INDIAN QUESTIONS ABOUT IRAN WMD BRIEFING OFFER

S E C R E T NEW DELHI 006638 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2015 TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL IR IN SUBJECT: INDIAN QUESTIONS ABOUT IRAN WMD BRIEFING OFFER REF: A. STATE 158145 ¶B. NEW DELHI 6397 (NOTAL) AND PREVIOUS Classified By: A/PolCouns Atul Keshap for reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (S) In response to the USG offer to brief the GOI on Iran's weaponization program and pursuit of the nuclear fuel cycle (Ref A),MEA Deputy Secretary (Americas) Santosh Jha told PolMilOff on August 29 that MEA is generally interested, but would like more information before it could formally accept the offer. Jha raised three questions: 1) Would the briefing go beyond what had already been presented to India in Vienna? 2) What would be the level of the briefing team? 3) What kind of flexibility would the team have to do the briefing later in the week, e.g., 1-2 Sept, to ensure higher-level participation? ¶2. (SBU) PolMilOff subsequently relayed these questions to NP/RA and their responses to Jha later the same day: 1) The classified briefing would include information not previously given to the GOI; 2) The briefing would be given by experts at the Office Director level; and 3) The team could be available 1-2 Sept. In response, Jha stated the GOI would likely be represented at the Joint Secretary level (Assistant Secretary equivalent),although MEA Additional Secretary SIPDIS (International Security) Meera Shankar may attend, pending her availability. Jha promised to give us a formal answer by August 30. ¶3. (S) Assuming the GOI agrees formally to the briefing, Post recommends the team brief A/S Shankar as well as Deputy NSA Nambiar and an appropriate level at the National Security Council staff. Shankar, however, may also ask the briefing team about the status of USG reconsideration of sanctions against Indian scientists Drs. Prasad and Surrendra based on the GOI's robust insistence that neither was involved in Iran's WMD program (Ref B). It would be useful for the team to be prepared to give her a response. ¶4. (U) Please slug responses to Embassy New Delhi PolMilOff, Stacy Gilbert. ¶5. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website: (http//www.state.sgov/p/sa/newdelhi) MULFORD