Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ALGIERS2317
2005-11-20 14:12:00
SECRET
Embassy Algiers
Cable title:  

IRAN-RELATED BRIEFING DELIVERED TO MFA SECRETARY

Tags:  PARM PREL KNNP IR EU AG 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ALGIERS 002317 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2015
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP IR EU AG
SUBJECT: IRAN-RELATED BRIEFING DELIVERED TO MFA SECRETARY
GENERAL

REF: A. STATE 202164


B. STATE 199225

C. STATE 199863

D. ALGIERS 2247

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR RICHARD W. ERDMAN,
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ALGIERS 002317

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2015
TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP IR EU AG
SUBJECT: IRAN-RELATED BRIEFING DELIVERED TO MFA SECRETARY
GENERAL

REF: A. STATE 202164


B. STATE 199225

C. STATE 199863

D. ALGIERS 2247

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR RICHARD W. ERDMAN,
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (S) AMBASSADOR, ACCOMPANIED BY POLEC CHIEF AND ACTING
SIMO, CALLED NOVEMBER 16 ON MFA SECRETARY GENERAL LAMAMRA TO
DELIVER REF A TALKING POINTS AND INTRODUCE SENSITIVE SIMO
BRIEFING ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR WEAPONIZATION EFFORTS.
AMBASSADOR NOTED THAT DUE TO LAMAMRA'S ABSENCE ABROAD THE
PREVIOUS WEEK, WE DELIVERED THE SAME DEMARCHE PREVIOUSLY TO
MINISTER OF ENERGY AND MINES KHELIL (REF D) ON NOVEMBER 7 IN
HIS CAPACITY AS HEAD OF THE INTERMINISTERIAL COMMITTEE THAT
HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL
NUCLEAR ISSUES AND THAT REPRESENTS ALGERIA AT IAEA BOARD
MEETINGS IN VIENNA.


2. (S) AMBASSADOR EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD ACQUIRED SERIOUS
DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE INDICATING THAT IRAN, DESPITE ITS CLAIMS
TO THE CONTRARY, WAS IN FACT PURSUING A NUCLEAR WEAPONIZATION
PROGRAM UNDER THE GUISE OF A CIVILIAN NUCLEAR ENERGY PROGRAM.
WHILE WE DID NOT HAVE EVIDENCE THAT IRAN HAS ACTUALLY
ACQUIRED A NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAPABILITY, THE DOCUMENTS MADE
CLEAR THAT IRAN HAS BEEN CONDUCTING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND
HAS ENGAGED IN LONG-RANGE PLANNING TO THIS END. AMBASSADOR
STRESSED THAT ACQUISITION BY IRAN OF A NUCLEAR WEAPONS
CAPABILITY WOULD BE EXTREMELY DESTABILIZING FOR THE REGION.
THERE WAS NO MARGIN FOR ERROR ON THIS QUESTION. IRANIAN
PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD'S RECENT DECLARATION CALLING FOR ISRAEL
TO BE "WIPED OFF THE MAP" UNDERSCORED THE DESTABILIZING
POTENTIAL OF A NUCLEAR-CAPABLE IRAN. IN THIS REGARD, WE
HOPED ALGERIA WOULD PUBLICLY MAKE CLEAR THAT THIS KIND OF
STATEMENT WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE.


3. (S) AMBASSADOR SAID THE INFORMATION IN THE BRIEFING
NEEDED TO VIEWED IN THE CONTEXT OF IRAN'S TWO DECADES OF
PURSUING UNDECLARED NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING PLUTONIUM
SEPARATION, URANIUM ENRICHMENT, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AT
UNDECLARED FACILITIES. THIS DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE SHOULD ALSO
BE VIEWED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE HISTORY OF OTHER COUNTRIES --
LIKE IRAQ, LIBYA, AND NORTH KOREA -- WHOSE EFFORTS TO MASTER
THE FUEL CYCLE WERE EXPLICITLY LINKED TO EFFORTS TO DEVELOP

NUCLEAR WEAPONS. GIVEN IRAN'S ABUNDANT ENERGY RESOURCES,
RUSSIA'S LIFETIME OFFER OF ENRICHED URANIUM, AND IRAN'S
LIMITED NEED FOR THIS KIND OF MATERIAL, IRAN'S INSISTENCE ON
MASTERING THE FULL NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE ONLY MADE SENSE IN THE
CONTEXT OF A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM. IN ORDER TO AVOID
SUCH A DESTABILIZING DEVELOPMENT, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
NEEDED TO BE VERY FIRM IN MAKING CLEAR TO IRAN THAT ITS
PURSUIT OF A NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAPABILITY WAS UNACCEPTABLE,
THAT IT MUST ABANDON PURSUIT OF THE FULL NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE,
AND THAT IT MUST RETURN TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. THE
UNITED STATES STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE EU-3 EFFORTS AND WANTED
TO SEE A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION. WE HOPED WE WOULD HAVE
ALGERIA'S SUPPORT FOR SUCH AN OUTCOME AT THE IAEA BOARD
MEETING LATER IN THE MONTH.


4. (S) AFTER ACTING SIMO MADE HIS PRESENTATION, LAMAMRA
THANKED U.S. SIDE FOR ITS PRESENTATION, EXPRESSING AGREEMENT
THAT IRAN SHOULD NOT HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS. WHILE HE WAS NO
EXPERT, PAST EXPERIENCE (IN REFERENCE TO PRE-WAR INTELLIGENCE
ON IRAQ) DEMONSTRATED THE NEED FOR CAUTION. MAINTAINING
CONSENSUS IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND IAEA PRESSURE WAS
IMPORTANT, SAID LAMAMRA. BUT, NOTING THAT ALGERIA HAD
ABSTAINED DURING THE LAST IAEA BOARD MEETING, HE ARGUED IT
WAS ALSO IMPORTANT TO UNITE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ON
"SOLID GROUND." WITH REGARD TO AHMADINEJAD'S CALL FOR THE
DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL, HE READILY AGREED THIS WAS
UNACCEPTABLE. ALGERIA HAD MADE ITS POSITION ON THIS ISSUE
CLEAR, HE MAINTAINED, WHEN PRESIDENT BOUTEFLIKA ISSUED
INSTRUCTIONS ON A FRIDAY DURING RAMADAN FOR ALGERIA TO
SUPPORT A RESOLUTION AGAINST IRAN UNDER DISCUSSION THAT DAY
IN THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL. (COMMENT: WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT
"RESOLUTION" LAMAMRA WAS REFERRING TO, SUSPECT HE WAS
CONFUSING IT WITH THE MEHLIS REPORT RESOLUTION, AND WOULD
WELCOME ANY CLARIFICATION FROM USUN AS TO WHETHER THERE WAS
SOME CONSIDERATION OF A SECURITY COUNCIL RESPONSE TO THE
AHMADINEJAD STATEMENT.)

5. (S) AMBASSADOR REPEATED THAT WE WANTED TO SEE A
DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION AND WERE PREPARED FOR IRAN TO HAVE A
PEACEFUL NUCLEAR ENERGY PROGRAM ALONG THE LINES PROPOSED BY
THE EUROPEANS. BUT CONVINCING IRAN TO ABANDON THE
DESTABILIZING PURSUIT OF FULL NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE WOULD
REQUIRE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TAKING A CLEAR AND STRONG
STAND. LAMAMRA ASKED IF IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT IRAN REALLY HAD
NO NUCLEAR WEAPONIZATION INTENTIONS BUT HAD DEVELOPED THE
DOCUMENTATION -- AND THEN ARRANGED FOR IT TO BE LEAKED -- AS
PART OF AN ELABORATE SCHEME TO INCREASE ITS NEGOTIATING HAND.
AMBASSADOR REPEATED HIS EARLIER CAUTION THAT WE HAD NO
MARGIN FOR ERROR HERE. IRAN'S CURRENT ACTIVITIES HAD TO BE
LOOKED AT IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS TWO DECADES OF DECEPTION IN
COVERTLY PURSUING NUCLEAR PROGRAMS, ITS LACK OF ANY
DEMONSTRABLE NEED FOR MASTERY OF THE FULL NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE,
ITS CONTINUING LACK OF FULL COOPERATION WITH THE IAEA, AND
THE FACT THAT ITS NUCLEAR PURSUITS ONLY MADE SENSE IN THE
CONTEXT OF A NUCLEAR WEAPONIZATION PROGRAM.

SIEVERS