, NP/MNA, IO/T, NEA/NGA, DRL AND WHA/CAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2013
TAGS: KNNP PHUM IR CA IAEA
SUBJECT: IRAN: CANADA WOULD SUPPORT IAEA NON-COMPLIANCE
RESOLUTION, STILL REVIEWING OVERALL RELATIONSHIP IN WAKE OF
JOURNALIST'S DEATH

REF: (A) OTTAWA 2115 (B) OTTAWA 2109

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Brian Flora,
Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) Canada's Foreign Ministry (DFAIT) informed us on
August 15 that should the USG decide to press for a
resolution of non-compliance at the September IAEA Board of
Governors meeting, Canada will "fully and actively" support
us. Foreign Minister Graham has written to IAEA DG El
Baradei, urging him to take a tough approach in his report on
Iran's nuclear program. The case of Canadian photojournalist
Zahra Kazemi, who died in Iranian custody in June, continues
to be a flash point for reformists and conservatives in
Tehran. Iran's inquiry into Zazemi's death and Canada's
review of the bilateral relationship (also looking at the
nuclear issue) are still ongoing. END SUMMARY.

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IAEA
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2. (C) On August 12, FM Graham signed a letter to IAEA DG El
Baradei expressing Canada's deep concern over the Iranian
nuclear program, which poses a "grave challenge to regional
and international peace and security." Graham's letter tells
El-Baradei that Canada and other countries have bent over
backwards in funding IAEA verification and safeguards, and
that the Agency in turn must be prepared to use all the means
at its disposal in Iran, including special inspections.


3. (S) Graham also informed El Baradei that arrangements are
being made for Canada to share sensitive information on Iran
(ref. A) with the IAEA in time to be taken into account in
the August 25 report. Terry Wood, DFAIT Deputy Director for
Non-Proliferation, told us that the Canadian Security
Intelligence Service (CSIS) recently signed an information
sharing agreement with the IAEA, and that CSIS would send a
high-level official to Vienna in September to launch this
process. In the meantime, CSIS would provide some "very
fresh information" on Iran's nuclear program to the IAEA
Secretariat through British or U.S. officials.

SIPDIS


4. (C) DFAIT Iran Desk Officer Chrystiane Roy told us that
Iran's internal debate continues over whether to sign an
additional protocol. She said that reformists were trying to
decide whether signing the protocol would relieve external
pressure, while Ayatollah Khameni did not care what the rest
of the world thought on this issue. Roy speculated that the
government might try to sidestep Khameni through de facto
implementation of an additional protocol without actually
signing.


5. (C) Wood noted that an effort to adopt a resolution of
non-compliance at the BOG meeting might not be successful,
but that the onus should be on others to show why this should
be put off. Should a resolution not be possible, Wood
continued, we might pursue two interim steps: invoking
Article 18 of Iran's safeguards agreement and/or Article 77.
Wood felt these steps would keep the heat on Iran and build
momentum in the BOG.

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KAZEMI INQUIRY
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6. (C) In the Kazemi case (ref. B),Roy told us that Canada's
Ambassador remains in Ottawa and that the bilateral
relationship is still under review. Of the five officials
Iran detained in July in connection with Kazemi's death, two
female prison officials were released on bail. The other
three, all from the Ministry of Intelligence, apparently
remain in custody. Judge Esmaili has not yet issued his
report on Kazemi's death. Roy said that Esmaili has a fairly
good reputation, and is perceived as neutral in the battle
between reformists and conservatives.


7. (C) Roy said that the Kazemi case continues to attract
much attention in the Iranian parliament and media. She
noted that at an annual demonstration held in early August to
remember the death of Iranian journalists at the hands of the
Taliban, the journalists also commemorated the death of
Kazemi. Some Iranian MPs, she continued, have called for the
prosecution of Tehran Prosecutor General Mortazavi, who was
present during Kazemi's interrogation.
CELLUCCI