ALGERIAN FM'S READOUT ON IRANIAN ENVOY'S VISIT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 001920

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2015
TAGS: PREL PARM PTER IR AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIAN FM'S READOUT ON IRANIAN ENVOY'S VISIT TO
ALGIERS


Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman,
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) In an August 31 meeting devoted to a number of
issues, FM Bedjaoui gave Ambassador a readout of Iranian
envoy Alaadine Broujardi's August 29 meeting with President
Bouteflika in Algiers. Bedjaoui, who attended the meeting,
said Broujardi had given many facts and arguments to bolster
Iran's case that it was not in violation of the IAEA rules.
Bouteflika, according to Bedjaoui, told the envoy Iran had
refused a good-faith deal offered by Germany, France, and the
United Kingdom. Citing the example of South Africa, which
voluntarily gave up its nuclear program with no tangible
results, Bouteflika thought the Iranians should consider
themselves fortunate. The President, however, said Algeria
needed to consult other countries since the Iranian envoy
emphasized Iran was not acting contrary to IAEA rules.
Bouteflika appealed for a return to dialogue in order to
resolve the dispute and told Broujardi Iran could, in
Algeria's view, develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.



2. (C) Ambassador responded to Bedjaoui by stressing that
Iran was seeking mastery of the full nuclear fuel cycle.
Historically, other countries, such as Pakistan and North
Korea, that sought to master the nuclear fuel cycle had gone
on to produce nuclear weapons. For this reason, we were
deeply concerned about the prospect that Iran was preparing
for a nuclear weapons capability under the cover of a
civilian nuclear program. The IAEA, continued Ambassador,
found that Iran had cheated and lied about its secret
programs for more than 20 years. Iran could not now expect
the rest of the world to take Iran at its word. The burden
of proof was on Iran.


3. (C) At least the envoy himself gave a good impression and
came across quite convincingly, interjected Bedjaoui with
humor. Ambassador concluded that countries belonging to the
NPT have the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes on the condition that they accept full inspections
and transparency but none of us could afford to be naive when
it came to Iran's record and intentions.

ERDMAN