IRANIAN DIPLOMAT SOUNDS OUT THE BRITS

S E C R E T ROME 002363

SIPDIS


NOFORN

STATE FOR EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2014
TAGS: PREL PINR IR IZ UK IT EUN IRAQI FREEDOM
SUBJECT: IRANIAN DIPLOMAT SOUNDS OUT THE BRITS

CLASSIFIED BY: A/POL MINISTER COUNSELOR GARY ROBBINS. REASON: 1.5 (B)(
D).


1. (S) ON JUNE 17, UK EMBASSY POL COUNS FRANCIS CAMPBELL
(STRICTLY PROTECT) BRIEFED POLOFF ON HIS MEETING THE PREVIOUS
DAY WITH IRANIAN EMBASSY SECOND SECRETARY ALI GHOLAMPOUR.
THE MEETING TOOK PLACE IN CAMPBELL'S OFFICE IN THE UK
EMBASSY.


2. (S) ACCORDING TO GHOLAMPOUR, IRAN IS "THANKFUL" THAT
COALITION FORCES HAVE REMOVED SADDAM AND THE THREAT HE POSED
TO REGIONAL SECURITY, BUT DOES NOT WANT COALITION TROOPS TO
REMAIN "ANY LONGER THAN NECESSARY" IN IRAQ. THE FOREIGN
MILITARY TROOPS ACT AS A "MAGNET FOR TERRORISTS" AND THOSE
DETERMINED TO DESTABILIZE THE REGION, ACCORDING TO
GHOLAMPOUR. HE DID NOT COMMENT ON CAMPBELL'S REMINDER THAT
THE COALITION HAD NO INTEREST IN REMAINING IN IRAQ ANY LONGER
THAN NECESSARY, BUT WOULD STAY UNTIL THE JOB THERE WAS
FINISHED.


3. (S) CAMPBELL SAID THAT GHOLAMPOUR WAS "VISIBLY UPSET" OVER
THE WAY IRAN WAS BEING TREATED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
IN REGARD TO ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM, WHICH IS "STRICTLY
CIVILIAN." IRAN WANTS TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE WEST AND WANTS
EUROPEAN BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY IN THE ENERGY SECTOR, TO
INVEST IN IRAN. THE HARD LINE REPRESENTED BY THE US AND MOST
RECENT IAEA BOG REPORT WAS PLAYING INTO THE HANDS OF THE
FUNDAMENTALISTS IN TEHERAN. IRAN HAS A CHOICE, GHOLAMPOUR
CONTINUED; IT COULD MOVE SLOWLY TOWARDS "WESTERNIZATION" OR,
IF FORCED, "BECOME LIKE NORTH KOREA." HE WONDERED WHETHER
THE US HAD AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE IN THIS APPROACH, HOPING TO
PAINT IRAN IN SUCH A NEGATIVE LIGHT THAT IT COULD JUSTIFY AN
"IRAQ STYLE" ARMED INTERVENTION. CAMPBELL NOTED THAT GIVEN
IC FOCUS ON IRAN, GOING DOWN THE SAME PATH AS NORTH KOREA
WOULD NOT BE IN IRAN'S BEST INTERESTS.


4. (S) GHOLAMPOUR WAS ALSO NEGATIVE ON THE GME INITIATIVE,
NOT SO MUCH FOR ITS GOALS BUT FOR ITS METHODS. DESPITE
CAMPBELL'S EXPLANATION THAT THE GME WAS A PROJECT TO
ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST CHANGE FROM WITHIN, HE INSISTED THAT THE
GME WAS AN ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE CHANGE ON A REGION THAT "WAS NOT
READY FOR WESTERN STYLE DEMOCRACY." IRAN SHOULD BE ALLOWED
TO MAKE PROGRESS "IN ITS OWN WAY," GHOLAMPOUR SAID.


5. (S) CAMPBELL LEARNED AFTER THE MEETING THAT GHOLAMPOUR HAD
MET WITH THE FRENCH EMBASSY'S POLITICAL FIRST SECRETARY AND
HAD MADE SIMILAR POINTS. CAMPBELL'S IMPRESSION WAS THAT
GHOLAMPOUR MIGHT BE MAKING THE ROUNDS WITH THE EU-3, PERHAPS
EVEN AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE ITALIAN MFA, IN AN ATTEMPT TO
TRY TO MOVE EU-3 GOVERNMENTS TOWARDS A "MORE ITALIAN"
APPROACH TOWARDS IRAN, I.E. TAKING A TOUGH LINE ON ANY
NUCLEAR ARMS PROGRAM BUT ENGAGING TEHERAN ON OTHER REGIONAL
ISSUES AND KEEPING LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN. NOTE: POLOFF
WILL FOLLOW UP WITH FRENCH AND GERMAN EMBASSY CONTACTS. END
NOTE.


6. (S) SOME BIO INFORMATION: CAMPBELL SAID THAT GHOLAMPOUR
APPEARED TO BE IN HIS THIRTIES. THIS IS HIS FIRST POSTING
ABROAD - HE PREVIOUSLY WORKED IN THE IRANIAN MFA'S
NONPROLIFERATION BUREAU. HE INDICATED TO CAMPBELL THAT HE
HAD "SOME TECHNICAL TRAINING" IN NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY BUT WAS
NOT SPECIFIC ON HIS DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE. HE IS MARRIED WITH
TWO CHILDREN AND HAS A TOURIST VISA APPLICATION PENDING WITH
THE UK EMBASSY IN ROME, WHICH THE CONSULAR OFFICER IN CHARGE
OF HIS CASE HAS FORWARDED TO LONDON FOR EVALUATION (STANDARD
PROCEDURE FOR SUCH CASES).


7. (U) MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.

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2004ROME02363 - Classification: SECRET