UAE press on El Baradei, Iran nukes

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003078

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IO/UNP, NP, AND NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2014
TAGS: KNNP IAEA IR TC
SUBJECT: UAE press on El Baradei, Iran nukes

Classified by Ambassador Michele Sison, reasons 1.4
(d).


1. (C) Summary: Iran's nuclear program received an
unusual amount of attention in the press this week,
with an exclusive interview with IAEA Chief Dr.
Mohamed El Baradei in one newspaper, and a strong
editorial endorsement of Iran's decision to go on a
diplomatic offensive about its nuclear intentions in
another. Absent from this coverage is the official
voice of the UAEG, although we know from private
discussions with senior Emirati officials that they
view Iran's nuclear program with deep concern and have
consistently supported a tough approach by the IAEA.
End Summary.

El Baradei assesses Iran's case
--------------


2. (U) In an exclusive interview with the Arabic
language, Dubai-based "Al Bayan" newspaper on
September 7, IAEA Chief Mohamed El Baradei compared
Iran's failure to submit to the agency sufficient
information about its nuclear program to the IAEA's
earlier experience with Iraq. This raised doubts
about Iran's credibility and intentions, he said.
Iran felt it was justified in not complying with the
IAEA because it feared sanctions against it, El
Baradei said, adding that the IAEA wanted to verify
that Iran's activities were for peaceful purposes.
Iran subsequently decided to cooperate fully with the
IAEA and entered into an agreement with the UK, France
and Germany, which had demanded greater transparency
on the Iranians' part.


3. (U) El Baradei said IAEA and Iran want to solve the
crisis over Iran's nuclear program, especially in
light of information the agency has about Iran, and he
predicted a normalization of relations between Iran,
the IAEA, and the Europeans. He told "Al Bayan," a
business-oriented publication, that he hopes Iran will
continue to cooperate in a transparent fashion, and
that that will in turn build trust and allow the IAEA
to declare that the Iranian nuclear program is
intended for peaceful purposes.

El Baradei's meetings in Washington
--------------


4. (U) El Baradei also talked about his meetings in
Washington that included the President and NSA Rice,
and said there is still a conviction in the
Administration that Iran's program includes a military
component. He said the IAEA does not have any
evidence to support this. "We cannot confirm or deny
that," he said.

Inspections need time, patience
--------------


5. (U) El Baradei told "Al Bayan" that his agency
learned from the Iraq case that inspections operations
need time and patience. "We should not be hasty in
our conclusions," he said. The IAEA cares that its
reports are based on facts only and not rely on
assumptions because the issue involves war or peace.

Iran wins praise for diplomacy
--------------

6. (U) Meanwhile, a Dubai-based newspaper praised
Iran's diplomatic decision to go to European capitals
to defend its nuclear program. Iran's diplomatic
"offensive" is a "welcome change" that deserves
support, according to an editorial on September 7 in
the privately owned "Khaleej Times." The editorial
called the development "a clear break from the past
when Iran cared little about its image and did little
to fight back when attacked in Western media."
However, the newspaper still gave Iran low marks
overall, noting that the Islamic republic "is still
run in a totalitarian fashion and continues to be
hopelessly backward. Its leaders live in a world of
their own without the faintest idea how the rest of
the world views them and their country."

Comment:
--------------


7. (C) We do not believe that the editorial on Iran in
the "Khaleej Times" with its bold mix of praise and
criticism reflects official UAEG opinion. The UAEG's
practice is to levy criticism against Iran in private.
(End Comment.)
SISON