GUIDANCE REQUESTED ON POSSIBLE SLOVAK ARMS SALES

S E C R E T BRATISLAVA 000436 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2014 TAGS: MARR MASS ECON PGOV PINR PREL LO SUBJECT: GUIDANCE REQUESTED ON POSSIBLE SLOVAK ARMS SALES CLASSIFIED BY: AMB. RONALD WEISER FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D ¶1. (U) THIS IS A GUIDANCE REQUEST, PLEASE SEE PARA 5. ¶2. (S) ON 26 APRIL, EMBOFF MET WITH PETER PENIASKA, GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE SLOVAK ARMS FIRM PETINA INTERNATIONAL, AT HIS REQUEST. PENIASKA ASKED EMBOFF ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES OF DIRECTING SOME SLOVAK ARMS SALES IN A DIRECTION THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE USG. HE HAD TWO SPECIFIC ARMS DEALS IN MIND AND OFFERED HIS FIRM AS AN INTERMEDIARY TO DIRECT THE DEALS AWAY FROM POTENTIALLY UNDESIRABLE CUSTOMERS. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE WEAPONS IN QUESTION--ASSAULT RIFLES, T-72 TANKS, AND AMMUNITION--BELONGED TO THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, BUT OFFERED THAT PETINA INTERNATIONAL WOULD BUY THE WEAPONS FROM THE MOD AND THEN SELL THEM TO WHOMEVER THE USG DEEMED APPROPRIATE. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE USG MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN BUYING THE ASSAULT RIFLES FOR USE BY EITHER IRAQI OR AFGHAN ARMIES, ADDING THAT THE CZECH REPUBLIC WAS DELIVERING SIMILAR ASSAULT RIFLES TO THE AFGHAN POLICE. ¶3. (S) PENIASKA NOTED THAT HE HAD SPOKEN WITH ONLY ONE PERSON IN THE GOS ABOUT THE ARMS SALES, IVAN KORCOK, STATE SECRETARY AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. PENIASKA SIPDIS INDICATED THAT HE AND KORCOK HAD AGREED THAT THE BEST THING FOR SLOVAKIA WOULD BE TO IDENTIFY "SAFE" COUNTRIES TO EXPORT THESE RIFLES AND TANKS, AND THAT THEY WOULD SEEK USG ADVICE. ¶4. (S) COMMENT: PENIASKA'S MOTIVES ARE NOT COMPLETELY ALTRUISTIC AS HIS COMPANY STANDS TO PROFIT FROM ANY ARMS DEAL THAT HE CAN ARRANGE. HOWEVER, HE HAS INDICATED THAT SEVERAL OTHER ARMS DEALERS MAY TRY TO SELL THE MOD'S SURPLUS WEAPONS TO EMBARGOED COUNTRIES. ¶5. (S) REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE: PLEASE ADVISE ON WHETHER THE USG IS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THE MATERIEL LISTED ABOVE OR WHETHER WE WISH TO DIRECT PENIASKA TO ANY SPECIFIC END-USER. WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE PENIASKA AN ANSWER BY MAY 15. WEISER NNNN